Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I’m Hoian, a singer-songwriter originally from the Wirral, Merseyside now based in South London. I’ve got quite a diverse background, my father is Eritrean and my mother is Guyanese. I grew up in a fairly musical household, with my sisters and I all writing and playing music. I first properly started writing songs around the age of 14 after discovering Jeff Buckley and teaching myself guitar. From there I started a band with my twin sister and a friend. We used to do covers of Deftones, Incubus and No Doubt as well as originals. Back then I loved trying to write catchy melodies with interesting chords but with a heavy edge.
My music has mellowed a bit since then, but it’s grounded in the same elements. I took a hiatus from making music for a while until lockdown when I started learning music production on Logic Pro. Now I sing and do most of the music myself.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Hoian”?
A: I’ve actually just had a baby, but have a batch of songs already written. When I found out I was pregnant last year I set myself the goal of releasing some music into the world before giving birth. Now I’ve achieved that goal, I don’t want to stop. I’m hoping to continue to release more songs in between juggling motherhood! Hopefully I can show people that you don’t have to be young or conventional to release music and having a baby in tow shouldn’t stop you doing what you love!
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: I tend to veer between two types of music that I listen to for inspiration. The first is simple music, with beautiful melodies and guitars. In this respect I’m a huge fan of Julia Jacklin and Sharon Van Etten.
The second type of music involves interesting composition and production, particularly as I’m trying to develop my production skills. I find James Blake hugely inspiring. He is remarkable at crafting sounds to create energy and emotion in the right moments. Coupled with his incredible voice, he’s an all round genius.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Untitled (Too Soon).”?
A: “I wrote this song in my bedroom last year after suffering my first miscarriage while isolating from COVID. Unable to go to the hospital, I penned this song as therapy. The song and the title ‘Untitled (Too Soon)’ reflects the common fear and taboo around discussing pregnancy in the early stages for the fear of loss, but the inevitable loneliness that comes if loss does happen (As miscarriage is very common in the first trimester but not often talked about).
When the track was released I was expecting my first child and I am fortunate enough to have welcomed my daughter a few weeks ago! I wanted to release something before my child was born in recognition of the losses I had before and to reflect the journey to where I am now.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Melodic, melancholy, honest and layered.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Untitled (Too Soon)”?
A: To be honest no, the song writing process was quick. I think I wrote the melody and had the basis of the production and lyrics down in a couple of hours whilst sat on my bed. I always prefer the songs that come that easily, but it doesn’t always happen that way!
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: I try to be fairly honest with my songs reflecting on personal experience or observing society. My ultimate goal is writing music that resonates with people or melodies that make people want to sing along or evoke emotions.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Thom Yorke – Radiohead are my favourite band of all time. His voice and melodies always impact me emotionally without fail. Either him or Bjork. Homogenic has to be one of my top 10 albums, it’s a work of art.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Keep writing and keep creating for fun. The music industry is a tough place and it’s not one to jump into if you want to make money. Once you stop making music for fun, then stop, it’s a creativity killer.
Also if possible keep a job that can help pay for the music.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Don’t compare yourself to others, you are unique and that’s okay.
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