By: Alex Lund
Alex Lund interviews “Country’s Wild Rose” Noeline Hofmann in this KZSC Exclusive Interview.
On Saturday, May 3rd, I had the opportunity to interview Noeline Hofmann after her show at The Felton Music Hall. Just one weekend after she burned down the main stage at Stagecoach, performing her track “Purple Gas” with Zach Bryan for his headlining set and filling the Palomino Stage tent for her 1 p.m. performance — a feat few artists can pull off at a festival of that size.
The 21-year-old was working as a ranch hand in Manitoba by day and playing bars across Southern Canada at night, when a video of her singing her track “Purple Gas” went viral online. She became a guest on Zach Bryan’s “Belting Bronco” performance series on YouTube, and “Purple Gas” was featured on his 6th album, “The Great American Bar Scene” as a duet between the two. She has toured with big names like Colter Wall, Wyatt Flores, The Turnpike Troubadours, Charley Crockett, and more. Hofmann is fiercely herself, and through her music, brings the grit of Alberta’s Badlands to the country mainstream.
The show began at 8 p.m., and the crowd was buzzing with a mix of young and old listeners, all eager for the headlining act. Her opener, Kade Hoffmann, a Colorado Native, makes music with a distinct traditional country influence. His voice has a wonderful vintage quality to it, reminiscent of the country stars of old. Like Noeline, Kade has only released one EP and sang a mix of his released and unreleased work.
Noeline began her set with crowd favorite “Lighting in July (Prairie Fire).” Her haunting and timeless voice, paired beautifully with her skillfully sharp songwriting, reminiscent of her upbringing in rural Canada. Her lyrics embrace the mundane, but beautiful parts of life in the country. The crowd hollered before and after every song, and it was clear how much her lyrics resonated with them.
Noeline also played a mix of released and unreleased work, along with some covers. She played a wonderful rendition of “Big River” by Johnny Cash, and her most recent record, a cover of Luke Bell’s “The Bullfighter,” was a crowd favorite. Later in the interview, we discuss the importance of this song to her musical journey.
Noeline has 25 supporting and festival shows on her tour schedule for the summer — a few supporting Zach Bryan and The Turnpike Troubadours in Europe. In October, she goes back to Alberta, where her hometown headline shows have all sold out. As her tour slogan states, she runs on “A ton of grit or maybe it’s spite,” and is not stopping anytime soon.
Interview Transcript:
A: Hi everyone! This is DJ Alla here tonight at the Felton Music Hall with Rising Country Star and Alberta’s Wild Rose, Noeline Hofmann. As I mentioned, you hail from rural Alberta, and you mentioned it during the show a bit too – you worked as a ranch hand during the day and got your start performing in bars and local venues.
How did your upbringing and your experiences ranching, like, weave themselves into your songwriting?
N: Yeah, I think as a songwriter, I’m always trying to bring out the poetry in grit and in, the mundane or you know, especially you know rural folks and day to day life. I really love to find the beauty in grit, and I think that’s what excites me most as a songwriter. And for sure my upbringing. You know, when you live in a place that, to the outside onlooker may look drab or unexciting, you know, you have to if you’re living somewhere like where I grew up where there’s not much going on, you have to really romanticize your life. And so it’s kind of like a coping thing. So all my life, you know, I was always looking for beauty.And I think that’s something that always influenced me as a writer.
A: Yeah, I love the like mundane details, cause it’s something that you’d only recognize if you’ve experienced that, especially working on a ranch and such. It’s like those who know…know, and it’s so beautiful to have that moment while listening.
A: How does it feel to be helping bring Canadian plains country to the mainstream? I feel like it’s such a niche genre of country music.
N: Yeah. I mean to be honest, I don’t. Of course in my writing and as a person, I have a really strong sense of home and my roots. But I don’t pigeon hole myself into that context. But of course, it’s really, it’s just, it’s such a blessing. You know, there’s so many artists back home as well who have inspired me and have such a strong voice, and so I feel like it is a great responsibility to have, you know, all the opportunities that I have and to, you know, bring my best every night. And it’s just really, it’s, it’s all surreal and, and I’m very grateful for all the opportunities.
A: Yeah. It’s really beautiful to see all these like subcultures come into the mainstream recently.
A: Have you ever felt tugged between like ranching and music or have you been able to blend the two, do you think?
N: For sure. Yeah, this is a really interesting question. Funnily enough, my work, working as a ranch hand and working in music, both things have a lot more similarities than you might expect. You know, you kind of have to be a Jack of all trades to survive doing either of that kind of work and I think my personality lends itself to either, right? You know, I can’t, I can’t half ass anything. So that’s why you know, I was drawn to doing ranch work and then putting all my cards on the table to do music.
A: Definitely.
N: It’s funny, you know, when I was working as a ranch hand, my motivation was like, I’m saving money so I can put all the money I save up to pursuing music full time, and now that I’m doing music, I mean this is my – this dream trumps my ranching dream, even though that still exists. And it’s something that I’ll continue to pursue. But it’s fun when I’m driving around, especially in the west and, and this time of year in the spring, seeing the baby calves and everything. It’s like, I really, my daydream now is, man, I can’t wait to spend some days on the ranch. So it’s funny, the duality.
A: Yeah. They’re coexisting now.
N: Absolutely.
A: You’ve toured with many big names recently and have even more on the docket.
Do you have any artists that have influenced your music and journey most so far?
And it can be anyone you’ve worked with, or just a big fan of.
N: Oh my goodness. I would say, I always say Colter. So Colter Wall grew up just a few hours away from where I did. And when I was a teenager, kind of like a young person early in my teen years and first got my own spotlight, I first started to discover my own music, I came across Colter’s music and that opened up my world to lots of classic songwriters like Townes Van Zandt. Because Colter had covered some of Townes’ songs, and Colter, something Colter does so well is he’ll cover songs by these kinds of niche artists.
A: You go down the pipeline.
N: And like people don’t even realize that Colter didn’t write the song, but it was written by, you know, these guys.
N: So Colter was a huge influence, especially because he was from where I was from. All of a sudden, it’s like, I always had this dream. But when I discovered Colter’s music, it just opened up, not only opened up my world, but also made me feel like suddenly it was something that could be possible.
A: Yeah. You can see yourself in that.
N: Yeah. Exactly.
A: I saw you were recently a part of Rolling Stones Musicians on Musicians with Charley Crockett. I was so excited to see that, and you spoke a bit about your journey so far. What was it like touring for the first time with Charley, and did he act as a mentor at all or guide you through the process? Because I know it’s not something most people experience.
N: Yeah yeah, good eye. You know, that is crazy, it was a crazy experience. My first, the first tour of my life. And of course I had played hundreds of, you know, many, many shows before this, but I had never gone on a proper tour. So my first ever tour, other than all the bar room kind of shows that I had played, was with Charley Crockett. So I was a little bit baptized by fire, but, which was wonderful. And Charley, you know, I just remember standing on stage like on the side, the wing of the stage waiting to go on the first night and watching the clock tick down and thinking – you know, this is the first step of the rest of my life. And it really was – because ever since then, like that moment was real, it was like a turn of the page.
A: It’s been like a tidal wave of constants
N: Yeah, I’ve been touring ever since. And Charley, for sure, Charley has been such a, he’s somebody that I look to, you know, that team, they, they pull out all the stops. He is such a wonderful performer and, you know, has very high standards for himself and his business that I really look up to. And for sure, he’s somebody that I’m, I’m just so lucky – he inspires me to work harder and you know, just push the limits. And I’m lucky that, you know, he’s been a part of my story now. But also long before I ever had the opportunity to work with him, his music influenced me.
A: Yeah, that’s beautiful.
A: And after touring with so many different artists, what’s it been like to tour with them versus your own headlining tour? Like really on the bus with yourself.
N: Yeah, gosh. I mean, it totally is, it’s a little bit of a night and day thing. Of course, like the goal is the same, whatever kind of show you’re doing, you’re trying to bring your best and burn it down, but you definitely treat, I, anyways have treated the situations differently.It’s really surreal to, to step into a room. You know, last year we toured, it was almost solely support touring, just quick 45 minute sets supporting another artist. And there’s lots of, you know, you’re trying to just burn down and reach as many fans, but also be respectful of, you know, the show that the headline is trying to put on and…
A: Their vision.
N: So this has been just a great growth, you know, it’s just been so liberating and so much fun learning. And just so exciting to see, you know. There’s nothing like it, tonight was one of my favorite shows of the tour, truly.
A: I’m so glad it’s such a special place. Especially like Northern California just has such a special air to it that you don’t get unless you’ve experienced rural Northern California before.
N: Yeah, absolutely.
A: And I have to ask, what was it like to have your first ever single blow up online and become a duet with a major artist in the genre? And like, can you talk about the process of working with Zach Bryan, getting on the Belting Broncos series and just like the creation of the Purple Gas duet?
N: Yeah, man, that’s such a yeah great, great question. It’s a loaded time in my life. You know, previous to that…I almost never know where to start this story because it feels like everything, even before I was pursuing music full time, everything that I was doing beforehand kind of like prepared me for that to happen. And made me, you know, courageous and strong and everything enough.
N: And, you know, before Purple Gas ever happened, I had already been pursuing music full time for about, I don’t know how long. But, I had recently made a trip down to the United States and like all these crazy coincidences happened and then I posted the video and it blew up and it completely changed my life. Like no doubt it completely changed my life, but it was the timing of it…
A: Was a domino effect.
N: Yeah. So crazy because it was like, you know I’d been putting in the work and then had the stroke of, you know, luck or fate or like whatever you want to call it. And then all of a sudden it was like it was, it was on, and my life for the better, um, 180-ed. And of course when that happens, um, you know, it’s changed my life. I’m living my dream. It is wonderful. Um, but yeah, it’s just been such a crazy ride. And, but Zach, you know, he’s been, he’s been a wonderful friend to me and through, through all of it. And, um, we’ve been lucky to share so many incredible moments together and, and, um, you know, have an understanding and a friendship between us. That’s a very special and one that, um, yeah, you know, it’s, it’s crazy. Even after the time that’s gone by, it’s like, I, I almost don’t know what to say about it because it’s just so much, so much happened so quickly. And in, but in some way, I felt like I’ve been waiting for that. It’s almost like in a weird way, I was waiting. I knew that the moment, it was like that I could have never predicted that this would be the moment, but I had been waiting, I’ve been waiting. Like not waiting, but working, working towards it. And I just never could have predicted, you know, you can never be prepared for something like that. You can just rise to the occasion.
A: And ride the wave.
N: It’s been a wonderful wave.
A: And you released the full Purple Gas EP last fall. It was wonderful, and what was the writing and recording process like for that?
N: So those songs I wrote some of the songs like Rodeo Junkies, that’s a song I started, I don’t know, I was probably 18 or 19 when I started writing that song.So it’s like, I wrote all those songs at 18 and 19 mostly. During that span of my life is a very, you know, pivotal time. Lots of like, lots of like life stuff happened. But yeah, they were written kind of all in that timeframe and all ended up on the same project.
A: And what the recording process was like as well.
N: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I got to work with Colter. So Colter’s guitar player is Pat Lyons. He also has produced the last couple Colter albums.He’s a wonderful person who’s been such a help to me, and even like helping me find players for my band when I needed to find a band in America and all this stuff. And, he recorded, he put together my EP and we recorded it at Wynonna and her husband…So Wynonna Judd and her husband Cactus Moser have a studio, like a small shed, like a very cute shed studio on their property. So that was like the wildest thing. We got to record it out, most of it out there. Um and yeah it all came together. It was kind of a moving target. And we just kept on, we started with only recording two songs and then continued to record more and more. And when the Zach duet came into the picture and, uh, yeah.
A: Wonderful. That’s so exciting to be, not only in the home of such an icon, but getting to record your first major project with them is so wild.
N: It’s crazy.
A: And you spoke on stage about your single, The Bullfighter and you know why you chose it and how special that song is to you. How did you tweak it to make it your own from the original, or did you leave it the way you think it was meant to be?
N: Yeah, gosh, you know, it’s funny. I feel like when I started covering that song, it was just, it was just what naturally came out of me. You know, I was so connected to the lyrics in particular of that song that I think that the performance was just like what naturally came out of me. Um, and of course, yeah. I was very connected to the lyrics when I was listening to Luke’s version. And so when I started covering it, it was just that’s just the picking pattern and everything is just what – that’s just the delivery that that’s what my heart felt, you know, felt that’s what naturally flowed.
A: And you’ve mentioned how you’ve been nicknamed Alberta and country (music) in general’s “Wild Rose”. And I noticed a distinct rose theme in your Stagecoach dress, which was beautiful. What does that nickname and the wild rose imagery mean to you?
N: Yeah. So, you know, like the license plate slogan. So Alberta the province, Alberta’s license plate slogan, it’ll say Alberta, and then on the bottom of the license plate says “Wild Rose Country.” So Alberta is Wild Rose Country. And so when I first started coming up in Alberta’s music scene. I was pitching myself and branding myself as “Wild Rose” like “Wild Rose Country” music, like country. So, because that’s what’s on the license plate and everybody in Alberta knows that every single license plate says “Alberta: Wild Rose Country” on it. So, that’s where that comes from. And it’s just something that I guess
A: It’s stuck, a little nod to your heritage.
N: And, um yeah, it’s just the license plate slogan. And it’s really funny that even Purple Gas, like that the purple gas is a license plate thing, which was totally by accident. You know, I was using “Wild Rose Country” long before Purple Gas, the license plate slogan I was using before purple gas ever was written. Um, so that’s kind of a funny thing, but yeah.
A: You’ve now made your Opry debut, and played your first Stagecoach this past weekend, along with starting your headline tour and opening for others this summer. Do you have a favorite show or any cities you’re looking forward to the most?
N: I mean favorite, you know, the Grand ole Opry. I, look I dreamt about that since I was a little girl. And it’s one of those things that, you know, motivated me. It was like, you know, sometimes you have to get – it felt like a big fantastical dream. But like I would be out on the ranch or doing whatever and being like…this will all be worth it when I have my Grand ole Opry debut. Like, you know, you have to go to that place sometimes. And it’s funny that, you know, it actually did come to fruition, which is really magical.
N: And I mean, this year I’m really excited. We’re going overseas for the first time with Zach (Bryan), we’re going to be playing in Dublin and London with Zach. And then in between those shows with the Turnpike Troubadours, which is my favorite band ever. So we get to do this Europe tour, which is wonderful. And um gosh, yeah we’ve got some really exciting stuff coming up this summer.
A: So exciting you can’t choose.
N: It’s such a blessing. We get to do Under the Big Sky this year, and Railbird, and Farewell Fest, lots of big festivals. And um yeah, gosh, it’s going to be one for the books.
A: And lastly, how have you enjoyed your time in California so far?
N: I’ve loved California, California is so gorgeous. You know, you can be at the beach or the desert or the mountains, the pines, like anything, you know.
A: All in one day.
N: All in one day, it’s really incredible. And, I look forward to spending more time here in the future.
A: All right, that’s all I have for tonight. Thank you so much for joining us!
This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
