Review Fix Exclusive: BAD’s Jackson Hoffman Talks ‘Dirty Laundry’ And More

Review Fix chats with BAD’s Jackson Hoffman, who discusses the band’s origin, influences and goals for their new single, “Dirty Laundry.”

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Jackson Hoffman: I started playing guitar after falling in love with Green Day in middle school, and Julia has been singing since she heard  “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” when she was 3 years old. We were separately writing original music until we met in a high school Music Theory class and started working together!

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Hoffman: Julia works on concepts/lyrics, and Jackson works on our production. We collaborate on both of those components as well as melodies to get to our final product. Sometimes we’ll start with a track Jackson has made, and try to match a concept/lyric to it. Other times we’ll start with a lyric or melody and build a track around that. Each song happens a little bit differently, but after working together for 10 years we’ve gotten into a really solid groove.

Review Fix: What inspires you?

Hoffman: We’re inspired by artists we love, both new and old. Some of our favorite songwriters are Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Billy Joel, Sara Bareilles, and Max Martin. And we love a funky throwback sound like Prince or more modern Bruno Mars. We also are pop music fans, so we love to add elements of modern pop music into our writing as well.

Review Fix: What does music mean to you?

Hoffman: Music is everything. It’s all that we do! It’s the one thing that everyone in the world loves and turns to when they’re feeling joy, pain, anxiety, excitement. Especially at a time like this, when the world is facing so much uncertainty and fear, music is so important to keep everyone grounded and unified. 

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Hoffman: We like to say we’re what a Prince and Max Martin collaboration in 2020 would have sounded like. It’s funk-inspired pop music with sexy lyrics and groovy hooks.

Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?

Hoffman: Our two most recent singles were recorded by just the two of us, all of the instruments and vocals performed by us–except for the horns, arranged and performed by Philip Lassiter! Live, we play with guitar, drums, synth bass, keys, and two background vocalists, and sometimes horns as well! It’s a big group of the most talented musicians in NYC, and we LOVE playing with them. They bring such a wonderful energy to the stage.

Review Fix: What inspired your latest single?

Hoffman: “Dirty Laundry” is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the emotional baggage we all carry around with us, and how anyone you’re getting into a relationship with needs to be able to handle that baggage. But of course, we added a BAD twist on it and make it a little more sassy than serious.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2020?

Hoffman: We’d love to play some shows when we get the chance! We also have a few more singles in the works and some fun ideas for video content, so when we’re able to be out and about again we’re really looking forward to working on that.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Hoffman: We’re going to continue to work on our next singles as best as we can remotely, and try to help keep everyone’s spirits high during this crazy time! We recently released some merch and are donating a portion of sales to MusiCares to help freelance musicians who have lost most or all of their income during this crisis (you can check it out on badtheband.bandcamp.com). We just want to spread good vibes while we get to the other side of this.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add? 

Hoffman: Thanks so much to those streaming our music, sharing our music, and buying our merch! Stay healthy, stay home, and hopefully we’ll see you really soon.