Album Notes

The J.P. Hoe bio

“Malleable pop” without too fine a point, is the pop music J.P. Hoe creates. Open minded melodic patterns that can change from “indy rock” to “alt-country” at the drop of a hat, or, whenever there is a personnel shuffle in his band the Truly Richards. His EP The Here In Review was released in 2003 and was met with great success for a quiet independent artist. He was rewarded with accolades, hundreds of spins on commercial radio and thousands of plays on college stations in Canada and the US. Though they compare him to David Gray, Rufus Wainwright, and Martin Sexton, his voice, like theirs, gives him his identity and is the driving force behind audiences merrily humming away.

Enamoured with the open road Hoe has been tirelessly working North America for the past two years, enjoying showcase dates in Toronto (Canadian Music Week, North By Northeast), Cincinnati (Midpoint Music Fest) and most recently Vancouver (Western Canadian Music Awards). His unrequited loves; to find new fans and to try new food will keep him moving from city to city without any break for years. In the immediate future, he’ll be recording a live concert this February in his hometown of Winnipeg. He has also begun recording the next studio project with producer/artist David Lowery (Cracker, Camper Van Beethovan, Counting Crows, Sparklehorse), at the Sound of Music Studios in Richmond Virginia, with an anticipated release date in late winter.

His career in the entertainment business began as a child actor touring Canada with Les Miserables, and followed that up with more local theatrical productions and part-time endeavours. In his teens, Hoe relied on his family’s love of music from the 60’s and 70’s, to encourage harnessing his energy into songwriting. Armed with an old dusty Yamaha Eterna guitar and inspired by Neil Young’s Harvest, Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, and Joni Mitchell’s Clouds album, Hoe began his solo journey.

He took his music to Europe where he broadened his musical foundation and developed a greater appreciation for the power of a melody. He DJ’ed at a local French radio station, played for crowds of 300 strong, and the next day would find himself busking away and feeling right at home on the banks of Lake Zurich. When he realised he could communicate with his music, he set off back home (Winnipeg, Canada) and formed two bands: Sly Tawdry Affections, and Three Piece Suit. Neither incarnation lasted, but both offered Hoe lessons in helping him identify where his sound should go which brings us to today.

“There's something soothing and relaxing about J.P. Hoe's stage presence. It's like an old sweater that is just so damn comfortable you can't get rid of it. His blend of melodies and lyrics make for solid and intelligent pop music. Check him out and figure it out for yourself, it's definitely worth it.”