Charissa Hoffman’s story is as eclectic as her instrument. A 6th-generation musician raised in Nashville, TN, her path to music seemed inevitable, but her choice of instrument- the ukulele- came out of nowhere. As a young recipient of the David Chow Humanitarian award and director of the Uke Can End It campaign to combat human trafficking, her heart has always been for the vulnerable, the underserved, and the underdog instruments.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Charissa about the latest release, challenges, surviving a pandemic and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
I am from Nashville, TN! Apple Music has decided my music is indie folk, which I think is a pretty good label for it. This upcoming release is very lyric-driven, intimate, and wistful; I draw on a lot of Americana and jazz influences, which I think makes some of the songs feel older than they are. I hope that will help them resonate with people on a deeper level.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
Well, I’m a 6th-generation musician raised in Music City USA, so in some ways it felt sort of inevitable. I first discovered songwriting when I was 11. I still remember the release I felt after I wrote my first song- I felt like some part of me had been unlocked. It was like it was I’d found what I was born to do. I wrestled with whether or not I wanted to do music professionally for a long time- growing up with so many family friends in the biz, I watched a lot of people burn out, and I was afraid of that. But eventually I realized that whether I was pursuing a career as a songwriter or driving a UPS truck, the songs were going to keep coming to me. So I decided to go for it.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
different view is my debut release and I’m super excited to share it with the world! The songs sort of center around this idea of heartache; some of the songs are about a painful breakup, some are about fractures in my extended family, some are about the COVID-19 pandemic, and some are about growing up and the sense of innocence lost that comes with that. I’m a firm believer that it’s necessary to grieve all of these small losses if we hope to grow and move past them. I hope this EP will allow people to feel supported as the grieve, remembering that grief is a passing feeling, and most importantly, that they’re never alone.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
I had a lot of music stuff I was excited about in 2020- I’d been working hard behind the scenes for a long time and was finally starting to get some external validation starting in March-April 2020. When the pandemic hit, it was like everyone in the creative industry was back to square one, and as shallow as it is in light of everything that was happening, I was really upset about losing that validation. I’m grateful to have had the chance to develop my character and worth independent of my work and the attention that comes with it- that personal growth is what led to a lot of the songs on the EP, particularly “Different View” and “Compromise.”
What was the last song you listened to?
“Hopefulessness” by Courtney Barnett.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
I am CRAZY about CDs! I have a 6-disc CD player in my 2007 Honda Accord and I love to pick up $2 CDs at thrift stores and record stores and just drive around listening to them. They’re such a transitional format- records and cassettes have made somewhat of a comeback but CDs are like an awkward teenage stage on the way to streaming- and yet we still burn them and sell them and listen to them if our cars are old enough.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
I am really active on Instagram and love to interact with the folks who follow me on there- feel free to drop a comment, I’d love to meet you!
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
Thanks so much for your time, and for your interest in my music. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to get to talk about it with you.
