“I just took that as an opportunity to go the other direction” – an interview with Cade Hoppe

As he prepares to release his new EP Just Look At The Moon later in the fall, Cade Hoppe has given us another taste of what to expect with new single “Only Human”. It’s the fourth track to be taken from the forthcoming collection from the New York-based singer songwriter following on from “Moon,” “Fool’s Gold,” and “Labels.” A whirlwind of emotive synths, stunning strings, and soul-baring vocals, “Only Human” is an unapologetic love song that celebrates the importance of feeling heard and secure in a relationship. It was written and produced by Cade, co-produced by Harper James (Eighty Ninety, James Bay, Aaron Taos), and features strings from Bobby Hawk (Taylor Swift, The 1975, Florence and the Machine).

We caught up with Cade to chat about the new track, college basketball and Chipotle.

Hi Cade! How’s everything going right now?
Hi! Things are going great. I just moved to a new apartment in Brooklyn and am in the middle of building my new home studio, so that’s been super exciting.

What classic album cover is your current mood?
I’ve always loved the cover of The Stranger by Billy Joel.

Your new single “Only Human” is out on Friday. When and where did you write and record it?
I wrote it in my old apartment in December of last year and then we recorded it over the first couple months of this year.  Strings were the last thing we added which we did in April.

How do you think you’ve changed as a songwriter and musician since your debut “Loverly High”?
Well first of all, I think I’ve gotten a million times better—I love all the songs I’ve put out and at the time I wrote them, they were each the best I’d ever written in their own way, but I’ve definitely improved.  I used to write 10 songs for every 1-2 I recorded/released and nowadays I don’t have time to write that many and I record most of the songs I write. But mostly that’s just because I’m more consistently writing what I want to say how I want to say it the first time.

If you could only listen to one record, what would it be?
Very, very difficult question, but Viva La Vida by Coldplay is just so good.  Maybe it’s that one.  But there really are so many.

It looks like you were a pretty decent college basketball player at NYU, especially in your sophomore year. What made you decide to give up the chance to be an NBA star and dive into music full-time?
Firstly, I just want to set the record straight that I was a long way away from ever having a shot at the NBA, but yes I was decent.  The short answer is that I was burnt out and didn’t have a great college basketball experience, so when the pandemic came along and canceled basketball for the foreseeable future I just took that as an opportunity to go the other direction.  By the time I could have played basketball again, I had invested so much into pursuing music that the time commitment basketball had just didn’t make sense.

Your bio mentions you were a full-time Chipotle employee. What’s your usual order when you go there?
Once I got over the PTSD of working there after about a two year hiatus, I went back to my usual order of a carnitas bowl with some white rice, pinto beans, pico, corn, sour cream, and cheese. That does usually hit the spot. And I am happy to report that behind the scenes at Chipotle is pretty clean.

Good to know! Do you have any plans to play live soon and where would be your dream venue to play?
I don’t have any live shows on the schedule, although I do want to make a plan to do an EP release show when I put the EP out next. My dream venue is honestly probably the Pier 17 rooftop. I love that venue.

What would go on your signature pizza and what would it be called?
I’m a huge pepperoni and honey guy.  Maybe it would be called Hopperoni or something. I’ll have to think on that one just in case one day I have my own signature pizza.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2023 and beyond?
I plan on putting out all the singles from this year on an EP and hopefully some other music I’ve worked on for other artists will be released as well. Thank you so much for a great interview!

Cade Hoppe made his debut in 2021 with the release of his first EP, ‘Tell Me How It’s Worth It.’ He followed up with his sophomore project, ‘Everything That’s Wrong with You,’ and is now preparing to reveal his third EP titled ‘Just Look At The Moon.’ 

In just a few short years, Cade has gone from writing songs in his bedroom to working alongside legendary musicians and producers. Each new release feels more confident and dynamic than the last. With his steadfast determination and undeniable talent, Cade Hoppe is quickly cementing his spot as an indie-pop mainstay.

You can find out more about Cade and buy some merch on his website and follow him on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news.

Photo Credits – Will Shellhorn