Kristin Hoffmann

Kristin Hoffmann does her thing as a classically trained singer/songwriter/musician. Her beautiful soulful voice is smooth and sultry, while her words are powerfully poetic. Kristin has created her unique signature sound by blending pop, soul, blues rock. Kristin's live performances from her album Real, wowed audiences at Sundance and the Knitting Factory in NYC.
- Binside TV

In today's popular culture, a young, upcoming artist knows she has made it when her hit song is played in the background of a dramatic, introspective scene in "Dawson's Creek." That is precisely what happened to Kristin Hoffmann several months ago.

The playing of Hoffmann's hit song, "Mary" on WB's highest rated show was a tremendous publicity boost for the singer and marked the pinnacle of her roller coaster four year career. Hoffman recorded her first record at the young age of 17, and led to her signing with Capitol Records. However, during her freshman year at New York University, the two men responsible for her signing left the company, effectively severing her ties with Capitol Records.

"I was left with no one," Hoffman said. "At this point I realized this wasn't going anywhere and we decided to part ways."

The severance wound up being the greatest lesson of Hoffman's life. "I couldn't pay any amount of money for that lesson," Hoffman said. "You put your whole soul into that and then you have to learn to move on with what you're doing. It doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. The biggest thing I got out of it was learning how to move on from a traumatic experience. If something gets in your way, that's not the end."

At this point, Hoffmann could have lain down and given up on herself as many young artists choose to do after being released from their all-important label. Instead, she turned the lowest point of her life into a positive and used it as a learning experience.

Hoffmann's soul searching led her to Thailand, where she embarked on a month-long journey that included guitar playing, meditation, sleeping on the beach and yoga. Through her study of eastern culture she learned to trust her instincts and let her thoughts, sensations and new ideas come naturally. "I brought a guitar with me and spent countless nights playing for groups of people for no other reason than to add something to my life and to theirs," Hoffman said. "For me, it was the true meaning of music-- the opportunity to share strictly for the sake of sharing."

Hoffmann returned home to New York invigorated and immediately began recording songs for her current album "Divided Heart". "Divided Heart" is a catalog of her life and her experiences. It features 10 new full-length songs that explore a woman's journey through life, love, heartbreak, professional challenges and personal renewals.

Hoffmann describes the song "Temple," as the one that is most indicative of her life today. "Temple represents my ideal vision of a relationship between two people and with myself," Hoffmann said. "It's about being real -- letting yourself be seen and loved in your true light.

'Temple' is about the things that can break down this realness -- things like moving in the same circles over and over again without growing. It's about opening your eyes to the night-time hunters and moving beyond them."

Hoffmann's manager Rachel Pine refers to her music as a combination of "Tori Amos, Avril Lavigne, and Alannis Morrisette." She said that Hoffmann's work appeals to women because of the "strong feminist sentiment in her lyrics," and is popular among males because of her "physical attractiveness."

In a recent review, Don Thomason of The Amplifier Online raved that Hoffmann delivered "piano-dominant music with a Joan Osborne meets Carole King feel." An anonymous author on Hoffman's web site-- www.kristinhoffmann.com -- even equates her music to skydiving.

"After it is over, both the music and the diving, your feet get firmly planted onto the earth and you realize that you just have had a life-transforming experience," the author wrote.

Undoubtedly, music is ingrained in Hoffmann's soul and has allowed her to develop and grow from a confused, star-struck teenager to a strong, composed woman. "Music allows people to connect to each other and that connection can encompass so much, relationships, healing, exploration, love, challenge and openness.

"Connecting with people, sharing who I am, is what inspires me, and I feel as if I've been given a gift in being able to express myself through music," Hoffmann said.



- Campus Times University of Rochester

Gig alert! Kristin inspires March 22 at SF’s Boca. Introspective, almost new-agey singer/ songwriter Kristin Hoffmann fuses classical talent with post-modern chicky-poo love songs and epic love poems for every modern lover. Think of every emotional sweeping theatrical moment on TV or film – a sweet soulful divaette sings over the action from the heart while a montage of life gets us closer to home. My top picks: “Home,” “Real” and “I Declare.”

- San Francisco Bay Times

You know, here's another instance of a misleading picture. Hoffman is somewhat diminutive in stature (and no knock there, she looks young and kind of short), but when she opens her mouth, hoo boy, it's like an angel singing. A big angel. Her voice is emotive, and she knows how to wrap it around words, ranging from raspy to sweet, and though you may be tempted to think of, say, Tori Amos or others, Hoffmann is captivating enough on her own to push aside thoughts of comparisons. Her years of classical training show through in the numbers, which are often ballads or slow-paced tunes with a lot of interesting musical movement. The real kicker is she's only 23, and I mention that because the music seems so polished, and the emotions so authentic, that it sounds like she's been through the wringer for years. I like surprises, and this one cheered me up big.
- NYRock.com

Photos below show new artist Kristin Hoffmann playing a 1963 Gibson Western Classic. Kristin's album Real is available at online music retailers now and will be released in retails stores by Interscope on January 17, 2006. For more information, visit her website at www.kristinhoffmann.com.

The photos below are from Kristin's recent tour as opening act for The Wallflowers.

- Modern Guitars Magazine

Kristin Hoffmann- Real

Interscope Records strikes gold again with 25 year old NYU grad



It's been a long while since I've reviewed an album...that being the Backstreet Boys way back in late May.  But after receiving an album in the mail with a press kit, I thought it maybe high time I put out my opinion once again. 

The album aforementioned comes from 25 year old NYU grad Kristin Hoffmann, an Interscope recording artist and the A&R reps and scouts at the NYC-based label need to pat themselves on the back and earn rather fat bonuses for finding what has to be the most impressive pedigree out of any new talent I've seen in the seven years I've been covering the music industry.  It is new talent like Kristin that hopefully will be leading the music industry, not some tasteless cookie-cutter hack that only last 15 minutes. 

Her debut, 'Real' is probably the most underpublicized but most impressive debut in 2005.  It highlights her training in Julliard's highly selective, competitive, and elite pre-college program where she was on the fast track towards being a classical/operatic composer.  'Real' also could rejuvenate the classical/pop crossover genre, now overrun by big ego producers, cookie-cutter talent, and mediocre talent whose impressive credentials could be questioned or just simply wasted (a la Josh Groban).  It is a strong debut, starting strong with the piano intro to 'Silhouette' to the piano-driven end of 'I Declare.'

The album starts out with 'Silhouette,' which has a Sarah McLachlan feel to the lyrics, an influence Kristin lists in her Myspace site.  In fact, Hoffmann sounds much like McLachlan but that's where it ends.  Hoffmann is an accomplished classical pianist, a strong songwriter, which stems from her time in Julliard's pre-college program where she composed many compositions.  The strongest song in the 10-track set is probably 'Falling,' which for 5 minutes tingled my senses.  The violin part made the song haunting and with Kristin's semi-sultry vocals, it made it even more haunting and would grab the attention of any listener.  I like the Sarah Brightman-touch when she went into her higher octave, perhaps paying homage to the first female classical-pop crossover artist.

The title track, 'Real' is the most poignant track of the set and it also defied typical convention that the title track is a dud compared to the rest.  It's also the most relevant, pointing out that people are afraid of being true to themselves and perhaps it's her message to the music industry that she won't sacrifice her musical integrity and identity to just make a couple more bucks. 

Probably the only weak track in the whole thing is ‘When We Were Kids.’ I’m sure she had good intentions with the strong lyrics, but it got muddled by the instrumentation which couldn’t decide between an alt-country feel and a pop-country feel. It certainly ruined the writing.

All in all, Hoffmann crafted a very strong debut. Honestly there wasn’t a bad song at all except for maybe ‘When We Were Kids.’ Even the title track defied conventional thinking, ending up as the second strongest song and most complete of the album. It is obvious the boys at Julliard and NYU have prepared this young up and coming talent for the long-term and I would love to see what Kristin brings to the table for a sophomore effort.


Final verdict: 'Real' gets a 4.5 out of 5.  A couple of the songs seem out of her element and while it appears Kristin pulled it off, it just wasn't enough for her to get the first-ever perfect score ever; I thought it was just rough edges, but that's to be expected out of any debut.  She already has become a triple threat, capable of writing, composing, and performing, which also means she has complete control over her music and she immediately proves on her debut that all her producers should be doing is making sure the boards work fine. I'd like to see her develop her classical-pop crossover as it has potential to bring it back to heights not seen since Placido Domingo and Sarah Brightman.   She already has a developed voice, a major plus for someone so young, can compose, and play several instruments with mastery. The female music circuit has been looking for someone to answer to John Mayer, who also can play several instruments, write, and compose. I think they’ve found it in Kristin.  She is definitely someone you should know right now and someone who I think will make big waves next year. You can check out her music at your preferred digital downloads store, or at her Myspace, or on her official website!

-Reviewed by Alan Ho
- Musiqtone

www.kristinhoffmann.com/news.html - The Intelligencer (Philladelphia)

Kristin Hoffmann: Interview
September 2005
By: Corinne Ferraro


A new artist with an old soul--- singer-songwriter Kristin Hoffmann brings insight and wisdom to her music, as she prepares to release her major label debut, Real, in January 2006 on Interscope.

Hoffmann, who has garnered comparisons ranging from Fiona Apple to Laura Nyro, found her way to Interscope when a representative from the label started showing up to her shows at New York City's tiny Caffe Vivaldi. The Interscope rep had heard about her through a connection to Hoffmann's manager. Hoffmann was tucked behind a grand piano in the corner of the café, building a connection with the audience through her rich voice and intimate songwriting.

Live performances and studio recordings from Hoffmann both relate the tenderness and sincerity of her songwriting. Her live solo shows focus on Hoffmann at the piano, where her deliberate arrangements allow the emotion of her songs to flow through. She intersperses songs accompanied by computerized tracks, which free her to pour herself even more fully into her vocal performances. The result is the full attention of an appreciatively silent audience.

"You can really feel the energy in the room on any given night. Every single night you play you're dealing with a whole different energy. Depending on who's sitting in the room, you can have either a wonderfully deep spiritual musical experience, or you can have a very surface-level musical experience. I love it when everything flows, and you have a really great group of people who are really working together, and who want to have an experience, and it just happens, and everything just lifts up. I feel like, everyone just gets into a space--- in the right head space. One wrong table of people can set off the whole room. It's so powerful when you have that night that just transcends what we experience on an everyday basis--- I really appreciate those nights."

Rebounding from a major label horror story at 22 was an unsuspected beginning for Hoffmann. She was signed to Capitol Records at nineteen, and wrote and recorded half an album for them. Then her supporters at the label left the company. She was dropped, her recordings were shelved, and she found herself, it would seem, right back where she started. Almost.

Her experience had allowed her to watch and learn enough about recording to enable her to create and release an independent record, Divided Heart, which has since sold over 3,000 copies. Still, the years between her experience with Capitol and her deal with Interscope provided their share of growing pains for Hoffmann.

"I used to go through so many hard times, and be all over the place. And then I wondered -- why aren't things working for me in my music career? They weren't working because I had to do the work to get to a place where I could grow. I probably used to blame why my Capitol thing didn't work out on other people. Yes, people changed their lives and that was unfortunate for me. But I also think I needed to do a lot of work with myself to grow as a person. It was a learning experience that I needed to have, to reflect and change things within myself and change my views of dealing with things."

As Hoffmann struggled to find her place after leaving Capitol, some of her most critical learning experiences taught her about how to choose the right people to work with. "When you're first starting out, it's more important to compile a team of people who really care about what you're doing, and really care about you," she says. "People who aren't just thinking about money and how much they're going to get you signed for. People who really believe in your music and are willing to spend the time to make it happen, and help you make it happen. For a manager starting out with someone, they have to really want to be a part of what you're doing and a part of your life. I don't think it's easy to be a manager working with someone who's starting out. It's a lot of work. There's not a lot of money in the beginning. You really have to get over a big hump until both of you are having success."

Hoffmann's struggles in the music industry and in surviving New York City have indeed allowed her to grow. Her soulful songs reveal an artist who has earned the right to sing deeply positive songs, without discounting the struggles that led her there.


- Soundaffects.net

For several month, the King brothers had been trying to lure me to their Kristin Hoffmann show at Mocha Maya's.
They finally succeeded on Dec. 14th. I learned it's never to late to see Hoffmann.
Hers is the best new voice I've heard in two years. One week later, during the Mocha Maya's second annual Fezzywig's Christmas Party, some guests asked about Kristin's style of music.
Fishing for an answer, I thought back to a Honeymooner's episode where Ralph Cramden professed to be an expert in popular music, so I said, "Popular music."
The reason that came to mind was that her songs were a mix of contemporary, older and traditional(there aren't many songs older or more traditional than Amazing Grace).
I imagined Kristin could be as at home singing a Nancy Wilson or Nat King Cole tune as she now was with Donny Hathaway's "Cherish the Moment," and her newer material, including "Bittersweet," Home" and "Falling."
Popular music is not synonymous with contemporary, after all. It has been around far longer than this 29-year-old diva.
Now, diva isn't a word one uses without consideration, or an instant recognition of its presence. Of ancient Sanskrit origin, "deva" and "dev" are still used as honorifics to angelic spirits.
"This is a song for the ocean, Mother Earth we are calling your name," crooned the angelic spirit with a social conscience. Hoffmann tried to coax her audience to join in chorus.
"I think you just made a difference in the life of a whale," she praised her mostly timid audience. The song was written for an oceanographic benefit campaign.
More intrepid was the young gentleman who rambled in to the coffee house, and summoned the courage to ask if he could play along on one number. Equipped with her own keyboard and an extra guitar, Hoffmann said, "Sure, why not?"
I regarded this with suspicion as the cue to a cheesy rehearsed skit. In fact, it turned out to be an entirely spontaneous occurence.
The young man was Eric Meissner, burned out of his Stebbins Block apartment only five nights before. Were it not for Hoffmann's aplomb and the genuine pathos of the circumstances, this scene might have been a grotesque debauchery. The way she handled this situation, one normally regarded as a breach of the unspoken boundary between audience and performer, only served to reinforce my admiration for Hoffmann as an innocent. Afterward, Meissner gracefully bowed out without incident.
Grace sums up Kristin Hoffmann, the person. The constancy of her aura on and off stage left me feeling somewhat contemptuous of other performers in recent memory, some of whom are sensationalized far more than they deserve.
My humble opinion might be scoffed in New York City, where Kristin travels back and forth with her strongest fan, her father Henry. But talent's ultimate test is right here among Shelburne's coffee house crowd. Suffice to say Kristin's show, her fifth, was standing room only.
"I've been coming up for four or five months now," Kristin told me.
I asked how Mocha Maya's discovered her.
"They found me on Myspace.com, which is becoming quite the networking tool these days," she answered.
How did her musical career start?
"I studied opera growing up. I studied piano when I was four, then classical piano, then opera. I picked up guitar on my own along the way."
At what point did she transform from a little girl singing at birthday parties to this serious voice we listened to tonight?
"It's always growing," said Kristin, who started studying classical voice at age 13 and went to Juilliard for pre-college. "I feel like every year my voice is growing deeper, bigger. I feel like my spirit is growing, which adds to the depth of the voice."
"I believe they have an excellent vision," Henry Hoffmann said of Mocha Maya's, "and that's why Kristin wants to come and play here."
I lamented that the interior was too small for the numbers trying to get in to see her.
"When they run completely out of room, maybe the vision will explode even further, and they will expand," Hoffmann said.

- Gregory Lewis, West County News