The Hopesos - Sound In The Signals Interview
I recently had the opportunity to interview The Hopesos. We discussed the anniversary of their EP, two new singles, writing and recording their upcoming LP, and more. Check it out below.
First, thanks for the interview.
Thanks for having me.
You recently celebrated the third anniversary of your EP ‘Bound’. How are you feeling about it and about your musical journey since then?
Thanks, yeah. Whenever I think about creating 'Bound', I always feel really grateful for the experience, all the people that contributed, and how much it taught me as an artist. In some ways, 'Bound' was my first 'serious' musical project, so, as I was creating the EP, I kept coming across new skills I needed to learn related to recording, editing, and releasing music. But I think embracing the process of learning and while creating gave me permission to experiment, bring others into my creative process, and take emotional / compositional risks I might not have taken with more experience - and I think all of that really enriched the project as a whole.
Since then, we've spent a lot of time harnessing the lessons from our past to refine and create the future of our sound. We've been expanding our skills as writers, players, and engineers since 'Bound' so that we can dial in our creative energy to deliver a consistent and compelling experience through our music.
The band has changed over the past three years. How has that impacted the music and led you to where you are now?
Yes, when we released 'Bound', the band was composed of four band members, and now, Seth (vocals/instrumentation) and Dustin (drums) are the two remaining members. There was no bad blood in this decision - Marc ended up in NYC, Will lives in Virginia - and it became clear to all of us when I wanted to start playing live more that it wouldn't be sustainable for Marc and Will to continue as core members of the band. After trimming down the band, we focused on reduction and clarity. We moved away from melody-driven song writing supported by swaths of midi instrumentation and effects, and worked toward making songs supported primarily by traditional four piece instrumentation. I think that's forced us to really sharpen our skills as players and it's been a fun challenge to try and do more with less.
You recently released two new singles. What can you tell us about them and the new direction of your sound so far?
We just released one single, "Two", in November and we have a new one coming out in December. I'm really excited about these. They're both really dynamic - "Two", which we released in November, is a bit more hopeful and the next one is a little more angry. I think these singles take some of the best elements from our original sound - raw energy, builds with big pay-offs, & personal storytelling - and bring them to life in a more articulate way. I hope they'll resonate with our listeners and that stripping-down the effects will help the honesty of these songs to come through in a more emotionally accessible way.
You’re set to release your first LP in January. What should fans expect from the LP?
Well, we can't ruin too much of the fun haha. But I'll say this - if you like the singles - I think you'll like the LP.
Can you tell us more about the writing and recording process?
Yeah, so I wrote the songs between 2021-2024, and my Grandma - who is truly the best, big thank you to her - kindly let us record the music in February 2024 at her house in South Jersey. Everything about the recording process was pretty DIY. Dustin laid down his drums first, and then I laid down bass. From there, I recorded most of what you hear on the record (with some welcome exceptions - super grateful for contributions by Ben Loeb from "The Belvoirs" on lead guitar, Marc Persing from the original band on piano and banjo and some electric guitar composition, and Kenny Bond from "Out of Service" on percussive instruments).
I felt really lucky to have help from Mike Capuano of "Out of Service" and Nathan Hussey of "All Get Out" during the recording and production process as well. They co-mixed the album together and gave great advice when I needed it. Thematically, I'd say these songs are largely reflections on the relational atrophy I've experienced in the past few years. It's me trying to sort out what to do about the breakdown in trust I've experienced on so many levels with institutions and people, including myself. It also highlights some moments of growth and gratitude.
You have some live shows coming up. What’s your favorite thing about performing live and what are your plans for those upcoming shows?
Yes, we just had a great show in Philly a bit ago, and we're currently finalizing the details for our shows in the new year. We're hoping to do a small tour in January around the time we release the record. I'd say my favorite thing about performing is just experiencing the community that comes with it. All of us - audience and band - immersing ourselves in a moment of shared expression and emotion together is what it’s all about.
Thanks for answering the questions. Do you have anything else that you’d like to add?
Nope, thanks for having me. You can stream our new single "Two" now wherever you listen to music and I hope you enjoy the new record!
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