Interview with Solo Artist Hootin
By Mick Michaels
CV: Describe your definition of your sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Hootin: It has taken me quite a while to come to a description of the style of music I create.... The best I have come up with so far is “Expressive Alternative.” Being a drummer by trade, rhythm and energy are usually the most important factors in good music for me; lyrics being a close second. I usually begin writing a new song with the drums or percussion to define a feel. From there I take time to thinking about all of the things that have been going on in my life that tend to otherwise be hard to express verbally; things I’ve been feeling, thinking about but maybe struggling to articulate…. I then pick one of these ideas that I think fits the energy of the track I've put together so far. I build the rest of the instrumentation to fit the tone and timbre of the idea I’m trying to express. Finally, I then find lyrics that don’t describe the feeling I’m trying to express…but demonstrate it. I want each of my songs to be about something...a concrete idea that I can name but allows the listener to have their own experience with. For example, the first track of my recent album “Exit Conditions” is titled Wisdom. It is about the exchange that we all make: the time we have left on earth, for the experience we gain. It's a sort of transaction we all make throughout our lives, but affects each of us differently. I want each listener to reflect on their own transactions: how it shaped them. The instrumentation underneath is driving yet jagged, much like the ups and downs of life.
CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
Hootin: That connection is much more possible than it used to be.... 30, 40 years ago, the only way to connect with an artist was to watch them on TV, or attend some massive concert. These days social media has allowed artists to invite their audience much more so into their lives. I do the best I can to interact with people who like or comment on my social media posts but I’m a bit of an introvert so can always do better. I find it much more natural to spend time with people who come to see me play.
CV: Is fan interaction an important part of your inner culture?
Hootin: Being a solo artist it's pretty easy for me to manage band culture...haha. But I think it's pretty important for the psychology of anyone who puts themselves in front of others.
CV: Can an artist or band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
Hootin: I’ve never gotten to a place where that was a concern but I absolutely believe that it gets progressively more difficult the further your name reaches.
CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
Hootin: Oh I think so, yes. You don’t even really have to go around the world to see that difference. Some people treat music as a background to fill space, some people use the music they listen to as a status item, some are deeply introspective with what they hear…the differences are immense, even with the people around you. I think it is one of the greatest connectors; to find someone who treats music the same way you do. I’m sure there are different trends in different geographies but I think within our hyper connected world we are more similar around the globe than we are different.
Hootin: I think that’s really hard to say. What makes a band globally appealing is largely affected by who they are, their behavior and a little luck. That’s the sort of thing that I think would need to be assessed on a case by case basis.
CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in
your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
Hootin: In terms of music at least, technology, and the relatively easy access to it, has enabled people to make pretty fantastic music from the comfort of their own homes. It's absolutely flooded platforms like Spotify and Soundcloud but I think that is truly a great thing. People who wouldn’t have had access to record a few decades ago can pretty readily put together some pretty great sounds. It's pretty much completely removed the choke hold that corporations had on the music scene and has brought music in general to a much more human level. I don’t think that blurs the lines however. Anyone who creates something is an artist and should have the ability to record and distribute it. It makes for a much more fair and organic environment for genuinely good music to float to the top, not just artists that are well funded.
Hootin: In terms of music at least, technology, and the relatively easy access to it, has enabled people to make pretty fantastic music from the comfort of their own homes. It's absolutely flooded platforms like Spotify and Soundcloud but I think that is truly a great thing. People who wouldn’t have had access to record a few decades ago can pretty readily put together some pretty great sounds. It's pretty much completely removed the choke hold that corporations had on the music scene and has brought music in general to a much more human level. I don’t think that blurs the lines however. Anyone who creates something is an artist and should have the ability to record and distribute it. It makes for a much more fair and organic environment for genuinely good music to float to the top, not just artists that are well funded.
CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends
and one who sets them?
Hootin: This is a good question. One of the things that took me a really long time to learn is to stop trying to be like artists I like. I would hear a great song and think “I want to make a track like that!.” Trying to sound like someone else is never going to result in something good. Having the confidence to truly be yourself in your creation is not easy; but everyone who has set a trend has done so by being purely themselves. If you are trying to emulate someone else, you are by definition not setting a trend.
Hootin: This is a good question. One of the things that took me a really long time to learn is to stop trying to be like artists I like. I would hear a great song and think “I want to make a track like that!.” Trying to sound like someone else is never going to result in something good. Having the confidence to truly be yourself in your creation is not easy; but everyone who has set a trend has done so by being purely themselves. If you are trying to emulate someone else, you are by definition not setting a trend.
CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
Hootin: Not at all. A consequence of the new accessibility of making music is that there is so much out there being produced by ordinary people. During the days where the only music you would hear was on the radio, backed by some big record label and a ton of money, the audience didn’t have the means to really explore music. You pretty much just heard what was broadcast and either liked it or didn’t. The internet and cheap recording costs have exploded the global catalog. In order to find music you really like you now have to put in effort to explore and find what really speaks to you; it's fantastic because there is so much to explore and you can really develop your own taste. It has severely weakened the monarchical, super celebrity structure of the old music industry but has created an amazing global library to explore. New artists may struggle to build a massive audience, but the audience you do build is fiercely loyal, and I massively prefer that.
CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
Hootin: For now I am releasing a new single every 3-4 months. I just released The New Queen in May. The next should be coming in early September, but I’ll let everyone know once the dates are a little more locked down. I’m not performing at the moment but will be putting the show back together next spring for a really awesome summer tour in 2023. Hope to see you there!
Check out Hootin at:
Official: www.hootinmusic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hootinmusic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hootinMusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hootinm
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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