When Andrew Hoyt performs for his EP release show April 25, he'll be taking the stage for the most important show of his career. It will be the culmination of two years’ worth of collaborative songwriting, tireless production and countless trips to Nashville. It will also be the largest moment yet for this up-and-coming artist.
The central Iowa-based pop artist gave up his career as a public school teacher in 2023, when he decided to focus on music full time. As he puts it, “After school, everyday, I would drive to a show... I was like, ‘I’m playing so much, and I could be playing even more, and I don’t have all the answers right now, but I think I’m going to go take this leap.'"
Shortly after quitting the profession, he released his first album, Fine. Then, about a year later, Hoyt got a call he never expected. The headlining act at Wells Fargo Arena that night was the massively popular band AJR, known for their hit song “Bang!,” and their opening act, Dean Lewis, was unable to perform. Hoyt rushed home to grab his equipment and opened the show at his hometown’s biggest venue.
“I got up on stage and I was just honest, and I think the honesty helped so much. Like, ‘Hey, this is where I’m at. I was on a run two hours ago; didn’t know I’d be here. This is awesome’ and that helped level me. No expectations, this wasn’t planned, I don’t have to be crazy-amazing cause I didn’t know I was gonna be here, I’m just gonna have fun!”
Despite being involved in that and other very big shows (he's also opened for David Archuleta, American Idol winner Madde Poppe, and ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro), Hoyt's EP release show is even more important to him, and will be his first headlining opportunity in a larger concert venue. If it goes well, he sees it as the starting point to headlining bigger venues regularly. It's also the first time he'll perform on stage with a large — and very talented — backing band.
The Band
“It will definitely be the most fun show I’ve ever done,” Hoyt says, adding “I don’t think I’ve ever played with eight people in my life.” Not only that, his band would make any singer/songwriter jealous. “We’ve got Chris Hansen on drums, Ben Mars on bass, Anderson Coates on electric guitar, Bryan Vanderpool is playing acoustic guitar, percussion and singing harmonies,” Hoyt says “and then Robert Espe is playing sax and he’s getting Jackson Churchill on sax and Antonio Garza on trumpet to add to the horn section.” The band will also feature Tanner Taylor on keys.
For Hoyt, having a band is a rare treat, but having a band with eight members is something very special that very few of his fans will have experienced. “I feel like 85% of people that have seen me and will be at the show will be like ‘I’ve seen Andrew solo, but I’ve never seen him with nine total people on stage,’ so I’m pumped for people to hopefully have their perception turned around a bit.”
Hoyt will be hosting a listening party at The Secret Admirer April 16 at 7p.m., and the big show at Wooly's will be April 25, with opening acts Jason Walsmith (the Nadas) playing solo and Dickie playing with his band. Tickets for the EP release show at Wooly’s that same day are available at axs.com.
Hoyt and the full band will also be featured on an upcoming episode of Iowa PBS’s Live from Studio 3, hosted by Mickey Davis.
The EP
The EP, tentatively titled Kind of Paradise, displays a different style of production compared to Fine. “I’m working with Lucas Morton out in Nashville,” says Hoyt, “I’ve always wanted to work with him. I’ve loved listening to Jordy Searcy’s music and Lucas produced his stuff from the beginning, and Lucas has produced for a lot of other people that I’ve loved.”
Morton’s influence is felt throughout the EP, and you need look no further than the latest release, “Caught in the Middle,” to hear the difference. The track is co-written with Hoyt, Morton, and Nashville-based musician Matt Wertz. Musically, the song represents a departure from the more traditional style of strumming guitars and layering accompanying parts over top, and instead shows a willingness to deconstruct instrumentation in order to rebuild it in the studio with more polish and style. Opening with the light strum of a single guitar chord over a steady drum beat, the vocals quickly enter, and the soft resonance of Hoyt’s voice makes clear that despite its upbeat nature, this is no feel-good song.
“I love a sad song with a happy groove,” Hoyt wrote as he released the song via a Facebook post. “This one means a lot to me and I hope it makes you feel something too.” He adds, “'Caught in the Middle' is about a break-up a couple years ago and figuring out ‘Where do I wanna go now? Who do I want to be? What does this next step mean?’ So it’s very personal.”
It's a theme that's revisited several times over the course of the EP, but longtime fans need not worry. At the core of every change and evolution remains the Andrew Hoyt of old. The songs have a different feel from those on Fine, but still resonate with the same voice and style that members of Hoyt’s following have come to love.
One thing made clear with this EP is where Hoyt finds his happy place. Images of beaches, palm trees, the sounds of ukuleles and Hawai’ian guitars pepper the entire project. Hoyt is a regular visitor to Hawai’i and even has a sponsorship with the ukulele company KoAloha. Nowhere is this made clearer than on the song “Cloud 9.”
The song opens with a tropical-sounding slide guitar and the rhythmic strum of Hoyt’s ukulele, while the lyrics paint a picture of a man sitting on the beach watching the sunset with a drink in hand. By the final chorus, layers of horns have once again taken over the melodies, only to recede into the background, making way for an unexpected flugelhorn solo. “Cloud 9 is exactly what I’ve always wanted in a chill, vacation, ‘let’s just kind of relax’ kind of song. Which is very much a corner of songwriting I’ve wanted to hit, and I feel like it really hits that the most out of everything that I’ve written,” Hoyt explains. For this listener, it's a song that simultaneously captures where Hoyt's been and shows where his musical progression is headed.
Four songs from the EP are currently streaming on all platforms, along with Hoyt’s album Fine and many other previously released tracks. The remaining two songs, "Cloud 9" and "Perfect," will be released at the EP release show April 25.