Matt Hoffman on SoundBetter

Award-winning songwriter; garnered press in No Depression, Glide and Atwood Magazines. I can assist in songwriting/structure, parts/session work, full arrangements/production, coaching performance, and overall vision of a song. Musician/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist specializing in helping artists bring their songs to life in recordings.

I've been writing, recording and producing original music for 20 years, and have been teaching music for 15 years; I am currently on faculty at CU Denver's Music and Entertainment Industry Studies Department in the Singer-Songwriter Program. I really enjoy connecting with people who are songwriters and creatives and love working through any/all of the process of writing, recording, arranging and production.

Find my selected work on Spotify (songwriting, producing, arranging, session, etc.):

-Ellsworth (recording engineer, arranger/producer, session performances)
-Strange Americans (songwriting, performance, recording)
-New Mexican (songwriting, arrangement and production, session performance and recording)

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

4 Reviews

Endorse Matt Hoffman

by Ajay R.
Verified
Thank you so much. I appreciate your service who cares for customers' satisfaction first than every other thing.
by Jon G.
Verified
Matt did a super job with my song. He is very easy to work with. Very professional, and captured the sound I was looking for right off the bat. I am looking forward to working with him on additional songs that I have. Thanks Matt.
by Megan Ellsworth
Matt is such an incredible musician, producer and all around human to work with. You will not be disappointed with what he creates and you will also be 100% apart of the process as well. I recorded my full length album with him and it was the best experience. Being able to be creative and goofy made the process that much better. He not only has the golden ear but he also has excellent musicianship and playing to accompany and arrange beautifully. He is an all around stand up guy and incredible artist!
by Pat Owen Music
Matt is an amazing session musician to work with. I had him play bass and organ on a song of mine and I was very pleased with both tracks. I gave a few notes on direction and asked him to compose his part based on them. He not only followed the direction I was looking for, but he also went above and beyond to create well thought out parts with crisp and clean recording quality. It’s a joy to have those tracks in my song. He was also polite, quick and easy to work with. The talents and skills he possesses seem endless and I look forward to working with him again in the future.

Interview with Matt Hoffman

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I recently found out about Shawn Everett, who is blowing my mind. Just the creative energy, the process and approaching tone is amazing.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: When arranging/producing and thinking of mixing, I tend to prioritize the lead vocal, and depending on the song/genre, the drums. I like to work everything else in after that, find a place for each part both in terms of arrangement and in terms of stereo/EQ.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: General musicality and overall vision for a song and it's recording. Insistence on groove and good rhythmic performances, both from myself and from collaborators. Emphasis on good tones and strong, musical and emotional takes when tracking. I also like to create something original in terms of tone, sound or process, so that nothing is cookie cutter.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are you looking for with this song? What direction do you see it going? Do you have an idea of genre for this song?
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Just finished tracking B3 for a customer, and am heavily involved in writing and pre-production for Strange Americans' next record (Americana, Rock).
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I am proud of the new Ellsworth record, that releases Jan 29, 2021. This is a prime example of collaborating with a talented artist, talking through arrangements, some coaching of the artist, and tons of arrangement/production vision and session work. I was able to work with the artist and set the vision, then help execute both musically and on the recording side of things.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I want you to be satisfied, so please feel free to communicate if you did not get what you want. I want you to feel 100% confident in your song.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Being creative and doing music.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: What are you hearing on this track? Like what instruments? I usually use my intuition and, based on the song, tell the collaborator. Most of the time it works, but many times that leads to discussion and other thoughts come from that as well.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Get what you want out of your recordings; you have to stand behind them 100% in order to be successful bringing them into the world and to your fans.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Drum kit, Gibson J45, Piano, 1966 Guild Starfire, Mustang Bass. I'd use my phone to record.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been at music all my life; I have a Bachelors in Music Composition, and Masters in Music Theory. I've been recording and releasing original music for 11 years. I currently teach in CU Denver's commercial music program, Music and Entertainment Studies (MEIS) and have been teaching about 14 years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Simple is best, and be sure to listen to the song. Try several ideas to see what fits. Then lean on musical intuition.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Hiss Golden Messenger, H.C. McEntire, The Jayhawks, The War On Drugs, Broncho, Matt Berninger, Bruce Springsteen. Each artist would be different to work with and learn from, but all of these artists have albums that I've been really into lately. Great recordings, writing and performances.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Americana, Rock, Singer-Songwriter.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Simple, melodic sensibilities. Parts should serve the song, making it more meaningful and interesting; I typically try not to overdo tracking and, unless specified by a collaborator or demanded by a song, try to leave some space both in individual parts and in full arrangements.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: After discussing direction with collaborators, I usually listen through a song, try to understand the vibe and energy and what the song calls for in terms of parts; from there if it is a single part I will do takes until I feel I have something solid that serves the song. For larger arrangement and production I will typically discuss in more detail to get the artist's ideas, then add to the song, check in with the artist for thoughts and any revisions.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I am in a basement studio with sound treatments. We use UA Apollo interfaces and have several mics including a Coles 4038, Shure SM7b, Shure KSM141 stereo pair, Cascade Fat Head stereo pair, and several others. If not recording live bands, I prefer to build tracks from the rhythm section first. We have a 60s Ludwig Super Classic Kit (Black Beauty Snare), multiple basses and guitars (Fender, Guild, Martin, Gibson, Hofner) including 12-string, keys (Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Yamaha U3, Moog, Hammond, Logic Pro X). Lots of options and I can explore tones/sounds you are looking for on your tracks.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Session Work: I can provide keys, guitars, bass, drums and/or percussion for your song. Package deals too. Arrangement and Production: I can arrange and record full song production, and have a passion for creating in this way. Songwriting: I can assist in writing considerations, revisions and edits, critique, creative process and anything you are looking for regarding how your song is written and/or finished.