House music has always welcomed outsiders who bring something new to the floor. Adam Hanke might be the latest example.
The Oregon, Wisconsin-based artist spent roughly 14 years developing what he now calls the Grove Pop sound — a genre built on melodic electronic and house foundations, layered with imagery-driven songwriting that leans more personal than most club-ready records. His newest single, “Rewriting Our Story,” featuring “Rivers and Roads,” is streaming now on Spotify, with more from the project posted regularly on Instagram.
What makes Hanke’s story stand out in the house scene isn’t just the music — it’s the fact that he’s building it alongside a career as a professional endurance runner, treating both as expressions of the same discipline.
Where the Grove Pop Sound Comes From
Hanke doesn’t describe Grove Pop as a solo invention so much as something that emerged from years of collaboration. “It was built through that whole process,” he said of the genre, crediting the many collaborators who helped shape it alongside him. He’s quick to name his influences as wide-ranging — pulling as much from classical orchestration as from the melodic pop instincts of artists like Michael Jackson.
That range is what separates the Grove Pop sound from a lot of house-adjacent output. The four-on-the-floor pulse and electronic textures are there, but Hanke layers them with lyrics meant to hit on an emotional level rather than just fill a room. He describes it as production built to move listeners physically and emotionally in the same breath.
Collaboration remains central to how he works today. Hanke has traded ideas and features with Furrow, a fellow artist on Green Tea Distribution, describing the relationship as a genuine exchange — vocal contributions on one side, distribution knowledge on the other.
Navigating the Industry as an Independent-Minded Artist
Building a genre from scratch inside an industry built around established categories hasn’t been simple. Hanke says he’s dealt with real friction — including platforms flagging legitimate content — and has had to adapt his workflow around systems that weren’t designed with a dual music-and-athletics career in mind.
Rather than fight those systems outright, he says he’s learned to negotiate directly and advocate for himself on the business side, whether that means sorting out distribution logistics or resolving issues with partners. It’s a mindset he credits partly to endurance training: showing up and doing the work, even when the process isn’t smooth or glamorous.
What Comes Next for Grove Pop
Hanke’s ambitions for the genre go beyond his own catalog. He wants Grove Pop to eventually function as a space other artists can build within — not just a label attached to his own sound. On the release calendar, expect more music that ties together his faith, his running career, and lived experience, alongside continued progress on the competitive running side that he says directly feeds his creative output.
For now, house music fans can catch the sound firsthand on “Rewriting Our Story,” featuring “Rivers and Roads,” streaming on Spotify. Updates on new releases and Hanke’s running career are posted on Instagram.