Koffer Discusses The Making of His New EP “Spirited Rendition”

PHOTOS BY LUCY JONES

Koffer is a singer, songwriter and producer based in Nashville, Tenn. With the release of his EP Spirited Rendition, Koffer reflects a journey of artistic growth, marked by a newfound commitment to honesty and vulnerability in his songwriting. In this interview, we explore the creative process behind the EP and the inspirations that have shaped Koffer’s musical identity. This project marks a significant evolution in his craft, showcasing a willingness to dive into personal experiences and emotions.

Join us as we uncover the story behind Koffer’s exciting new project, discovering what it truly means to embrace one's true self through art and how this journey has ultimately transformed his approach to creating music. 

PLEASER: Your EP Spirited Rendention is releasing soon. Describe this record and its meaning to you.

Koffer: This is the first time what I've made has felt so much like me. Before, I was in college trying to figure out what my sound was and I over thought it so much. Then I went on tour with friends playing guitar for them. It was the best time ever. I came back and realized it was time to be an artist and to be honest. It all came together in such an awesome way, I've never experienced creating like I did with this EP.

P: Walk me through your songwriting process.

K: First, I pick and write pretty chords. Then for the lyrics, I do a stream of consciousness; I'll say a lot of stuff and I'll figure out what I'm talking about as I go. With past songs, I would be so eager to write the song, then I’d get halfway in and my ADD kicked in and I’d start doing something else. Then I’d have a song unfinished for months, I kept going back and revising lyrics.

With these songs, I didn’t do that once. I was in the mode of sitting down and telling myself “I’m going to write what I’m feeling right now.” I wrote all of these songs having that “in the moment” mindset, and I didn't really go back to change anything. 

P: Do you have a personal favorite song on the EP?

K: “Problem Is” was the first time I wrote a song and thought to myself, “I think I will love this song for the rest of my life.” It's so honest. It makes me a little anxious for people to hear it because I say some interesting things that I've never said in song form before. That song means so much to me. 

“Umbilical Cord” is the most uncharted territory that I've walked into making music. Doing everything with the strings and harmonies, it was a new thing for me, and it felt super authentic. It's between those two, I would say.

P: How does it feel to be releasing music that is so personal to you?

K: The vulnerability, although it's scary, it makes me more confident in my art. I was less confident before when I was just writing stuff that I wanted to sound interesting. I started to approach it with the thought of being myself and raw. It's scary to drop something so honest, but I am confident in its quality because of its honesty.

P: Would you say creating this EP was more of a collaborative or independent project?

K: This project is fully produced and mixed by me, other than “Problem Is,” which is mixed by Josef Kuhn. I've been in my own box when it comes to the lyrics, chords and production of it.

I had some people help out playing instruments and doing harmonies and that was all pretty collaborative. I learned so much about music making through this project. I reached out to friends about production and mixing questions and they have been awesome; coming over to help me mix, giving me opinions and just being super helpful.

I think these songs are really raw and this is the first cohesive project I've ever made, so there is a bit of charm in its discombobulated nature. I’m just trying to write honest songs and learn along the way.

P: Who is your biggest musical inspiration?

K: The biggest inspiration for me for a while now has been Fleet Foxes. Robin Pecknold is one of my favorite songwriters ever. Their album Shore came out right after I moved to Nashville. The arrangements of that project was so unlike anything I'd heard before, they’re incredible. Louis Prince is also another big inspiration of mine.

P: Anything else you want to add about your EP “Spirited Rendition?”

K: It came at a time of a lot of confusion. Through working on these songs, I was able to figure some things out about life direction and learn a lot about myself. I'm most proud of coming out on the other side and going about my writing process differently. Once you let your guard down and make your art, it’s indescribable how much better it feels when you're honest with yourself. It’s a little scary being so vulnerable and open, but very rewarding to step out of my comfort zone and make stuff that I really love.