An active member of the St. Louis and Midwest punk scenes in the early 2000s, Wes Hoffman took a hiatus from music for several years before coming back into the fold. In 2017, after a few musical collaborations with drummer Justin Unterseh, Wes decided he couldn’t keep the music bottled up anymore and began releasing songs again. With a passion for punk beats, loud guitars and a penchant for honest, emotional lyrics, Wes is back with his friends and ready to share his most meaningful songs in 2021, starting with the single “What’s Left of Me”. Today, we’re giving you the first listen, the official music video premiere below, and Wes’ top 5 songs that have inspired him and his music!
Comments Wes: “What’s Left of Me is a song about going through major transitions in your life and being there for your friends. Knowing that we all feel like we’re in a million pieces sometimes, but we still love each other. I often doubted whether or not I would make it out of certain situations, but I did, and once I did, I was able to see what was left of my life and where I could go from there. I also knew I always had close friends I could call for help, and I knew that they had my number too. It may sound a little gloomy, but it’s really a song about moving on with your life, and hoping for better days ahead.”
Wes is known from his former and current podcasts, The StrangeHouse and Wes Hoffman with Friends, respectively. The live band consists of Wes Hoffman on vocals and guitar, long time friend Jacob Boyd on bass, Johnny Wehner on guitar, and Unterseh on drums.
If you like what you hear, you can check out more captivating tunes that we prepared for you today!
Top 5 Songs that inspired Wes Hoffman’s music:
1. Ulysses – Strung Out
This song has everything – catchy guitar hooks and vocal melodies, strong harmonies, and a ripping guitar solo. Strung Out has been one of my favorite bands for decades now and this song embodies everything I love about them!
2. Living Now – Gold Route
These guys are awesome. A friend of mine played a show with them when they were on tour. I dove into their catalog and love all their songs. They have a very modern approach to punk while taking influence from the legacy acts. I love their positive lyrics and melodic style.
3. If I Told – Courtney Marie Andrews
My girlfriend sent me this song last summer shortly after it was released. Stylistically, it’s much different than my music, but the emotion, sincerity, and heartfeltness is what captivates me about this song. I can hardly listen to it without getting tearful. It perfectly portrays what it means to be in love, and hope the other person feels the same. I wanted to convey similar emotions in my music like Courney does.
4. All of It – MxPx
MxPx was the first punk band I ever heard and remains one of my favorites. This is one of their newer songs, and I think it’s fantastic. It had a great flow to it, a catchy chorus, and a fun breakdown. I’m always a big fan of whoa-oh’s as well :)
5. After the Party – The Menzingers
This album came out a few years ago and is still in consistent rotation for me. I’m a fan of this band’s authenticity and genuine lyrics. I love the guitar riff and anthemic sound. It sticks with you and that’s what I was going for with these new songs and sound as well.
