back

biography / portrait

Hoffmaestro belong to a worldwide family of bands that include acts like Manu Chao and Gogol Bordello. What these bands have in common is that they combine various elements, styles and spices into their own musical melting pot. If one word sums up what Hoffmaestro are all about, it’s raw,unabashed Energy – whether it comes from ska, soul, country, hip hop, folkrock, reggae or punk. In the end, it results in a style that’s unmistakeably their own. Another of their main sources of inspiration is the city of New Orleans and its sensual sounds – a musical melting pot in itself. The seeds of what was to become Hoffmaestro were sown on the90’s suburban live scene of Stockholm where, while a sense of community prevailed, there was always room for a healthy dose of competition. "We played youth clubs around the suburbs of Stockholm. Eventhough we were friends back then we played in different bands and we always tried to outmatch each other when it came to getting the crowd hyped up and jumping the most", remembers John Lindgren. Another one of their tricks, before they were able to pull a crowd of their own, was to arrange huge parties. And guess who played live at those parties? "A lot of bands look down on small towns, or low-key events. We never did. No gig was too small, no venue too strange" remembers Jens. The founding members of Hoffmaestro first attracted nationwide attention when they wrote and directed a feature film, "Stockholm Boogie" (2005), for which they also provided the soundtrack, including the theme "Desperado", which became a hit. The film was a cult success, and the band took off. Since then, they have focused on touring, recording, and making music videos. Hoffmaestro appeared on the Swedish scene around 2005, during a period of worldwide music industry confusion. Most record companies in Sweden failed to understand what was happening, and didn’t quite know what to make of the latest tools available, like social communities and networks. Combining the best of both worlds, Hoffmaestro were able to build their following playing live, while communicating with the very same people online, thus forging a relationship of mutual respect that lasts to this day. (source: www.hoffmaestro.com)