The Sit Down with Noeline Hofmann
For the last two years, no matter who we spoke to within the Canadian country and Americana space, there has been one artist that everyone is talking about and her name is Noeline Hofmann. The twenty-one year old from Alberta released her debut EP “Purple Gas” to highly acclaimed praise south of the border in the United States last year and has already made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry. Hofmann’s rise has been further enhanced by the help of Zach Bryan who covered and collaborated with her on a version of her EP’s title track where she would recently join Bryan on a trip across the pond for three shows at Croke Park in Dublin and a pair of sold out events at American Express presents BST Hyde Park where we spent some time with her on her first trip to the UK.
Welcome to London.
“Oh, thank you so much.”
Are you enjoying your time here so far?
“Oh, Absolutely.”
Did you come straight in from Dublin? Have you had a chance to explore the city or anything since you've been here?
“No, not yet. We just got in yesterday and played with Turnpike Troubadours and J.R. Carroll last night. That was a great introduction to London, it was such a fun show, maybe one of my favourite Turnpike shows that I've seen.”
I’m guessing it feels a lot warmer than back home in Alberta as well.
“You know what? Alberta can get even hotter than than this, just not as humid.”
Well, I guess you've more used to the different seasons there as you properly get them all. Obviously this is a great opportunity to head over here for the first time and get to showcase to a lot of people that probably don't know too much about who you are. A lot of people that do know your music will be off the back of “Purple Gas” and the associated with Zach. When you first wrote and recorded that song, did you have the feeling that was gonna be something, that it was gonna be the one that would take you to all of these places?
Welcome to London.
“Oh, thank you so much.”
Are you enjoying your time here so far?
“Oh, Absolutely.”
Did you come straight in from Dublin? Have you had a chance to explore the city or anything since you've been here?
“No, not yet. We just got in yesterday and played with Turnpike Troubadours and J.R. Carroll last night. That was a great introduction to London, it was such a fun show, maybe one of my favourite Turnpike shows that I've seen.”
I’m guessing it feels a lot warmer than back home in Alberta as well.
“You know what? Alberta can get even hotter than than this, just not as humid.”
Well, I guess you've more used to the different seasons there as you properly get them all. Obviously this is a great opportunity to head over here for the first time and get to showcase to a lot of people that probably don't know too much about who you are. A lot of people that do know your music will be off the back of “Purple Gas” and the associated with Zach. When you first wrote and recorded that song, did you have the feeling that was gonna be something, that it was gonna be the one that would take you to all of these places?
”Oh, not at all. No, not at all. It happened completely naturally, it was a song that I wrote entirely for myself, maybe with plans of putting out one day, but really, it was just a diary and dream more than anything. Then I had posted a clip online and people started to connect with it in a big way that I never could have expected. I never thought of this as the one when I wrote it but you just never know, you never know.”
I guess that's the way that a lot of people would have discovered you, where I came across you through Kyle McKearney.
“Oh, wow, that’s cool.”
He’s awesome and so are his team but “August” was a song that the two of you wrote together and then “Tomorrow” which is his most recent track that came out as well. What was it about Kyle as an artist that kind of drew you to him and since you've been working with him, what is it that makes the two of you a really good fit to write really great songs together?
“Yeah, Kyle had reached out to me to cowrite originally and I think we connect with the same kind of styles of music, you know country bluegrass and rock kind of styling. It was good for me to get to flex my muscle on somebody else's work and as a songwriter, then it's great practice for me as a young artist to get to work on other projects.”
You're both from a similar area in Alberta and talking about back home, Happy Canada Day for Tuesday, I’ll head to Tim Hortons and try to find some poutine to help celebrate. Musically back home there is the Top of the Country programme that SiriusXM and the CCMA’s are running, which yes, there is the competition element where it’s between Jake Vaadeland, Sully Burrows and yourself but for new and emerging artists how important is it to have organisations like SiriusXM and the CCMA that are there to provide help and support?
“Yeah, you know, it’s immeasurably important. I think like, artist development is something in general these days that a little bit gets skipped often, especially just with the way that things can take off so quickly online nowadays and like, it is a contest for sure, but more than anything, they really lean into the programme side of it and the mentorship aspect is just really wonderful. It’s really exciting that there's something like that in Canada, it’s really inspiring, encouraging and really gives emerging artists a real platform and community of people in the industry to connect with to build upwards, you know, from the programme and going forward.”
One thing you do notice about female artists from Canada, is that unlike male artists with Josh Ross being the obvious exception on this, is that the guys tend to focus more domestically where the girls are heading across the border and having a go internationally to start out. Is it almost the case of whilst you hear all these stories about the radio element in the States, that Canada’s market is as much of a struggle for female artists that they need to branch out, or is it just a case of it being a better fit initially?
“I think for me, when I started my career, I wasn't trying to aim directly for Canadian country radio, that was part of my more longer term plan. I knew that it will come eventually, but I was trying to build my own foundation that way, especially with when you're playing more Americana and roots music, so not directly in the commercial lane. I knew that I needed to start in the United States and then of course, not forget Canada is a huge part of what I do, my audience and everything, but definitely I feel like the space of music that I love and that I'm in, the alternative country spaces, it's largely in the States. Then, of course, we have these amazing opportunities to play all over the world, because people all over the world connect with it, but in my mind, the brunt of the business that I want to be doing, everybody's in the United States so that's why that I went that direction first to build there.”
Then now you're here and it’s obviously quite a long way from home but is an incredible opportunity to play these shows with Zach and the Turnpike guys, who I’m really excited to get to see for the first time tomorrow, then you were so good today that you get to stand out in the sun for a second show as well. It was wonderful to see you have a big crowd earlier and get to see why everyone we know in the industry back home can’t stop talking about your craft as a songwriter so, I really hope you will look to come back.
“Thank you, that’s so kind, I can't wait to come back. I really can't wait.”
Make it a regular trip and by the time you come back, there'll be even more Tim Hortons over here. It’s the greatest thing about Canada, I even prefer it to the Seattle based chain that is everywhere plus you get the Tim Bits too!
“Tim Bits are the best!”
Well, let’s hope you both continue to take over the world and we will see you again soon!
The latest release “The Bullfighter” is out now from Noeline Hofmann and is available to stream or download HERE. Noeline plays the Calgary Stampede this weekend along with a host of North American dates in both Canada and the United States, with full details on her WEBSITE whilst you can keep up to date with all that she is up to by following along on INSTAGRAM & TIKTOK.
I guess that's the way that a lot of people would have discovered you, where I came across you through Kyle McKearney.
“Oh, wow, that’s cool.”
He’s awesome and so are his team but “August” was a song that the two of you wrote together and then “Tomorrow” which is his most recent track that came out as well. What was it about Kyle as an artist that kind of drew you to him and since you've been working with him, what is it that makes the two of you a really good fit to write really great songs together?
“Yeah, Kyle had reached out to me to cowrite originally and I think we connect with the same kind of styles of music, you know country bluegrass and rock kind of styling. It was good for me to get to flex my muscle on somebody else's work and as a songwriter, then it's great practice for me as a young artist to get to work on other projects.”
You're both from a similar area in Alberta and talking about back home, Happy Canada Day for Tuesday, I’ll head to Tim Hortons and try to find some poutine to help celebrate. Musically back home there is the Top of the Country programme that SiriusXM and the CCMA’s are running, which yes, there is the competition element where it’s between Jake Vaadeland, Sully Burrows and yourself but for new and emerging artists how important is it to have organisations like SiriusXM and the CCMA that are there to provide help and support?
“Yeah, you know, it’s immeasurably important. I think like, artist development is something in general these days that a little bit gets skipped often, especially just with the way that things can take off so quickly online nowadays and like, it is a contest for sure, but more than anything, they really lean into the programme side of it and the mentorship aspect is just really wonderful. It’s really exciting that there's something like that in Canada, it’s really inspiring, encouraging and really gives emerging artists a real platform and community of people in the industry to connect with to build upwards, you know, from the programme and going forward.”
One thing you do notice about female artists from Canada, is that unlike male artists with Josh Ross being the obvious exception on this, is that the guys tend to focus more domestically where the girls are heading across the border and having a go internationally to start out. Is it almost the case of whilst you hear all these stories about the radio element in the States, that Canada’s market is as much of a struggle for female artists that they need to branch out, or is it just a case of it being a better fit initially?
“I think for me, when I started my career, I wasn't trying to aim directly for Canadian country radio, that was part of my more longer term plan. I knew that it will come eventually, but I was trying to build my own foundation that way, especially with when you're playing more Americana and roots music, so not directly in the commercial lane. I knew that I needed to start in the United States and then of course, not forget Canada is a huge part of what I do, my audience and everything, but definitely I feel like the space of music that I love and that I'm in, the alternative country spaces, it's largely in the States. Then, of course, we have these amazing opportunities to play all over the world, because people all over the world connect with it, but in my mind, the brunt of the business that I want to be doing, everybody's in the United States so that's why that I went that direction first to build there.”
Then now you're here and it’s obviously quite a long way from home but is an incredible opportunity to play these shows with Zach and the Turnpike guys, who I’m really excited to get to see for the first time tomorrow, then you were so good today that you get to stand out in the sun for a second show as well. It was wonderful to see you have a big crowd earlier and get to see why everyone we know in the industry back home can’t stop talking about your craft as a songwriter so, I really hope you will look to come back.
“Thank you, that’s so kind, I can't wait to come back. I really can't wait.”
Make it a regular trip and by the time you come back, there'll be even more Tim Hortons over here. It’s the greatest thing about Canada, I even prefer it to the Seattle based chain that is everywhere plus you get the Tim Bits too!
“Tim Bits are the best!”
Well, let’s hope you both continue to take over the world and we will see you again soon!
The latest release “The Bullfighter” is out now from Noeline Hofmann and is available to stream or download HERE. Noeline plays the Calgary Stampede this weekend along with a host of North American dates in both Canada and the United States, with full details on her WEBSITE whilst you can keep up to date with all that she is up to by following along on INSTAGRAM & TIKTOK.
