Real Goblin

Hush Forte’s newest project is something of a pivot from his early work. Hush Forte first broke onto the scene with a handful of catchy singles, and since then, has released both Ardor and Look Closely. Following his 2021 album, you might have thought Hush Forte’s path forward was clear. The South Floridian, genre-blending producer and performer saw success, and a predictable career path could have followed a handful of traditional stepping stones. A collaboration here, a feature there, and Hush Forte could have settled into a hip-hop/R&B space with ease.

But Hush Forte saw things differently. Despite millions of streams on singles like “Summer Girl” and “DOMINICANA,” Hush sat down and began to hone his craft. Over the next few years, he began to develop Echo Chamber, a new EP that embraces a different side of his artistry. Without losing the same catchy hooks, Hush Forte dipped into a stripped-back sound that places him front and center in a new way.

Echo Chamber is packed with slick production, cleverly layered instrumentation, and lyricism that goes deeper than Hush Forte has before. Most importantly, it feels authentic and real.

Real Goblin: I know you’ve spent a lot of time crafting this new sound, which is a little bit of a departure from your past work. How did you first realize you wanted to change it up? 

Hush Forte: I would say it was a natural evolution, it wasn’t a change that happened overnight. I think a lot of it came from what I was listening to for the past 4 years. Rap music wasn’t really moving me the same way it did when I was growing up. I’m always hearing melodies, they come to me easily. I was super insecure about my singing voice but I knew I would have to sing if I wanted to make the kind of songs I genuinely get excited about. I think my live performances after dropping Look Closely also informed that. Rapping to a crowd got stale to me.

I wanted to feel something more.

Real Goblin: You eventually decided that a more stripped back sound was what you were looking for. How did you make that change? What did the process look like?

Hush Forte: I just wanted to try things I haven’t done before. Trying to make interesting beats just didn’t feel as fun to me, I’ve been doing that since I started. I wanted to try making songs that would still hit regardless of if it was one person with a guitar, or a full band. I didn’t want to hide behind cool production anymore.

Real Goblin: Even though this is something of a new direction, it’s easy to see how you made this leap when you listen to tracks like “Summer Girl”. As you stepped into this new sound, who were the artists you were listening to at the time? What influences helped drive this change?

Hush Forte: The list is too long to name. But I found myself getting really excited listening to people like Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Prince. 

Real Goblin: Would you categorize yourself in any particular genre? Or would you say you walk the lines between them?

Hush Forte: I don’t think categories are that important, we can listen to whatever we want to listen to and make whatever we want to make. I guess people use categories to try to explain what they’re listening to but at the end of the day I don’t think it’s the ‘category’ that makes someone like a song. People should be free to categorize me however they want, it doesn’t really matter. I just make the music. 

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There are some varied themes across this project, but each song contains a piece of Hush Forte.

It’s clear that the songwriting process on Echo Chamber was a departure from his past projects. Hush put in the work and this EP is better for it.

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To me “I Think I’m Being Myself” is the feeling of being caught in between the place that feels like home and the place I can be who I want to be. I’ve had one foot in New York and one foot in South Florida for the past 5 years. My upbringing in South Florida plays a huge role in who I am, yet somehow I feel disconnected from it. Since moving to NY, I’ve felt more freedom to do things that family and people I grew up around couldn’t understand. I have more in common with my community in NY. But there’s a sense of home I still only get in Florida. 

“Weight of Faith” is about believing in love, but loving someone who doesn’t, and then struggling to believe once I finally attract someone who does.

Real Goblin: When I listen through your discography, it’s a very interesting timeline of your journey as an artist. How would you say you’ve changed since your first few singles to now?

Hush Forte: I just don’t care as much anymore. I’m just doing what I want and doing what feels right to me. I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m not trying to complicate things. It’s just music.

Real Goblin: What do you want listeners to take away from this EP?

Hush Forte: Honestly, I just hope it makes people feel free. Because making these songs makes me feel free. Maybe people will enjoy it enough to make memories with it and play it for people they care about. Maybe they will relate to it in some way or create their own meaning out of it. Maybe not. It’s not really about me or what I want once I put it out.