Today we’d like to introduce you to Court Hoang.
Court, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’ve been a misfit for as long as I can remember — tolerated, sometimes welcomed, but never integrated. I’m biracial (Vietnamese / white) and was a pretty obnoxious kid; my favorite pastimes were making annoying sounds and being a teacher’s pet. Needless to say, I didn’t have many friends growing up. When I discovered acting in high school, I felt I had finally found a community — it quite literally saved my life. At the same time, I was writing music and refused to share it. I continued acting and writing, more or less in secret, through college.
Post-graduation, I spent a year living in Viet Nam, where I wrote and recorded my first album, Taking Sides. The first four months were a strange, lonely and introspective time; the rest of that year was a rollercoaster of new friends and family, incredible experiences and a feeling of community I had been sorely missing. It was also there that I realized music is more than a hobby for me; it is a vocation.
Since then, I’ve released another album, Compass Rose, while living and working as a musician in Austin; moved back to North Texas; gotten married and supported my wife in giving birth to our amazing daughter; released a solo EP, While You Wait; and have been working to continue integrating myself into the community here. I’m realizing the older I get that if I wait around looking for a community to accept me, I’ll never really be a part of it. The only way to be part of it is to help create it.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do, why, and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
The music I make is a little folk, a little indie, a little jazz, and a little rock. I perform as a solo acoustic artist, I perform as a live-looping artist incorporating beatboxing and a cappella styles, and I perform with a band. My biggest influences for songwriting and production are probably Elliott Smith, Andrew Bird, and Keane. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Kishi Bashi and Superorganism as well.
It’s been said that I write from a humanist perspective and, in a way, that’s true: I believe in people. I believe in our ability to overcome, to love recklessly and live whole-heartedly. But sometimes we need a reminder that we’re part of a community and that means two things: first, that we have to have empathy for others who look, think and act differently than we do; and second, that even in our darkest moments, we’re never alone. If there’s anything I want you to take away from my work, it’s the opportunity to hear a voice you haven’t heard or haven’t been listening to.
How can artists connect with other artists?
If you’re an artist, and you’re lonely, the best thing to do is to consume art. Ideally in a public place like a museum, a concert, a poetry reading, a book signing, on the street, wherever. It will inspire your art, it gives you opportunities to meet other people (if you want, and not if you don’t) and many times it’s inexpensive or free (that being said, please support artists when you are able to!).
If you’re looking to connect with other (performance) artists: go to open mics! There are tons of them around North Texas, and there’s a lot of talent coming from some really wonderful people. If you feel like you’ve exhausted the circuit, or you can’t find one that fits the type of art you want to be making, start your own! There are plenty of venues, bars, and restaurants that want more live performance and it gives them (and you) an easy way to meet and book more of them.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Compass Rose (2013) and While You Wait (2018) are on streaming services, iTunes and Amazon. You can also stream and purchase music and merch at my website: www.courthoang.com.
The best way (for both of us) for anyone to support me is on Patreon: www.patreon.com/courthoang. It’s a monthly membership platform that gives you behind the scenes content, exclusive releases, early access and a lot of other cool perks!
Upcoming releases, shows and other updates can be found on Facebook (@courthoangmusic) and Instagram (@courthoang).
Contact Info:
- Address: Fort Worth, TX 76107
- Website: www.courthoang.com
- Email: connect@courthoang.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/courthoang/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courthoangmusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CourtHoang
- Other: https://patreon.com/courthoang
Image Credit:
Deanna Valone, Roselyn Hoang, Lebree Jones
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
