Cade Hoppe – Just Look at the Moon

By starrymag | November 15, 2023

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us the story behind your new song “Only Human.”

A) “Only Human” is a song that I wrote as my final project for my college class on love.  I had no idea what the song would be about exactly when I sat down to write it, I just knew I had to tie it into what we learned about love that semester.  It’s a song about that slow surprise you feel when someone does the impossible—actually gets you.  I played the song for my class and got an A, but the even bigger win was that I wrote a song I felt was good.

 

Q) What kind of response have you been receiving from your fans?

A) I’ve gotten a lot of really positive messages about the song—and it’s a song about finally being understood when you feel so misunderstood, so it’s nice that there are people that can relate.

 

Q) There is an audio-only video out now. Will there be a full video coming in the near future?

A) There won’t be a full video for this one, but I’m hoping to put some more music videos out soon!

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Every song comes together differently—one of the reasons I love songwriting—but usually I’ll either sit down and write a song with a piano or guitar, or I’ll start producing a track that I then will write to. With “Only Human,” I sat down and wrote on a guitar.

 

Q) Harper James handled the production on “Only Human,” but how much of a say do you have in the production of your music?

A) Harper and I actually produce all my songs together—I’ve learned so much from him and it’s given me the ability and confidence to produce on my own as well (I’ve recently produced a lot of music for indie pop artist Maddie Regent).  I really enjoy our collaborative process in the studio because our skills complement each other well. For example, with “Only Human” he played most of the guitars (I think I just played the main acoustic) as well as the drums, and I played the piano, synths and saxophone. Then we brought in an amazing musician Bobby Hawk to play some violin.  But, yeah, from the very beginning I wanted to learn how to do as much as possible on my productions and Harper really taught me so much about producing.

 

Q) Your EP Just Look at the Moon is coming soon. What are some themes you’ll be exploring on it?

A) The EP is a lot about how it’s felt to chase my dream of having a career in music. It’s a lot about uncertainty, neurosis, and loneliness, among other feelings. There’s never regret, but there is always some hint of what the hell am I doing hanging around.

 

Q) Which track(s) can you tease are your personal favorites off the EP?

A) My favorites will always be “Moon” and “Fool’s Gold” just because they mean so much to me and have a special place in my heart, but the focus track off the EP, “Fresh Start,” is a song I’m really proud of.  It was one of the first things I ever really tried to produce on my own and it turned out to be so different from anything I’d made before. I ended up finishing it with Harper and I really love how it turned out.

 

Q) Were there any particular songs that challenged you the most creatively?

A) I think the production on “Only Human” was maybe the hardest to figure out—we knew we wanted to do a more organic thing with a real drum kit, but I remember the arrangement going through a couple more stages than some of the other songs.  We also left some space for strings, which ultimately tied it all together when Bobby Hawk came in and worked his magic.

 

Q) What do you hope lingers with listeners who explore the beautiful and heartfelt music that you make?

A) Thank you for saying that—I hope that listeners come away feeling less alone.  I write a lot about things that are hard for me to deal with or understand, so if people can relate to those things, then I hope that makes them realize they aren’t the only ones feeling those feelings.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) My dream collaboration will always be Jack Antonoff, but really I’d just love to nerd out in a studio with him.

 

Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) I’ve been listening to a lot of the new Sufjan Stevens record and it’s amazing.  I really admire how raw his songwriting always feels and if I could ever write a song that made someone feel anything close to how I feel while listening to his new record, I could die happy.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I’d just like to say what an honor it is to be on anyone’s personal playlist—I know what that means, as someone who listens to music constantly. So, if that’s the case, then thank you so much. I’m having the best time making music that I really care about, and I really hope this is only the beginning.  Thank you so much for this interview!