Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Hope
1. What is your earliest memory connected to you music? I remember playing with a kiddie piano and learning a tune. I played it by ear over and over again!
2. How did your passion for creating music begin? I heard my dad play “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man” by Neil Young. I wanted to learn it. I was sad that day. I don’t remember why. He taught me some chords and I brought a guitar he gave me to the dorm and wrote my own songs. I was getting over the end of a relationship with my first love. The music helped me do that. I entertained my friends while we played cards and drank beers. They loved my songs. Later on, I got more serious and recorded a demo in Christiana, TN and sang it in one take while singing in the bathroom. David McAlister let me set up in the bathroom with good acoustics! I then recorded with Ryan Coleman.
3. What started your recent music projects?
My daughter moved to NYC. I was sad and googled what to do. It said discover your own interest again, so I delved into music hard core. I spent time learning and creating pretty obsessively. Its been a blast.
4. How would you describe your sound to someone who has not heard of you yet? I have some of that dream pop sound. I was influenced by Lana Del Ray, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Billie Eilish, & Lorde. I have also been influenced by multicultural music I hear in my Zumba classes: Indian music, Latino, Hip hop, rap & Arabic even. I have fierce, warrior influences, country, reflective songs, slow, sultry songs, pop or hip hop, alternative and faith and God songs. I am not in one specific category. I just write whatever comes to me and I am independent, so I can do whatever I feel in my mind.
5. What is one thing you learned that completely changed the way you make music? I learned to use technology that is available to me!
6. What tools, instruments and software are essential in your creative process? My phone, my guitar, paper and pen, Moises app, Suno for mastering, headset mic. With the Moises app I can remove vocals of my songs and sing them live. I can keep the backing vocals and harmonies! I can make set list! Its great! I can do all my songs live and have so many.
7. Which indie artist or song are you loving? Felecia Cruz is a great female artist who is independent and I will join her on Tour this summer. I also enjoy Mr. JOJO and Stoney Banks has some fun songs. Tango Boy is enjoyable to hear. Halsey is great too.
8. Have your experiences influenced your music and vision? Yes! I was in a bad job for 6 years of some bullying and unsafe conditions at times. I am not not there! I wrote songs to get through it. Then losing people I love and my love for zumba dance along with having a musical dream fuels my songs. The world we live in, the struggles politically has inspired me also.
9. What is the most important lesson your music has taught you? Songs have come to me to write them. I am honest. I write them how they come. I can get a song idea in a dream or while cleaning my house. I go with it and try to help that song reach its potential. My songs help me to be more confident, to express my feelings, to fall in or out of love, to show appreciation for someone, to remember to appreciate God and look to him rather than a man. People come and go, God is with us. Music is always there for me. People can love me one day and ignore me the next but I have music and God so I will be ok.
10. What is a dream festival or venue you would love to perform at? Coachella, Bonnaroo, CMA Fest, and if they would bring back Dancing in the District in Nashville, TN I would love that.
11. If you could collaborate with any artist past or present who would it be and why? The Beatles, Oasis, Dido, Coldplay, Tom Petty, Beck, The Temptations, Cage the Elephant, Lorde, Madonna, Kings and Country, Jake Owen, Adam Lavine. Stevie Nicks, Tori Amos. I admire them all and appreciate their music so much.
