Dynamic duo Hook/Pichler stands for Jamie Hook and Eric Pichler. Friends since they were young, both are extremely passionate about music and learned to play various instruments. Collaborating on projects since they were 10 years old, Jamie and Eric have established their craft from the ground up. Jamie is a self-made producer/pianist of 20 years with a degree in Classical Composition from The University of Victoria while Eric is a drummer of 20 years and a firefighter in the greater Vancouver area. Hook/Pichler is focused on electronic/house and trap. Using previous musical experience and composition styles to create feel-good music.
Hook/Pichler’s latest release “Amber” is a chill house track influenced but the notable Bonobo, Jamie and Eric’s favorite artist. Catchy lead piano, upbeat percussion, and house style drumming take center stage during “Amber”. Hook/Pichlercreate a moment of escapism for their listeners to experience. Let the ambient vibes relax you, or get you through a long drive, either way, it’s easy to get lost in the contagious melodies of “Amber”. To listen at volume is to allow yourself to truly get lost in the moment. The brightness and high energy are immensely uplifting. Hook/Pichler offers a genuine state of happiness to anyone willing to let the track fill the room.
Check out “Amber” here and read more with Jamie Hook and Eric Pichler below!
Welcome To BuzzMusic Jamie and Eric! For those who don’t know, how would you describe your approach to making music?
Jamie – I usually start with keys of some kind when I’m writing. Sometimes it’s piano, sometimes it’s a rhodes or a synth. After I have some chords or a riff I like, I’ll add drums and bass. I guess since I’ve been playing piano for so long that starting with a keyboard instrument just feels natural to me.
Eric – For me it’s the total opposite. I usually have a melody or baseline floating around in my head for a couple days, then I’ll play it out when we go into the studio. We try to take advantage of moments of inspiration and like to work on new ideas when they’re fresh, and when the creative juices are flowing.
Jamie – We like to analyze a lot of stuff too. Like, if we dig a bass line, we’ll learn how to play it, and try to write something similar. It’s a great way to learn all kinds of stuff, from cool chord progressions, to little production tricks and stuff like that.
What have been some of your most memorable achievements in music so far?
Jamie – Just the fact that we’re still passionate about music after all these years feels like a bit of an achievement, honestly. It hasn’t always been super easy. Just like everything else, there are ups and downs. Sometimes you’re in the zone, and everything just clicks. Other times it feels like things aren’t going anywhere. It can get frustrating at times, but it always pays to push through obstacles, and strive on.
Eric – My most memorable moments are definitely from playing shows. That’s where you get to show everyone how hard you’ve been working.
We’ve both been in a bunch of different bands and projects since we were 10 or 11. So we’ve had lots of time to sharpen our songwriting skills, and our chops on our instruments.
Jamie – Yeah, I’ve been playing piano for my whole life. I feel like all those years of piano have definitely given me an edge when it comes to producing.
I also went to university and receive a bachelor degree in music composition and theory. I took piano lessons there as well. Even though I’m not really into writing classical music anymore, I still use a lot of the concepts I learned in those classes when I’m making beats today. Yup, I’m a music nerd, and proud of it!
What do you hope your listeners take away from “Amber”?
Jamie – We were trying to go for a chilled out vibe for this track – something you’d put in a driving playlist, or maybe a jogging playlist.
The track started out as an ambient house beat. Then we added some pretty cool leads, which I think gave it a bit of a different flavour, and made the track a bit more upbeat.
Eric – Amber is also the first Song we’ve ever had published to Spotify, so that’s pretty exciting. It’s available on all of the other streaming platforms too. We’re both constantly learning more and more when it comes to producing. Hopefully our music shows that too, and continues to improve as we release more tracks.
What’s one piece of music tech or software you couldn’t live without?
Jamie - We definitely couldn’t live without a laptop and Ableton (or some kind of DAW). Without those we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.
I couldn’t live without a piano either. I know it’s not really tech, but that’s my bread and butter. I might be able to get by with a nice synth or keyboard, but nothing beats the real deal.
Eric – Yeah, I definitely couldn’t live without drums. When it comes to tech though, I’m a big fan of analog synths. I like that extra grit you get from analog. Particularly when I’m coming up with bass lines or arps.
What’s one piece of music tech or software you couldn’t live without?
Jamie - Well, we just released our first two singles, and now we’re working on an EP. We’re hoping to have that finished by the end of the year, so stay tuned for that.
That’s actually what we’re focusing most of our energy on at the moment. As for the bigger picture, eventually we want to release an album – or a bunch of albums, hopefully.
Eric - We’re also looking forward to getting more involved in the local music scene here in Vancouver. We’re really hungry to start playing some shows again. Our live show is going to be a hybrid between a DJ set and a live performance. We’re going to have drums and synths on stage with us – it should be pretty epic. I’ve seen a few people do this kind of thing really well. It’s always cool to see an artist go that extra mile and doing something out of the ordinary.
Connect with Hook/Pichler on social media: