Cade broke out in 2021 with the release of his debut EP, ‘Tell Me How It’s Worth It.’ He quickly followed it up with his sophomore effort, ‘Everything That’s Wrong with You,’ in Spring 2022. His discography is a continually unfolding process that evolves with confidence and clarity with each new release. With his steadfast determination and undeniable talent, Cade is well on his way to becoming an indie-pop mainstay.

We got to chat to Hoppe about the release of his latest single 'Labels'.

Thanks so much for talking to ReVamp, in 3 words, describe your music.

Thanks so much for having me. My three words would be: eclectic, introspective, and sincere

When did you realize you had a passion for music and that you wanted to pursue it?

Figuring out I wanted to pursue music took a lot of small (and big) steps before I truly had that revelation, but discovering my passion for it happened around the time I first started playing and singing my favorite songs. The first time I performed in public was in 5th grade when I sang and played “The Scientist,” by Coldplay. After that, I did all the school talent shows and started writing my own songs somewhere all the way. 

Who would you say is your inspiration when it comes to music?

Growing up, Ben Folds was always the artist I looked up to, especially as a pianist first. But now I’d say I find the most inspiration from Jack Antonoff—to me, he’s not only extremely talented, but his work ethic is unmatched which is what I appreciate most about him.

Congratulations on the new up-and-coming single ‘Labels’, released on the 27th of January, how does it feel kickstarting 2023 with a new single?

Thank you! Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s really important to me to be putting out as much music as I can this year, so I was determined to have everything ready for a January release as 2022 was winding down. 

What's the message behind 'Labels' and how different it is from past releases?

“Labels” is about my relationship with music. Obviously, it will mean something different to everyone that hears it, but that’s what I wrote it about and what it means to me. It’s different from past releases because it’s the first song I’m putting out that’s like an honest check-in with me on how I’m handling what seems like an impossible journey, at times.  It felt like a good first single this year because a lot of what I plan on putting out this year deals with more of these intrapersonal feelings. 

When writing the single, what is a lyric that stands out to you, and why?

This song is honestly my favorite lyrically that I’ve ever released, so there’s a bunch that I really love—but the lyric I find myself thinking about the most as I’m going about my day is,  “I’m getting better/You can’t tell but I just know.”  As much as we’re forced to at least pretend to live online as artists, so much of pursuing music happens behind the scenes and I know there are people that probably think I just sit around and do nothing all day because of it.  Even I struggle to see all the improvements because sometimes the numbers don’t actually indicate progress, so it’s just this thing where you have to have blind faith that you’re taking steps forward, not back.

What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and in terms of singing/songwriting, what would you say that you enjoy the most?

A typical day in the studio usually starts between 10 and 10:30 am.  When I’m in with Harper [James] at Degraw Sound, we’ll ease into the day with some coffee and then really start working after a half hour or so.  We’ll get a few good hours in before we order lunch and then a few more hours in before we start to burn out.  Every day is different though—just depends on what we have to work on.  And then when I’m just in my home apartment studio, I usually start around that same time and just go for a hard five hours or so before I go work a serving shift.

In terms of singing/songwriting, I’ll always be a songwriter at heart.  Songwriting is what made me fall in love with music.  It’s the outlet and storytelling that has me putting everything I can into this thing forever.

Any future projects you can tell us?

I’ve been trying to promote on TikTok as much as I possibly can and then I’ve been working on getting things in order to shoot a video, as well.  And then I’m working on getting music finished to release after “Labels” which I’m also very excited about.

Thank you so much for the interview!

Listen to 'Labels' by Cade Hoppe here.