“I believe the wide open spaces of our home state influenced the music to have a similar feeling. There’s so much driving to do in Texas, so we hope to make driving music,” says Will, one half of duo Hovvdy. And while that might be true, the band’s work is much more than that. In their latest album, self-titled Hovvdy, their sound is more intimate, more raw, more precious than ever before. It’s one to listen to with dim light and headphones on to appreciate all the nuances and details (including a car alarm go off while Charlie, the other half of the group, was recording the vocals to heartfelt song Angel). After releasing their nineteen-track record in April, they’re currently embarking on their UK and Europe tour to present it live, so we take the opportunity to speak with them about their creative process, grief, friendship, and more.
Hello! Thank you for speaking with us. Where are you answering us from?
Will: We are currently in Glasgow, kicking off our UK and European tour tonight.
First of all, congratulations on your album! What inspired the self-titled name?
Charlie: I think it became clear early on that this one would be our boldest record yet, and that it would have all the essential elements that have defined us as a band over the years. For those reasons, it felt clear pretty immediately that it would be our self-titled album.
I understand that this is your fifth album to be released. Has your approach to music changed over the course of each album you release? Or is there a core element that has been present with you since the start?
Will: We always try to have some sort of new approach, new limitation, or new goal whenever we make an album. As songwriters, I feel we are pulling from a similar place as we have throughout our band. Trying to translate our experiences and reflections into relatable, melodic music.
This album has seen a collaboration established with Andrew Sarlo and Bennett Littlejohn. What expertise have they drawn into the record?
Charlie: I could go on forever about what those two brought to this album. It was the first time the four of us had collaborated all together in one space. Sarlo did such an incredible job helping us to set clear and strong intentions every step of the way. Without his encouragement, we wouldn’t have taken the risks that I think define this record. Ben is the secret ingredient for sure. His capacity for focused, inspired, creative expression is unmatched. I always say he’s like the Energizer bunny in the studio—always churning out fresh ideas, amazing performances, and never slowing down.
Looking back in time, you two have been friends since 2014. How did you meet? Tell us about how your friendship blossomed into the musical partnership that it is today.
Will: We met through mutual friends and interests within the Austin music scene around 2013. We started spending more time together and sharing songs in 2014. Not sure if we expected to have this long of a run together, and I think that comes from us being like-minded people and musicians. We also have differences musically and personality-wise that mesh well together.
Will, you mentioned previously that with this album you wanted to step back and ask yourselves ‘how can we convey our songwriting in a new way?’. Do you think you have achieved this? If so, how?
Will: I think we achieved this with the help of Ben and Sarlo. In a way, I feel like we moved in closer with these recordings to focus on the songwriting and to unlearn some recording habits we became attached to over the years.
Charlie, I am aware that your mother plays the piano, would you she is the source from which your musical inclination sprang?
Charlie: She certainly had a lot to do with it— learning piano at such a young age was so valuable. My dad was a drummer, my brother plays guitar. The stereo was the centerpiece of my childhood home. But they never pressured me when it came to music. I sort of found my own way with it, on my own time, and I’m lucky to say they’ve always encouraged me to keep going.
Aside from the obvious inspiration of your band name, how has your shared Texan identity inspired the music you make?
Will: I believe the wide open spaces of our home state influenced the music to have a similar feeling. There’s so much driving to do in Texas, so we hope to make driving music.
Lots of the songs really sound as if the listener is in the room while the sound is being recorded; the effect is extremely raw and intimate. What was the purpose behind presenting music as a shared experience?
Will: As I mentioned earlier, we wanted to try something new. In the past, we often found ourselves stifled by our limitations as producers. Once we began to bring in external producers, we tried to make the biggest and most impressive sounding albums. This time we wanted to pull back on production value and let the songs breathe.
Zooming in on the content of the album, could you walk us through the creative process behind the song Angel? External sounds such as a car horn and the bubbling of a river can be heard. Which other unconventional sources did you draw music from?
Charlie: Angel came together in a unique way. I recorded the vocals while walking down a trail near Ben’s house in Asheville. You can hear the creek and folks walking past me; and at one point a car alarm went off in the distance, and it happened to be perfectly in key with the song. We couldn’t believe it. Our process opened us up to those lucky moments, because we were always recording and trying to capture the unique texture around us.
As you move into a mature stage of life that includes parenting and new marriages, has the production of this album provided you with some form of catharsis? Could it be described as a cohesive reflection on both the beauty and the challenges of the progression of time?
Will: I think that is well said. I believe our songwriting and recording process is a closer reflection to who we are as people than ever before.
And finally, with regard to the title of the single, who is it you aim to make proud through the release of this music?
Charlie: Make Ya Proud (and Song for Pete) are dedicated to my grandpa Pete, who passed away last summer. I wrote MYP while he was in the hospital, and I was so lucky to be there with him in his final days. I wrote Song for Pete the day he passed. Of course I hope to make him proud, but also my grandma—these songs are just as much for her as they are for him.
