Court Hoang doesn’t really fit in with the mold of society. After self-analyzing his place in the world, he said, he feels an urge to create community. The Fort Worth indie folk-rock artist incorporates his background in choirs, a cappella styles, and beatboxing into his work. His upcoming album wades into ideas of social justice and building a community while being a good neighbor to your fellow man.
“I couldn’t write an album that says, ‘Everything’s going to be fine,’ so it ended up being, ‘We can either deal with the issues and get right, or we can get left behind by more civilized nations or by the Earth itself when we destroy ourselves,’ ” Hoang said.
Get Right doesn’t focus on a single type of sound, and Hoang doesn’t restrict himself to a single genre. He lets the songwriting take the lead and guide him to expressing his feelings through song.
He gets personal, too, touching on topics such as depression, suicide ideation, the challenges of living in American society, and the deaths of loved ones.
Hoang’s musical inspiration ranges from Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley to Andrew Bird and rock groups like Muse. As part of the release of Get Right, Hoang recently put out a single and music video for “The Basement,” which came out May 6, with an exclusive premiere on KXT/91.7-FM. “The Basement” reflects on the frustration of seeking connection and being met with silence.
Hoang is also set to release a second single off the album, titled “You Are Here,” which will include an animated lyric video, on Friday.
The 33-year-old married family man who has played professionally since 2011 primarily as an acoustic guitarist feels he’s becoming more expressive with a rock sound. Three short instrumentals that serve as intermissions on the album show Hoang’s range as a guitarist and musicmaker. Whatever approach he takes, he’s capable of teasing out a range of emotions, from joy to loss.
“I like to rock out, and I like to do the sad-boy acoustic thing, and I like to get real and serious, and I like to have fun,” he said. “You can hear the different styles, and I can’t pick. I want to have the cohesive sound that everyone says that you need to have to be marketable.”
Engineered by Hoang, produced by bassist Joseph Fisher-Schrammm, and mastered by Ben Barnett, the album was recorded at Hoang’s home studio with string players and other instrumentalists starting in 2020 and includes songs he wrote more than 13 years ago, which he said feel appropriate now. The entire album was finished and polished last October.
The album release party will be Friday, June 17, at Margo Jones Theater in Fair Park. The live show will incorporate theatrics, Hoang said, which will include a symphony of 13. A theater seemed a better fit than a venue/bar, he said.
Soon after the release show, Hoang along with bassist/producer Fisher-Schramm and drummer Gareth Mason will travel to New Orleans, Austin, and few other cities before finishing up in Fort Worth at Twilite Lounge on Friday, July 1, with Taylor Teachout and Cherry Mantis.
Get Right doesn’t only focus on his personal experiences like his previous albums, he said.
“I decided to make this record in response to a lot of the social unrest I’ve seen in the United States and around the world,” he said, “the distress and desperation I’ve seen in my friends, family, and community members and the personal feelings of depression and hopelessness that I struggle with regularly.”
