Shadow of Me is Hope Horner's first album of orginal material. Her music is passionate, thought-provoking, reflective, and melodic. Her deep, alto voice is simple yet emotional, tinged with a haunting sadness that is able to poignantly convey issues like rejection, redemption, longing, love, and loneliness. Her lyrics are direct - with a "cut you to the soul" vulnerability, but at times they can also be metaphorical - infusing fresh, vivid, poetic images into common life themes. Hope writes her own music and lyrics and plays Martin and Parkwood acoustic guitars.
A few questions for Hope...
Why is music such an important part of your life?
"Music is one of my life's greatest joys - it is not just a hobby. There is no such thing as background music, atleast for me. With me, music is always in the foreground. When it comes on, no matter where I am, my ears perk up and I sing along. When I write it or sing it or play it - I am lost in it - it's therapeutic, calming, and exciting all at the same time. I truly cannot imagine life without it."
What inspires you to write music?
"My songs are about issues that affect me, feelings that haunt me, and people who inspire and perplex me. Each song on Shadow of Me represents my state of mind at a certain point in time. It may have been over 10 years ago, but at some point, I was feeling that way and needing to express it."
Why is your album called "Shadow of Me"?
"My album is titled "Shadow of Me" for two reasons. One, I have a song by that name on the album and also because I think it is a great metaphor for what this album represents. Just as a shadow is not the full picture of someone, this album is just a shadow of me...in other words, it is just one side of me and it tends to be a darker, less upbeat side. Each song is just a reflection of how I was feeling at the time, but does not give the full picture of who I was then, where I am now, or who I am striving to be. Most people know me as an very positive, upbeat and happy person - and I am. Maybe one of the reasons why I am so optimistic is because I use my music as a way to "get out" my anger, frustration and hurt. This album is jam packed with those types of issues, so it is called 'shadow' for that reason. In other words, it is not all of me on display here, just a shadow."
What type of music is on the album?
"This album features a mixture of folk, rock, pop, and country. I am a songwriter first and foremost, not a seasoned performer or entertainer so I don't really feel the need to stick to a particular musical style. So this album features a variety of sounds and instruments that I hope others will enjoy."
Shadow of Me is dedicated with love to my sister, Rachel.
Thank you to: Andy Scott for helping to make this dream a reality. Stephanie for creating the amazing artwork for my album. Thanks to Jam Studio for an amazing product. Thanks & love to PMC, BB, AB, and to my friends and family for their support.
Album Details:
All Music & lyrics by: Hope Horner
Album produced by: Andy Scott at www.freakflagstudios.com
Album photos by Hope Horner www.myspace.com/hopehorner
Album artwork (cover art) by: Stephanie Shankland www.stephshankland.com
Artwork design & layout: Andy Scott
All songs copyright 2009. No use without permission.
Read more...