In Conversation With New York City Native “Freaky Pop” Band: HOKO
Written for NYS Music
Photos by 1824
In August’s blurry end of sweltering heat and constant music in New York City, NYS Music and the band HOKO found a summer second to have a chat. The day following their Bowery Ballroom show, on their debut tour with almost monday and Weathers, band members Nathaniel Hoho and Jesse Kotansky gathered to discuss a vast expanse of topics with myself, Kali Kugler.
From the band’s first tour experience, to the pandemic effect, to New York City recommendations and their upcoming residency, HOKO provided a rich dialogue on their transient spot in the music industry.
HOKO was formed in New York City, but the band pulls in flair from many places and faces. Jesse Kotansky, the vital melody of HOKO, is from New York. As lead singer Nathaniel put it, “he’s the go to guy for strings in New York.” Nathaniel himself was born in Pennsylvania but claims New York City as his homebase. The two of them met through mutual friends, and the rest of their connection unfolded naturally through the development of their sound.
“Freaky-pop!”
When asked how to describe themselves through the niche language of genre, there were many categorical dialects tossed around: experimental, alternative, rock, pop. Jesse spewed a vast yet accurate platter of descriptors – “Experimental is the key word to describe us, because experimenting is our process.” Nathaniel chimed in and stamped the label, “freaky-pop!” Having attended their show at the ballroom just the night before, I can back the freaky nature they brought to the familiar pop sound.
When posed the question about the evolution of HOKO since their first release “OK OK” back in 2020, every performing artist’s black cloud entered the conversation – the pandemic. Jesse spoke on their blooming process as a band and the halting choke COVID had on their initial exposure. Prior to the pandemic, HOKO had worked with EQT Studios and produced over forty songs they were ready to release. They put out an EP and their single “OK OK” that reached top 20 on the radio only a week before the universal shut down. Like everyone else HOKO remained indoors, but their time proved fruitful, for they spent two years writing and merging and learning about themselves and their tastefully ephemeral style.
“We find the more often we dive in, the deeper we go… as we grow as humans our sound is also growing. While things around us change we are influenced by it all.”
HOKO’s creative process is an observant one. They are in a constant state of listening, sensing, reading, talking – living, really. Being human – the great collaboration. A lot of their inspiration comes from sharing a sound, having a conversation and “diving deep.” Jesse couldn’t pinpoint their inspiration on one person or place: “…what makes us wanna dance; everything we’ve ever listened to; every book we’ve ever read; every color we’ve ever seen all go into it.”
“I depend on the energy the crowd gives back – it’s a conversation.”
Coming back to the music community and getting to tour for the very first time, HOKO found the crowd’s energy to be an additional member in their band. Touring with almost monday and Weathers informed their style, for they were finally able to experiment and explore their sound with an audience. Jesse spoke on Nathaniel’s stage presence in relation to their fans: “I feed off of his energy.” He went on to state his pride in being an opening band and holding the responsibility to win a crowd.
“It has been lovely seeing our music interact with people.”
New York City is a lucky spot, because HOKO established their return date. On Thursday, September 21st, HOKO will be performing at Berlin Under A in East Village (tickets are still available, and are worth the purchase)! New York City is crawling with esteemed musicians, which is a positive factor according to Jesse as he reflected on their Bowery Ballroom performance: “There was a physical energy in New York, and there were a lot of musicians at the show that we look up to. That definitely added some nerves.”
Both Jesse and Nathaniel expressed gratitude for the hometown show crowd. It’s always sweet to see familiar faces and display growth in the place that raised you. Even though Jesse and Nathaniel still live in the city, they hold a heightened degree of excitement for their shows here. Both agreed the Bowery Ballroom show was their favorite of all their stops on tour. At the end of our conversation, HOKO even graced me with their sacred New York City recommendations: Bar Victoria, The York, Treasure Club, Cozy Royale for a burger, C&B Coffee, and Taco Ramirez.
HOKO was as kind as they were impressive, eager to speak on their artistry and to compliment their audience. Having witnessed their eclectic, colorful, and boundary breaking performance, I can confidently encourage anyone to get the chance to see them live. They are a group to keep your eye on – they are a blow up no one will want to miss.
