Latest single “Love Ya”, taken from Shoffy’s new album …Onwards does what it says on the tin. It’s a declaration of love told through a jaunty alt-pop musical lexicon. “I wanna spend all of my time / Under your shine,” he sings on the cut, which couples such lush romanticism with instantly infectious pop excellence.
It’s a delightful induction into the dreamy world of the album which is “a melting pot of genres underneath pop melodies,” he tells us below. “Pulling from dance, electronic, r&b, pop, hip-hop, and house. It’s a mix of my favourite sounds, melodies, and visuals.” Releasing his first release in 2016, Shoffy has since gathered an impressive 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over half a billion global streams, plus helming two headline North American tours. Previously charting on Billboard as well as Spotify Viral charts, he’s no stranger to having his work catch the ears of vast numbers, and if …Onward is anything to go by, international notoriety would appear to be the onward direction of travel.
Head below to read our chat with Shoffy and listen to “love ya”, right now…
Hey Shoffy! How are you? Massive congratulations on your album! Can you take us back to the moment you began the process?
Thank you! Very excited to get this album out there. It’s been about a year in the making. I tend to find moments of inspiration throughout the year, and I take that and run with it. So from time to time, I’ll work on a new track, and it happens very quickly. In a day or two, I’ll have that track wrapped up. Little bursts of creative energy.
When was the last time you said “Love Ya” to someone or something?
My girlfriend!
We hear you are a multi-instrumentalist as well as a singer, songwriter and producer. Is there anything you can’t do? What came first?
Singing came first! In third grade I joined the choir, it was me and 12 girls I think. I grew up with music in the house, and I liked guitar as well early on, but they didn’t really have that as an option. So I joined the choir, and it was fun, so I stuck with it. When I was about 14 or so, I started recording practice and lessons that I was working on with my guitar teacher, and he told me about Pro Tools, so I got an Mbox, mic, and midi keyboard, and started recording my own ideas as well. That’s about when I started writing and producing. It’s been a fun creative journey.
You’re an alt-pop star in the making. Who else are you enjoying right now in the alt-pop genre?
Maggie Rogers, Glass Animals, and King Princess are all great!
What can we expect from the album?
A melting pot of genres underneath pop melodies. Pulling from dance/electronic, r&b, pop, hip hop, and house. It’s a mix of my favourite sounds, melodies, and visuals. It feels authentically me, as I wrote and produced it all, aside from Sidizen King’s feature in “Olivia”, which by the way he absolutely killed. I love working with him! I also put the artwork together and worked with David Dutton on the music video for “Nightmares In NYC” which was awesome. He’s super talented and I’m grateful to work with him. I think my sound is a bit more polished, evolved, and honed in today, so I can’t wait for the full LP to get out there!
You’ve already amassed an impressive 1.5 million monthly Spotify listeners, something many artists can only dream of. What’s been the hardest but most worth it part of the journey so far?
The hardest part is perhaps reinventing yourself, and keeping the fans engaged with your music. I just try to make music that I really love and am proud of.
You’ve also played at iconic venues including the Troubadour. Where do you think the perfect place for a Shoffy show would be?
The perfect place is the venues I’ve got lined up for Sept and Oct! Mercury Lounge has been a favourite spot of mine in NY. Troubadour also was a lot of fun. Hollywood Bowl and the Greek Theater are also dream venues of mine. I love both of those spots, and hope to play them someday!
What does success look like to you?
Hearing that my music is positively impacting my fans. Whether they are using one of my songs for their wedding, or a song of mine is helping them get through a tough situation, I’m grateful that the music is having a positive impact in that way. I think spreading the music and growing that outreach is the goal. That connection is special.
