was born out of the Covid pandemic amidst the crumbling of societal infrastructure. This destruction mirrored singer/songwriter Hannah Hoffman’s own experiences during lockdown. Turning one of her lowest and most challenging points into a revisitation of her approach to sound, Hoffman began experimenting with layering synths and electronic drum beats in Garageband, creating a sonic landscape that bore the fruits of Dutch Experts and the creation of a debut EP, ‘Bound by This’. Inspired by her personal challenges, the gothic landscape of The Cure, and melodic choices informed by Kate Bush and Cocteau Twins, Hoffman locked into a sound that became uniquely modern yet captured an 80s sonic sensibility: synth pop with a darkwave edge. A&R Factory calls ‘Bound by This’, “possibly one of the most cinematic soundscapes possible in our lifetime.” Recorded, mixed & mastered by Mikey Allred (All Them Witches, Inter Arma), Dutch Experts' debut EP, is available now both digitally and on vinyl.

The EP opens with the title track, 'Bound by This', shedding light on the parts of oneself that may not be realized - the parts that hold one back, chaining you to your darkness. A recognition of patterns of behavior that are limiting, a mourning of the loss of time one can never have again. Yet, there remains a sense of hope: the possibility of moving forward and living consciously and presently. This theme weaves itself into track two, ‘Your Heart', warmly encompassing the recognition of how love can transform and heal. 'Soon', the cathartic, anthemic, zenith of the EP, is steeped in anger and frustration, themes of people-pleasing and abandonment at its core. The lyrics reflect an emotionally drained yet simultaneously passionate protagonist. Hoffman describes ‘Soon’ as, “a window into my chaotic brain”. The closing track, 'Morrígu', is a nod to the Celtic Goddess of the same name. Serving as an icon for Hoffman during the lowest moments of her life, the Morrígu is a shapeshifter who can predict the fate of warriors in battle, associated with life and death cycles. Hoffman says, “I thought a lot about my mortality during the writing process because I really felt like the Covid pandemic killed off a piece of me. It was in those darkest moments that I connected to the creation of this music and was able to find new life in its process.”

First appearing officially at Waking Windows Festival in Winooski, VT in 2022, Dutch Experts shared the bill with headliners Dinosaur Jr, Japanese Breakfast and Dry Cleaning to name a few. Dutch Experts has opened for Circuit Des Yeux (Matador) on their “-io-” tour, and has shared the stage with everyone from Troller (Relapse) and Madeline Goldstein (à La Carte), to SASAMI (Domino) and Zulu (Quality Control HQ). Currently in the process of writing a full-length album, Dutch Experts draws inspiration from excavating through darkness to find the light. Seven Days says, “Hoffman is world-building, and the atmosphere she's cultivated is at once retro and speculative, bringing sonic comfort and uneasy emotional possibility to the same songs…this EP makes me feel as if I'm on the cusp of a vast universe, and as the Vermont music scene reemerges post-pandemic, I'm excited to see Hoffman making a fresh home within it.”

DUTCH EXPERTS