Kristin Hope is a recording and performing artist from just outside of Nashville. At a young age, Kristin began to express herself through writing poetry and playing piano. As she grew up, this talent advanced into writing lyrics and creating melodies. Influenced by music from The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, Kristin found her own sound leaning towards rock and roll. However, Kristin does not tend to stick to just one specific musical style. Drawing from her songwriting background, Kristin takes pride in writing much of her material, but likes to collaborate as well. She is currently co-writing some new singles and will be back in the studio in the fall season of 2022.
More recently, Kristin has joined Wild Card, an eclectic cover band from Nashville. Covering everything from Rush to the Foo Fighters, the band puts on an energetic show spanning decades of upbeat hits.
Thank you for taking this interview! How has 2022 been for you as an artist? Thank you for having me! So far, musically, 2022 has been great. I've been able to be more active in making music and that always adds joy to life! Can you tell us how you've transformed, from the beginning to now, as an artist? The difference is HUGE! The first song that I wrote and recorded was in 2006 and it was about not giving up on your dreams. My first show performance (outside of school performances and piano recitals) was in 2009 and it was a DISASTER! ... In fact I tried again, that year, and -- my first two shows were terrible! I had disabling anxiety and messed up so much... I was so timid. I stepped away from it for a bit and started to work on overcoming stage fright (by utilizing karaoke of all things). In 2014, I co-wrote and recorded my first EP and decided to give live performance another try. I started doing live gigs in 2015 and right out the gate, they were good! They weren't perfect, but lightyears beyond my first attempt. I have had continuous progress in my stage anxiety and performance since then. I love making music so much and I love performing now and -- people respond so well to it! I've had friends who've known me for 15+ years tell me, clearly THIS is what I'm supposed to be doing in life. Perhaps, that first simple song I wrote in 2006 contained more wisdom than I thought -- Don't stop. Don't give up! Don't give up on your dreams, but also don't give up on YOURSELF and the progress you can make. How did you come up with your latest project? My latest project is a series of singles I plan to release that I'm working on, each with a different co-writer. For some songs, I come up with an idea and rewrite it 5 times and then bring in another writer to help with co-writing the parts I'm still not so sure about (quite often one of the verses want or bridge or both). But also someone will send me a song for co-writing and it functions the other way around. Another way I really like to write is that I get someone to send me an uncompleted musical track and I add lyrics and a melody line for those lyrics. Sometimes it just falls together, but it doesn't always click with everything writing-wise, even if it's good music. I find that I go through phases when I can write more often and phases when I simply can't come up with anything I'm happy with. I'm in a writing phase right now. It's been a long time, so I'm thankful for that. Where are you from originally? The greater Nashville area Where do you live now? A different part of the Nashville area... I've moved a lot, but not out of middle Tennessee! Do you think where you live affects how your music is made? I really don't know. I would guess so, but I think what you listen to over the course of your life affects your music more than where you live. What was the inspiration to make music your career? It's not my career yet, but that's the goal. I don't expect to be famous on a national or international level... I just want music to be what I do. (And that would make it a career.) The inspiration for that is-- ever since I was a child, music has resonated with me in a way that nothing else has. I think that's how God made me. That feeling has continued -- especially now. The world doesn't make sense these days. But music does. Do you work on a tight timeline or do you always go with the flow when it comes to your music? I'm really good at working with timelines, if they exist. I'm one of those procrastinators who can come up with something great last-minute. Often for my own personal songwriting, the problem has actually been that I don't have a deadline to meet! So I have a lot of unfinished work. How did your latest title of your music come to be? I made a song about some well-disguised hypocrisy I've witnessed lately. It's not copyrighted yet and the title is quite possibly the hook, so I'd rather not give away that line here. As far as how it came to be, I guess I was pretty angry when I wrote it. Is it hard to let go of music when it's done? Not at all. I like the development of a song and I like having a finished product to show for all the work that's been put into it. Do you feel an emotional attachment to your music? Yes. But it can change over time of course. I will always remember songs as how I felt at the time -- and that era of my life. But the emotions associated with that can change -- and oftentimes should. Where can we go to listen now? Keep up with me on social media for updates! I'll definitely always post live shows and new releases. What has been the best fan reaction to your music? People often say my originals remind them of 80s or 90s rock. That is the best compliment! Is there anything exciting coming up for you? Yes! More live performances this year! I'm now part of a band called Wild Card, and I think it will bring much more musical opportunity into my life. It's fun! I like being a part of a band a lot more than being a solo artist. Follow the music and artist here: soundcloud.com/kristinhopekey facebook.com/kristinhopemusic instagram.com/here_to_be_entertained