Music Bugle Exclusive – Q & A – Cade Hoppe

By Nicholas Jason Lopez

New York-based singer-songwriter Cade Hoppe has made a strong impact in the two years since his 2021 debut, as he enthralled music fans with his ‘Tell Me How It’s Worth It’ EP and kept the momentum strong with 2022’s ‘Everything That’s Wrong With You.’

2023 has only solidified the indie-pop phenomenon’s case even further, as he has consistently pushed out earworms, including the notable “Labels,” which was produced by Harper James (Eighty Ninety, James Bay, Aaron Taos).

The Music Bugle had the opportunity to talk with Hoppe about pet peeves that other musicians do that he tries not to, his mindset when he was creating his latest music and much more, which you can check out below.

Music Bugle – What was the moment that made you want to pursue music? 

Cade Hoppe – The moment I usually attribute to actually deciding – at least subconsciously – to pursue music is when I saw Ben Folds perform his song “Evaporated” at a small event promoting his newly released memoir. I’d seen him in concert several times, but he’d never played that song and it was an emotional moment for me. It’s one of my absolute favorite songs ever and then I got to meet him and I told him how I started writing songs because of him and he told me to give it everything I had if I wanted to do it.

Music Bugle – How would you describe your mindset when you were creating your newest music? 

Cade Hoppe – For me to write my best stuff, it’s important that I’m in a clear headspace. I’m never thinking, “Okay, I’m about to write the best song I’ve ever written,” it’s more like entering a therapy session – “I don’t really know what I want to talk about yet, but we have an hour to fill, so I gotta start somewhere.” Some sessions you just vent and then others, you have breakthroughs. They’re equally important and so that’s why you always show up, but some end up sticking with you more than others. The breakthrough therapy sessions are your best songs.

Music Bugle – Who are you listening to right now, music-wise?

Cade Hoppe – I have so many artists in my general rotation, but I’ve had a lot of Coldplay, The 1975 and Holly Humberstone on repeat.

Music Bugle – What do you enjoy the most about your style of music? 

Cade Hoppe – At this point, I’m very confident in what feels like my sound, even if it isn’t necessarily something I’ve done before. What I love most about my style, I guess, is that it feels different, yet somehow still feels influenced by my favorite artists. It feels like mine.

Music Bugle – What was it like putting together your debut EP ‘Tell Me How It’s Worth It’? 

Cade Hoppe – I remember “Loverly High” was the first song I wrote and brought in to produce with James Harper. It was right after I decided to fully pursue music and take a year off school, so I was writing all the time. I just brought in the best songs I wrote and we made records, then I released them pretty much chronologically. Putting the EP together was easy because the songs already told the story of that first year of pursuing music and starting/ending relationships.

Music Bugle – Do you feel social media helps musicians or hurts them? 

Cade Hoppe – I think if you put any piece of yourself online and submit it to public opinion, it’s going to affect you in some way. If your goal is to carefully tailor your personality or brand to be what has the most viral potential, then the constant validation checks might be helpful to you; if your goal is finding your own true voice as an artist and being as authentic as possible, it’s going to hurt. It all just depends what kind of artist you want to be, but I do think that even the briefest visits to social media platforms will alter your creative process. For me, I try to be aware of how and why I’m using it – it’s the mindless use that really starts to break you down.

Music Bugle – Where do you go when you need a mental health break?

Cade Hoppe – I love going to the movies.  I love watching movies and TV shows at home, but actually going to the theater to see a new movie will always be my favorite because it takes me away from the world. I’m not tempted to look at my phone or think about responsibilities for those couple hours – there’s nothing better.

Music Bugle – What do you see as the next step for your music career? 

Cade Hoppe – I really want to start moving towards doing music full-time. I’d love to be producing and songwriting for more artists I’m passionate about and I’d love to start touring. I’m mostly trying right now to turn every small step I take into the next big one.

Music Bugle – What are some of your biggest pet peeves that other musicians do that you try not to? 

Cade Hoppe – I think a lot of artists right now are trying to package and sell authenticity in a way that feels contrived or disingenuous. I don’t think their intention is for it to feel that way, but I do think it’s a very fine line to walk and I’m sure I’ve accidentally crossed that line plenty of times  too. Authenticity is really important to me, but it’s become such a loaded buzzword and I try to be aware of that. I think the key is being authentic, rather than trying so hard to be authentic, but when it’s always the center of conversation and you’re constantly thinking about what it means to “be authentic,” it seems to complicate things.

Music Bugle – What’s a quote that motivates you to keep doing what you do?

Cade Hoppe – Rick Rubin has a great quote, “Belief carries disproportional energy.” I love that and it reminds me that actually believing something is good or that it will do well matters more than you think. Creatively, believing in something should always be enough reason to do it.