Patiently Waiting X Hovy: Behind the scenes on April’s Feature of the Month
Hovy has recently premiered the music video to his single “Patiently Waiting” off of his Patiently Waiting album.
I was lucky enough to interview him.
Today we bring you an inside scoop on what creating this music video was like, the video itself, insight into who Hovy is, where his aspirations stem from, his projects, along with where you can find Hovy to stay connected on what’s coming up next.
TXB is dedicated to not only finding you new music and new artists, but keeping you up to date on the latest music projects and trends by featuring artists.
For the month of April, I’m more than excited to feature and bring you a brand new music video from an extremely talented musician and producer named Hovy.
Who is Hovy?
Hovy has mastered his passion for composing music for both the dance floor and cinema. At the age of 7 he started making home videos with his friends.
As he got older, he began digging into his grandfather’s immense collection of records where he started developing an ear for different musical compositions and rhythms from all over the world.
At his parents’ house parties, seeing people come together and let go of their worries and celebrate life, is where his interest in music grew.
Seeing a diverse group of people synchronized to one rhythm, one beat; regardless of their skin color, sexual orientation, or language motivated him to create.
He put this into reality when he started throwing his own events and DJing live sets.
He took his education to the next level, studying sound design and has now sound designed award-winning films, T.V shows, and his latest music video titled, “Patiently Waiting”
The interview:
Q. Did you find this project to be easier than expected or harder?
A. From the album to the music video, each part had its challenges.
The whole experience allowed me to step out of my comfort zone as an artist and really express how I was feeling at this point in my life.
For a long time, I didn’t have the confidence in myself to put out a piece of art that I really believed in. Once I started showing it to the people around me is when I realized that I had something, and I had no choice but to share it with the world.
Q. What was the main key for the visual inspiration in the video?
A. I really had a vision to divide the viewers perception of reality and illusion.
I wanted to make each scenario very vivid and heightened and really show the difference between the two worlds. I used props, colors, dancing, & certain lighting to tell the story.
I made sure my crew understood my vision; but, I also gave them the freedom to express themselves through it.
Q. When making this project, was there a specific consumer in mind prior to creating?
A. Our society doesn’t value doing what ignites our passion when it comes to earning a living.
I wanted to express the life of artists who tend to neglect their dreams by majoring in a “socially accepted” program and pursuing a career they don’t enjoy.
Instead, we are conditioned to do “the right thing”, even if it makes us incredibly unhappy.
Q. Whats one thing you want people to know about this, that might not be obvious?
A. Never stop dreaming, regardless of your circumstances. If you don’t like where you are, just picture yourself where you want to be. Your imagination can become your reality if you simply just believe it.
Q. Being a one man show can sometimes get overwhelming. Is there a team you have to help you or are you pretty independent?
A. I am honored to have encountered a special group of talented artists to help bring my vision to life. I wouldn’t have been able to get this done without them.
This project allowed me to work with different musicians, actors, editors, set designers, photographers, etc.
They all have a special place in my heart and I’m incredibly blessed to call them my friends.
Q. How do you deal with managing peoples expectations – Including your own?
A. When creating art, I try not to expect anything; but, rather let things come together on their own.
Expecting can lead to disappointment if it doesn’t turn out how you plan it. Its best to just let things happen how they are supposed to.
Q. Do you feel like you’re hard on yourself or are you more of a progress vs perfection ?
A. I would say I consider myself a balance between both: giving it my best; but, not overthinking it.
I try to allow myself to be human and as transparent as possible while always staying true to myself and my roots. If I’m not making mistakes, then, that means I’m not learning.
Q. Can you walk me through the process of making this track and making the video? What type of gear did you use?
A. Although I am a gear head, sometimes the best tracks require the least equipment. When writing “Patiently Waiting” I just used Ableton and some samples I recorded prior.
This was not the case for the rest of the tracks on the album; but, this one specifically was just in the moment and only took a couple of hours.
For the music video, I wanted it to look like a movie so I used the Red Dragon with Cooke lenses. I enjoy using Cooke lenses because they are extremely detailed and provide a nice warmth to them.
My colorist edited on DaVinci Resolve and my editor used Adobe Premiere. As for audio, I sound designed with Ableton, scored with Logic and used Pro Tools for voice editing.
The gear itself plays a huge factor into creating art; but, what’s really important is the person behind it.
Q. Do you have a certain attachment to any specific gear that you frequently use?
A. Each piece of gear that I own is very special in its own way; I consider them all like my children so it’s hard to pick a favorite.
However, my Tempest has stuck with me through many years and the creation of so many tracks. I even got Roger Linn & Dave Smith to sign it for me at a tradeshow!
Q. How long did it take to create this? What about editing and all of the small details?
A. Some of the tracks on the album I started working on in 2015 and didn’t finalize everything until the end of 2019. It was a puzzle, trying to put all of the tracks that made sense with each other.
The music video itself was shot in 4 days; but, the postproduction took months. There was so much planning and getting people together for this. Not only that; but, long hours of shooting in extreme weather conditions.
Q. Whats one thing you want the next music artist to know about creating projects like this? What’s your one biggest pointer in creating in this dynamic?
A. Don’t be afraid to completely submerge yourself into it and to take as many risks as possible.
Surround yourself with people who believe in you. There will be many roadblocks; but, you know you have the right people beside you when they help you find an alternate route.
Q. Are you an overthinker when it comes to the planning these projects?
A. Overthinking takes a lot of energy that can be used to actually get the project done. It is definitely good to plan things in your head and visualize; but, don’t overdo it.
Always listen to that voice inside you and it will guide you towards the right direction.
Q. What do you do if you’re in the middle of a project and want to take a break for a few days? Do you give yourself time or are you the type to keep it consistent ?
A. Taking a break can be both a good thing and a bad thing for me, at least. While creating a project, I am usually transcribing how I feel in that moment.
Going back to a project after a few days, I might not be feeling the same way so it usually ends up taking a different direction.
However, If I have writers block I like to take a couple days to regain my energy and come back to the project with a fresh perspective.
Q. So tell me what’s next on the list, do you have any future projects lined up already?
A. I’ve been making a lot of noise in NYC and NJ and I am ready to take it to the next level. I will also be organizing events in Zurich and London in the summer.
Despite all the madness currently happening in the world currently with COVID-19, I have used this time to dive deep into my next album, which is about a journey within myself and will cover a variety of genres.
I will also be composing for a film based in the 1960’s. This is going to be an extreme challenge, since I’ve never worked on a period piece before.
With the quarantine I’m doing tons of research on some of the music that was being played back then and it’s given me so much inspiration and understanding of current music trends.
Stay Connected
Q. Tell me all of your social handles so people know where to find you!
A. You can find me on instagram @hovy_ or through this link, and most of my music is on all streaming sites. Feel free to message me and ask me any questions.
Whether it’s about gear or simply just to say hi. You can also stay connected through Resident Advisor and stream the complete Patiently Waiting album through Beatport.
Patiently Waiting- The music video
https://youtu.be/8BnR3l7Fj-4
There you have it ladies and gentlemen, the full scoop on Patiently Waiting through an interview from myself and Hovy directly.
Clearly a man of many talents, along with an ear and musical composition of excellence. Hovy has built a remarkable reputation for himself in the music industry and has worked with huge brands such as Condé Nast and Intermix, a long with much more.
A talented soul that’s always on the move. Stay up to date on his up and coming projects through his social media channels. Here are Hovy’s Beatport, Instagram, and Spotify.
Catch you here next month for a brand new feature! Stay tuned for what’s next.
Bored in quarantine? Catch my latest blog post where you can stream over 50+ hours of music:
– 20 pieces of quarantine music to happily pass time
Or read other music related blog posts:
–Discover new music and events
–7 ways the Belleville three changed the music scene for-e-v-e-r
Stay well and safe, xoxo
