Exclusive Interview with ORLANDO HOTOPF

Orlando Hotopf is a Stockholm-based singer/songwriter from London, his 4th single Half Light is coming out on the 23rd of October. Orlando was approached by producer Tyler Neil Johnson (Peach Pit, John Vincent III, Austin Basham, Otha, Freyr) after he discovered his music via Instagram. The songs were recorded in Arcade Fire old studio in Montreal and mastered in Abbey Road featuring guest appearances from Archie Faulks and Freja The Dragon the keyboard player in First Aid Kit. Check out the exclusive Interview below:

1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: For me it was more of a mosaic of different moments which got me into songwriting; cozy evenings with my four siblings listening to my dads vinyls, tentatively learning how to play on my grandmas piano in secret, listening to the school choir and wishing I could sing. Small moments building momentum I guess…

2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: In the beginning it wasn’t very formal, I grew up in a hippy school were you didn’t have to go lessons and everything was decided in weekly meetings so nothing was formal. We didn’t have a geography or sports teacher but, we did have a professional recording studio and a kind of cult status attitude towards music. We were always playing in bands and putting on concerts, I had a great guitar teacher who taught my all the solos from Electric Ladyland but not how to play bar chords so I kind of figured out the songwriting part by myself, mainly by improvising. It kinda of progressed to a point where I can hear lyrics and vocal melodies over music without really thinking about it so nowadays I write most of my songs in about half an hour, I guess you could call it a kind of freestyling.

My new single Half Light was an exception though, that one I wrote over a few years and is about supporting someone to the bitter end even when shit hits the fan.

3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: Modest Mouse and the Pixies for sure, I have always been drawn to emotion more then perfect pitch. I like it when songwriting sounds a bit raw with ambiguous lyrics, its more personal when you have to figure out what the songs about by yourself. They inspired me to let go, my voice is far from perfect and for a long time I hated how it sounds but now we are getting along just fine.

4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: I think being self taught sets my songs apart, I had to figure it out by myself so it isn’t always technically correct. I’m also pretty fond of my lyrics, in general I read to much, and love writing books that will never be read. Having dyslexia I kind of had to compensate a bit growing up. I’m just hoping the songs connect with listeners, it doesn’t have to be in a big way, maybe they are just into the vibe. My last two tracks have been pretty laid back, I would describe them as emotive and relaxed and my vocals as cursive and smokey.

5. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, what’s the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: My favorite part of songwriting is when the song is born and the idea takes life. Normally the life cycle starts in a dimly lit room, me improvising on an acoustic. First part of the song is delicate, a pattern on the guitar maybe or a vocal phase that resonates, verse first, chorus second and bridge last. Ideas are badly recorded on my iPhone and often not labelled (I have 364 from this year, 93 have names). Afterwards I piece the parts together, puzzling away until I’m satisfied.

Collaboration happens with a producer. This part normally feels brutal but necessary. Its a process of letting go, more reincarnation then mourning, I’m easing into it though.

At the moment I’m working with Tyler Neil Johnson (Peach Pit, John Vincent III, Austin Basham, Otha) and its been pretty low key transformative. Recording Half Light was hard though, I lost my voice before the session and had to bring it down an octave to land the notes, Tyler managed to navigate it though and we are both into the end results, so we took the decision to release it without rerecording the vocals showing my flaws an all.

6. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: I feel its more personal if left open to interpretation. I like the imagery of painting a story or a scene but the viewer can only see it through one angle, like spying through a keyhole or trying to find your friend in a crowd when the suns behind their back.

7. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment you’re still seeking?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: That’s kind of a hard one to answer, I feel perspective changes overtime. Back in my early 20’s I would 100% say no because I would be comparing myself to the people I was playing with or supporting at the time (Young the Giant, Ásgier, Bombay Bicycle Club, Freyr, Archie Faulks etc..). But recently I managed to let that go and honestly its so refreshing, like a weight has been lifted. I’m just writing songs that I like and working with people I aspire to and for me, right now that’s enough.

8. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: I think that’s such a good question, luckily I haven’t had to deal with haters online, but I do deal with blog rejections because I do my own PR which you got to take with a pinch of salt. I guess its pretty uncool to say but I always feel a little bit anxious that no one will like my posts on Instagram or that my music won’t get the chance to reach a wider audience, I just want it to have a fighting chance haha

9. What’s been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?

ORLANDO HOTOPF: For me it was transitioning from being a session musician playing for incredible artists with record labels/management to being a DIY solo artist. Honestly I think I took the support for granted, now I am navigating everything by myself it feels like a lot. A big part of me loves the music business side and I have always wanted to work in A&R but repping yourself day in day out feels a bit hollow so at the moment I mainly just want to focus on writing and recording, the nuts and bolts..

10. On the flip side, what moment or achievement in your career so far has made you feel the proudest, and why? And let’s talk about your latest release and future plans.

ORLANDO HOTOPF: Feeling proud of my latest releases, the two songs I put out this year Half Light and High Road, felt like a big achievement getting them out after having a little break from own voice.

Future plans for next year is finish recording the E.P with Tyler and debut gigs in Stockholm and London, thinking small dirty venues, hopefully packed… I started doing some songwriting for other artists as well so a couple of my co-writes will be making an appearance in 2025 which feels amazing.