CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 115: HOPE D ON CLASH OF THE SUBSTANCES, QUITTING VAPING, TATTOOS, AND TOURING

Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Brisbane singer-songwriter Hope D has released her debut album Clash of the Substance and it’s been stuck on repeat!

Hope D won’t be held responsible for decisions made under the influence of hormones, heartbreak, alcohol and the other intoxicants which go to war. Armed with a painful honesty, her guitar and a dangerously low balance on her debit card, the queer coming-of-age soundtrack cements her as one of Australia’s most refreshing new voices

This album is everything you would expect from Hope D and more, further proving why she is one to keep on your radar.

Futuremag Music Editor Brooke Gibbs caught up with Hope to talk about the album and upcoming tour.

FMM: Thank you so much for joining me to chat about the album.

Hope: Thank you so much for having me. It's good to see you again.

FMM: Yeah, you too! It’s such an exciting time for you. How do you feel that this the debut album is coming out so very soon?

Hope: I'm so excited. It's been such a long time coming and there's been so many, dates that we thought it was coming out on and so, it's one of those things where things happened. It's like I’ll believe it when I see it, but it's obviously coming out and I'm so excited for it. It's a really good feeling.

FMM: Well it's great to see that things are happening and coming out for you. Do you have any big celebrations planned for the big release?

Hope: Well, actually we're going to be in Tasmania for the Party in the Paddock. We're leaving on the 10th to play on the 11th. So I guess we'll have some beers in the Virgin Lounge and then we'll do something that night or go to the festival and then play a show the next day. So I'll be hanging out with my band and my managers, so it'd be really fun. I guess that's like kind of the way of celebrating, which is pretty ideal, actually.

FMM: Yeah, that sounds great. No better way to celebrate than that. What are some of the inspirations behind this album?

Hope: It's kind of like a big piece of work that has been on the back burner for a really long time. I finally got the opportunity to record all these songs, so it was just like ordering them to make them work, I guess. The inspirations are just like, I guess behind the title of Clash of the Substance. So it's a bunch of substances, just like drugs, alcohol, partying, puberty, and just emotions, mostly. Emotions. Just clashing all these different substances and seeing how they react with your chemicals in your head and your heart. Yeah, just a bunch of substances and just a bunch of like pretty much my growing up record. There's just a bunch of songs that are marked pivotal times in my life.

FMM: Speaking of clashes, I love how unique the album is because you've got the shorter demos, you've got the longer songs. You've also got some spoken word. Tell me more about the creative process and combining all that together into the album.

Hope: Yeah, well, I really wanted to have some little interlude in between the songs, and some of them kind of came into place really naturally and some we made. I think there's only three, to be honest. But yeah, there's a story on three or four of them, I think. But yeah, I really wanted them to have those kind of like, little ladders to the next song because a huge inspiration for me is like, Frank Ocean and his album Orange. It sounds like you're listening from the inside of a taxi. In between songs, it sounds like someone's changing the channels on the radio, which is so cool and I'd love to kind of think about it more for the next album album and make it have a heap more of those little interludes because I just think they're so fun and so clever.

The little interludes in this album are G Flip, Aidan and I are jamming and creating Happy Hangover which is really cool. So that plays before Happy Hangover. Then there's just a song of me vaping and singing Acapella which goes into the Vape Song. Then my favourite one is just like, all my friends telling the story about how I greened out before actually after playing Cyclone. So Cyclone is about me greening out. Then we have a little interlude of all my friends telling how they felt when they thought that I was going to pass away that night. It's a really fun little mix of things and I'm so glad that my friends could come on it too and just like speak over.

FMM: I think that’s great and it gives that personal connection to what goes on behind making the albums because I love that one before Vape Song as well that leads into it. It flows really nice.

Hope: Thank you!

FMM: Speaking of the shorter songs, how does that go now for you in this day and age where people don't always listen to albums in order? They might just put it on Spotify and they might not get that it flows into the next song.

Hope: Totally. That's totally fine. I guess if I had heaps more of the interludes and maybe thought about it too much, then it wouldn't really make sense. But I think especially because all of these songs are written literally years apart from each other that it's like totally fine. But I totally understand it. Our attention span as, you know, kids and teens and adults has just gone down so much. So I don't expect everyone to listen to a whole album start to finish, but it's so special when you do and I feel like it’s just really nice to do that these days because you don't do it as often as we used to. We just listen to singles and EP sometimes. But yeah, it's something that I want to do more, listen to a bunch more albums because that's how you draw inspiration as well and find what you love.

FMM: Thanks for that. I think it's great especially with your album, because it's got that universal theme, so it makes sense to listen to that album in an order and it'd be great if more people could listen to albums like that.

Hope: Totally.

FMM: I'd love to hear more about your creative process because your music is so unique. Before you hear the vocals, you hear the guitar riffs and you just know it's going to be a Hope D song.

Hope: Thank you. Well, a lot of my songs, actually, especially the ones that are years old, I kind of wrote them when I was a cover artist. So I'd always just be looping for like three hours, four hours just playing background music. Sometimes I would just start to play some chords and then I'd find a riff and then that kind of stuff. Then I'd go home and then I'd write a song. So that's kind of how, like, Emerald was made and like some of my old stuff. All of my old stuff too, but Emerald and Fragile too, even. That's kind of the process for me for all of these songs. But now it's very different because I don't loop anymore and I don't really go through that experience of sitting down and creating the riffs. It's more like I get the lyrics first, try and put them to chords, or I get the chords first, put them to words and then try and figure out riffs from what I'm singing.

I feel like there's a lot of when your brain connects like a riff of a sound of an instrument and a melody of some lyrics, it's a lot more digestible and easy to listen to and we really love that. So, yeah, that's kind of how I do it. It's a bit of a recipe, I guess. Lyrics is the most important thing for me, though, for sure. I make sure that's the best it can be and then mess around with all the sounds in it.

FMM: Yeah, that's great. Thanks so much for sharing that process because as I said, it's really unique and I think my favourite element of your songs is the bridge and how it just flows. It's different, but flows back into the meaning of the song, which is great.

Hope: Yeah, totally. Thank you.

FMM: That's okay. The theme is Clash of the Substance and I know your statement is that you won't be responsible for certain decisions made under the influence. Tell me more about that and what that statement means for you and for this album.

Hope: I guess things happen all the time and we have no control over them and 100% of the time we're all just figuring things out by guessing and checking and trial and error. We all have different coping strategies and coping mechanisms, whether that's putting on your favourite show and leaving the world for a while, which I love doing, and like avoidance or just drinking or doing drugs or going for walks and stuff. It's just like all these things happen to us and we all have different ways of kind of escaping it when it gets too bad. I think that just acknowledging that everyone… it's a really interesting thing that kind of ties into it, too, is like I used to be really obsessed with the concept of sonder, which is, like, when you realise how everyone that you pass on the street, even if you have no idea who they are, especially if you don't have any idea who they are, and you know, like, what you're going through, you know that you have this massive schedule for the day, and you're, kind of stressed or you know you've got all these things on that weekend. It's like just passing someone on the street and realising that they have that exact same thing going on in their lives.

That's just so mind blowing because it's so easy for us to just think that we're the centre of the universe and no one else goes through the kind of thing that we go through. I think realising the connection that we all have together, no matter if you know someone or barely know someone or it’s your best friend, I think that's just a really cool thing to acknowledge, if that kind of answers the question.

FMM: It definitely does, yeah. That's great because I think that's what makes people relate to music as well, recognising that people have the same experiences that we do as well.

Hope: Totally. Yeah, absolutely.

FMM: And you're kicking off a tour to go hand-in-hand with this album. How do you feel about that? That's so big and exciting!

Hope: Yeah, I'm so excited. It's going to be really cool because it's like all my favourite places with my favourite people and it's just like five dates. I think it'll be really special because we went on tour last year too, for Hate Goodbyes, but it was quite a few dates and we had to cancel some because we got sick or my voice just completely clocked out. It was just so tiring, which didn't take away from the music or the experience because obviously, it's just the nicest, funnest thing to share your music to all these different places and all these different people that want to hear it.

I'm really excited for this one because it would just be full energy, full excitement for all of the stops, and touring with The Dandys, who are like some of my best friends, and Asha Jefferies, who I love so much. It's going to be really fun. The band and I are going to be bringing a completely new set up because Brando who used to play guitar, is not in the band anymore, focusing on their own music, which is amazing. We have tracks, so it's going to be just like a bigger sound. It's going to be a different sound. It's just going to be a completely different experience and I'm really excited to share that with everyone once I know what it looks like as well because we're still practicing.

FMM: Yeah, that sounds great. It sounds like it's going to be a super fun tour for everyone involved and wow, five days! Do you feel like, as a musician, is it more stressful when it's shorter, or do you prefer when it's more spread out in between shows?

Hope: Yeah, well, I'm keen to experience both sides of that properly because I guess I'm still fresh into touring. But, I think I would find it more stressful. I don't know, really, because last time it was a heap of dates. Then we also had Groovin the Moo in the mix and that was really fun, but it was a bit stressful. Luckily I had my manager and everyone was on the ball for it. It can get so stressful when I didn't know what I was doing 100% of that time. People just told me I had to be at the airport at this time and had to be here at this time. But you know, I'm way more into it now, so I feel like it will be better because it's more digestible information for five days rather than like eleven or something. It's going to be a lot more. My brain will be more switched on and I think it will be better overall for everyone involved because of that.

FMM: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah, sure. I love the merch that you've released for the album and tour as well. Did you design them, or who designs your merch?

Hope: No, Monique who does all my album artwork. She did the Hate Goodbyes to Emerald, and then Senseless is the album artwork for Clash of the Substance. She did that all and she's so incredible. I love, love, love the album cover because it generally looks exactly like my room. It's just messy and chaotic, but it's not a mess to me. It's just like so many things around the walls and posters and random things that are all memories to me. Most of them, because so much time has passed, I look at them now and I have no idea what that means or...

FMM: It’s like an organised mess because you know where things are.

Hope: Chaotic organisation. Yeah, that's exactly how I think. So she did the album artwork and then there's like an egg on the wall that says Hope D and a coke can. So just took that and put it on some shirts, which is cool.

FMM: Yeah, that's great. Speaking of the design, I heard maybe a lucky winner might be able to, if they purchase some merch, get to design a tattoo for you, is that correct?

Hope: Yeah, that is just going to happen. Yeah, for sure. I've done that once before and it worked out really well because Molly, who won, is actually an artist and she actually designed my posters for Hate Goodbyes, like the tour artwork for that. It generally was the first name that got picked on the wheel. But yeah, that's happened before. This time it's just going to be like a small one because we kind of want to try to try and get it done at a cool location and not a typical tattoo studio, so we'll see how that goes. But yeah, they're going to be able to design a little simple tattoo for me that I'll have forever. I just have so many things in my body that are all memories that I won't forget, unlike the things that are my wall. So if it's on me for life and that's a cool memory, it would be cool. I'm excited to see what people come up with.

FMM: Yeah, that's definitely sick. Are you a bit nervous knowing that it could be anything? (laughs)

Hope: (laughs) Yeah, just a little bit. Surely it'll be fine, right?

FMM: Yeah, right. Exactly. You've got enough tattoos and if it's not the best thing, it can blend with the others. You'll be fine.

Hope: Exactly.

FMM: My personal favourite from the album is Doormat. I think that's one of the ones I think you've performed at festivals. I feel like I've heard it before live, and I feel like it's just relatable and also catchy. Do you have a favourite from the album?

Hope: Yeah, it's actually Doormat as well, so thank you for that. I'm so glad you like it. Yeah, that's definitely my favourite. It was actually written this time last year. It might have been finished or nearly finished this time last year, so it's like the newest song from the album, which is really cool. We just recorded it last year in May to add on to it, even though the recording process had already been done probably September in 2021, and then we recorded Doormat in 2022 May. So yes, it's really new and it's fresh. I feel like that's maybe why I love it the most as well. Or because it's just like a really sad, sad, sad song, which I think I love that about it too.

But also Brando, who used to play with me too, co wrote it with me and I really love it for that as well because it's like whenever I get to play it live now too, or whenever I listen to it, it's like Brando is in there as well because I miss them so much playing with me. But we're still friends and we see each other a lot. We'll probably see each other more now because we'll be forced to hang out instead of just seeing the band practice and stuff. But yeah, that's definitely my favourite song, for sure.

FMM: Yeah, and it makes sense as it’s got that sentimental connection as well to Brando.

Hope: Totally.

FMM: So what do you hope the main message is that people take away when they listen to this album? What do you hope they realise or see?

Hope: Yeah, I just hope they feel not alone with a lot of the content in there. There's, like, some silly songs like Muffin of the Day, which I think I love that song so much. I co-wrote that one with Aidan, who produced it and mixed a lot of the songs on the album. That's about working in hospitality and just being so fed up with it, which I think is completely relatable. Then there's songs called Blue Razz about vaping. I really wanted a goal for me to have quit vaping by the time the album comes out, which I've nearly gotten there. I just bought a bunch of nicotine gum.

FMM: Well done!

Hope: Thank you. Thank you so much. We'll see how that goes. But yeah, I just want people to take away that it's a very real album and piece of work. It's not censored. Everything in there is completely how I felt at one point in my life. I just hope that people can feel like it's just like, such a nice feeling to feel like you're not alone, that someone else relates or emphasises with how you're feeling. I just want people to feel comforted and I hope they enjoy the sounds that accompany the comfort.

FMM: Yeah, I think that's a perfect message for people to take away. I think that's great.

Hope: Thank you.

FMM: And your tour, so the last stop is Brisbane, which is where you're from. It would have been where it all started for you, and you've since played festivals and huge crowds. How does it feel going back to where it all started for you?

Hope: Yeah, I'm so excited. I'm really glad that this one's finishing there because it will be just such a nice feeling to be able to play to people. My friends and family mostly. But, yeah, I guess it has been a while since I've done a headline well, it's been a while since I've done a release headline show here, so the last time would have been a Hate Goodbyes tour in May, I think, last year. But, yeah, I'm really I'm really keen. It feels like it's been a while. It's going to be super different from the last time they would have seen anything here from me in Brisbane and yeah, just to see friends and family, it just feels like a big party and it's just super nice and sweet. And to see the people that have supported me since I was literally playing it in burger bars and stuff and they still come to gigs is just like, such a nice little feeling. It's such a nice little loop around, like, 360 and yeah, it means a lot to me. There's so much sentiment in playing here, so yeah, I'm really excited for that one.

FMM: Yeah, it sounds great that Brisbane is the last tour stop then. Cool. Hottest 100. It looks like so many people voted for you, which is great to see you sharing everyone's votes. How does that feel compared to where you were at musically this time last year?

Hope: Yeah, I mean, it is so nice. I actually wasn't expecting to be exposed to seeing how many people were voting for me because when they tagged me and send it to me and whatnot, but it's such a nice feeling, like, you only get ten votes out of heaps and heaps of songs that were released this year and we shared it on the radio. For me to be one of those is still something that I'll never really wrap my head around. It's easier to forget what that actually means to me because that's so nice. Like, a couple of people like it enough to be included in their top ten. You only get ten. That's like ten fingers and one of them is me. That's insane. So, yes, it's super sweet and super nice, and it just makes me appreciate how much people must actually like my music. Which is an insane feeling because going from people listening to you or supporting you just because you know them, like friends and family and stuff, to be going to strangers who have never met or had any interaction with getting tagged in their votes, it obviously means they don't know me or anything. They know me through my music and I'm one of their votes. That's super nice. It means that I'm on the right path to doing exactly what I want to do, which is making an impact with my music and changing people's lives in whatever way that might be.

FMM: Yeah, I think that's great, especially seeing people vote for multiple songs too, because you had three releases in that time frame. To see people vote for two singles or three of the releases has been incredible for you.

Hope: Yeah. Really? Thank you. It's really cool.

FMM: So it seems like you've got a big year coming up, so you've got the album release, you've got the tour. What else do you plan to do this year? What's it look like for you?

Hope: Definitely, yeah, the album, the tour would love to do more festivals because they're so much fun and it's just such a nice community of people that are all there because they love music. I want to do more festivals, I want to cook more and I want to get back into bouldering. I want to do some climbing and I want to start recording my next album. That's the main thing. I would love to start recording it or at least knowing exactly what I want to record. I'd love to travel more too, whether that's music related or not. That would be really awesome and collaborate more. Really want to co write with a lot of artists, which I have been doing, which are under wraps until they feel something happens with them, but really keen to do more of that and just like, hang with friends more, see family more, just all the new years resolutions that everyone kind of has.

FMM: Yeah, sounds like a great plan. Make sure you take a well-deserved break because you have been releasing a lot of music and it's great to see that all out there.

Hope: Totally. Thank you. I appreciate that.

FMM: Yeah, no worries. Was there any other comments you want to add about the release that we haven't covered today, or you want people to know?

Hope: No, I think you killed it. I think that was everything. Yeah.

FMM: Thank you. Well, it's a great album. I look forward to everyone else hearing it as well.

Hope: Yeah, me too. Thank you so much, Brooke. It's so good to see you again.