Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Ryan Hoffman

Indie folk singer Ryan Hoffman’s new EP is intentionally concise, with “I Love Every Second of This Existence” clocking in at only 13 minutes.

“I was going on a lot of long solo runs and trying to get into a new creative and mental space,” Hoffman said. “Amy and I were also working on a separate band album at the same time. So I was writing a lot of songs — many didn’t make either album. I was pretty immersed in the process of writing, which was nice because there wasn’t really time for the internal editor to come in and start changing everything.”

The title track helped to kick off the writing of this EP in December 2024.

“I was in that non-sleeping liminal headspace of a 2-3 a.m. night, and I remembered a friend from Sunburst School of Music had challenged me to write a happy song,” Hoffman said. “So I started with that line ‘I love every second …’ and then a whole song came out about all these experiences and people in my life. It got me thinking about how all these potentials — like relationships, plans, careers, identities, etc. — eventually collapse into reality — and it can be great or weird, happy or sad, or better or worse. Folks go down different paths — some get cynical or optimistic or jaded or anchored in different ideologies and identities.

“I was coming off an era of some depersonalization and vertigo — and closing some chapters that I never intended on closing. So there was a lot of fresh emotional and existential material floating around that needed to be formed into something. So ‘I love every second of this existence’ was a good frame for it all — focusing on gratitude and acceptance. In retrospect, it sounds serious and overly introspective. But at the time it was just working on a lot of music and having fun being immersed in the process. So I thought that track and message encapsulated the vibe of the album.”

Hoffman said he was really into Johnny Cash’s “American IV” album, with its raw, stripped-down nature influencing this EP.

”’The Witness’ is probably the most single-worthy track. It’s upbeat and a bit unhinged and gets that Johnny Cash vibe — but less ‘Hurt’ and more ‘Folsom Prison Blues,’” he said. “We recorded that one last, as a much lighter counter to the heaviness of the rest of the EP. It ends it on a more joyful, upbeat note.”

Although he’s played shows in the past, he said it’s only been in the past year or so that he’s really enjoyed playing live, noting in particular Bantha Tea House, art galleries and local music festivals.

“We’ve had fun shows over the years, but it’s been a different kind of thing recently — just more fun — and more like, ‘hey, we worked on all these things for a long time and now we want to share them.’ It makes it easier to connect and have fun, for us and the audience.”

Hoffman has had several different group arrangements over the years.

“At one point it was a solo thing, then an indie rock band, then a songwriting duo and now this folksy trio,” he said. “It’s kind of surreal that Amy and I have kept this going for so long. We’re really excited about the current lineup and excited to play more shows with songs from all the different eras of music.”

Hoffman filled in TribLive on what else we should know about his music:

Band: Ryan Hoffman as well as RH Pioneers

Band members: The new release, “I Love Every Second of This Existence,” is a solo record with a few friends coming in later to fill the songs out a bit. But my band, RH Pioneers, is me, Amy and Jules. Amy plays saxophone, keys and sings, and Jules plays banjo and sings.

Founding story: I met Amy at Hambones open mic around 10 years ago. I lived in a little apartment above Banh Mi and Ti on Butler, where we would practice and write. We were always out in the neighborhood and playing at Hambones or Full Pint. I met Jules (banjo, vocals) like a month ago at a show we were playing at Bantha Tea Bar. They were already friends with Amy and a very strong player on all accounts so it was an easy fit, both personality and musician wise.

Origin of band’s name: We’ve tried a lot of names. My first EP had a song called “pioneers” on it, and we liked the sound of that.

For fans of: This EP probably leans more toward stripped-down songwriter stuff — Johnny Cash, Conor Oberst, Julien Baker, Kevin Morby, Phoebe Bridgers, etc. But with the full band, Amy and Jules bring a lot more harmony, dynamics and range, so it becomes its own thing pretty quickly.

Influences: I wanted to record the EP similar to how Johnny Cash did his later albums. Not sure if I did — but the idea of setting up mics and just hitting record and capturing takes without worrying about perfection or using a click track for tempo or any of that. It limited some of the editing we were able to do, but I’m glad we did it that way.

Releases: Solo: “The Pines” EP, 2016; “Rue Country” album, 2020; “A Spark Blown in the Breeze” album, 2022; “I Love Every Second of This Existence” EP, 2026; Ryan Hoffman and the Pioneers: “In the Alps” EP, 2018; RH Pioneers: “Growing Season” and “Wild Rabbits” singles, 2025

Next shows: We’re playing Northside Music fest in July. Then we have some fall stuff set up, like a show at Acoustic Music Works’ new amazing space with a lot more in the works.

How to find him: Hoffman can be found on Instagram, Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

Three other Pittsburgh area bands to check out: There are a lot of great bands and songwriters. Three is tough, but off the top of my head: Jack Swing for a rock vibe; the band Vireo for indie pleasantness; then I just saw and heard Of the Stars this week — definitely worth checking out.

Favorite pizza shop: Fiori’s

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