Check out the full interview on Youtube: https://youtu.be/JvDVQeuMsNk 

Lily: Hello everyone, my name is Lily Davis with KCR College Radio, and today we are joined by Kade Hoffman! Kade, it is so great to finally meet you! Why don’t you go ahead and tell the viewers a little bit about yourself?

Kade Hoffman is a singer-songwriter from Colorado who specializes in country music. Though he tried to say, “That’s about it,” his emotional and inspiring music goes far beyond the credit he gives himself.

Lily: “If you could describe your sound in a couple of words, what would you choose?”

According to Kade, “Singer-songwriter” encompasses the key aspects of his sound, emphasizing each song’s meaningful lyrics through stripped-back production. He mentions trailblazing artists such as Bob Dylan who inspire his production style. 

Lily: “You were raised in Southern Colorado, which is such a beautiful place to live…how would you say your upbringing inspires your music today?” 

Kade: “I think it’s honestly the biggest inspiration for all of it. I wrote half my songs sitting on a tractor… that’s really where it all started.”

Colorado is immensely important for Kade and his musical process. He grew up working on his grandparents’ ranch, and recalls, “That was really where it all started.” Songwriting in an environment like a farm in Southern Colorado clearly contributes to the authenticity of the storytelling in Kade’s lyrics. Now, Kade spends as much of his free time as possible in Colorado, since it is a tried and true place to find inspiration. 

Lily: “Is there a memory or place that still finds its way into your songs today?”

Though Kade hasn’t written a song explicitly about Colorado, it is the biggest driving factor in his songwriting and lifestyle.

Lily: “Your first release was a beautiful song called “Bonfire Blues,” which was recorded on your phone back in 2022… What does it feel like now to hear that song and know where it ended up taking you?” 

Kade: “I was just thinking about that earlier today… I recorded that song in my room, my childhood room, which is like 30 feet from me right now…I recorded it on my phone, and then I would go listen to it in my pickup and try to figure out the audio levels and everything… It’s really weird to look back on that and view it from that light versus how I do things now.”

When Kade created his first release and top single, “Bonfire Blues,” the production was done completely from his childhood room; now, amassing over 80,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 4 million streams on “Bonfire Blues,” most of his songs are produced in a studio in Nashville. 

Lily: “When you recorded that song, did you have any idea people would connect with it the way they have?”

Kade: “No, I had no idea…I was just listening to music all day, and I was like, ‘Yeah, it would be kind of cool to put some out of my own.’ I just kind of had an itch one day, and by the end of the week, I had recorded it and released it.”

4 million streams is far more than Kade thought he would get on one of his songs. He didn’t expect “Bonfire Blues” to get more than a couple of hundred listens when he released it, but it turned into his most popular song and laid the foundation for the rest of his musical career. 

Lily: “Moving into current adventures, you do have a handful of shows coming up, some in Canada and some in the United States. What is your favorite part about tour life?”

Kade: “I just love being on stage…there’s nothing that compares to being on stage.”

Kade described performing as “one of [his] favorite things in the world.” No matter how many times he plays on different stages, the feeling of sharing his music live is always surreal and unique. He also loves meeting audience members at the merch table after his set to connect with each of them. 

Lily: “Is there a show or moment on stage that you’ll never forget?”

Kade: “The one that really sticks out to me is my first headline show in Colorado…That was pretty surreal for me to go back there because one of my first bigger shows was opening for Sam Barber at that same place.”

Different cities in the United States have consistently high energy and an electric feel, but for Kade, nothing beats performing for fellow Coloradans. He emphasized that he feels incredibly lucky to get to travel and observe each city’s unique crowd, but hometown shows are always extra special.

Lily: “Is there anywhere you haven’t been that you would like to play?”

Kade: “I’ve never played up towards the northeast part of the US, like New York and everything like that. That’s definitely coming up in the future, but other than that, it would be cool to play in Europe.”

Lily: “You have played among some incredible artists, including Colter Wall. How does it feel to perform on the same stage as musicians like him?”

Kade: “It’s insane. He was one of my biggest influences before I had gotten into the scene. He really helped me to understand that that kind of music can still exist. Prior to that I would only listen to real old school country like Johnny Cash…listening to Colter kind of let me know that that was still an option.”

It is incredible that Kade has been able to perform alongside his inspirations. As I mentioned to him in the interview, it immediately made sense to me that Kade had opened for Colter Wall after hearing some of his music. 

Lily: “In your songwriting, you evoke a lot of diverse imagery. I know you talked a little bit about finding some of the inspiration from Colorado and growing up there, but do you have another way that you get inspiration for your lyrics or a process for writing your songs?”

Kade: “I find that I get a lot of inspiration from movies and just listening to other people’s stories… You start listening to conversations in a different way and listening to other people and picking up on little things. I would say that has kind of been my biggest inspiration because, growing up where I did, it was such a small town…I started to pull a lot of that inspiration from movies and other people’s stories and experiences because I hadn’t had very many of my own at that point.” 

Kade’s ability to weave inspiration from movies and stories he has picked up throughout his life into songs is another reason why his songwriting is so dynamic. He does not let his upbringing in a tight-knit, “isolated” town limit the topics and moments he writes about.

Lily: “When you’re not making music or touring, what do you find yourself doing?”

Kade: “I kind of jump from different hobby to different hobby… I grew up on the lakes around here… I love going fishing and hanging out at the lake and everything like that…just kind of being out in the nature of wherever I’m at, but Colorado’s nature specifically is a huge thing for me.”

Lily: “As we wrap up here, I just want to know more about what is next for you. Is there something you’re excited about that fans can look forward to?”

Kade: “I’m always writing, I never really stop that, but there’s definitely going to be some new music coming soon… I’m excited for the tour coming up too.”

Each time Kade pursues a new aspect of his musical career, he elevates his art. Fans can look forward to upcoming releases and updates on his tour.

Lily: “Thank you so much for taking this time with me today! Is there anything you want to say to the listeners and whoever’s watching?”

Kade: “Keep your ears out for some new music, and I appreciate you having me on here, Lily.”

Lily: “Of course! No problem at all! Thank you so much, and thank you guys for watching. I am Lily Davis with KCR College Radio, and we will see you guys next time, bye!”