For much of her career, Jessica Hottman has thrived in the spaces between genres, moving effortlessly from folk and gothic influences to synth-driven experimentation. With “Barefoot and Haunted”, however, she arrives at something that feels less like a new chapter and more like a long-awaited homecoming. Released under her own name following years of work through various projects, the track finds Hottman embracing a sound and perspective that feels wholly her own.
Built around enveloping synth textures and dramatic rhythmic swells, “Barefoot and Haunted” balances intimacy with scale. There’s a cinematic quality to its production, with layers unfolding gradually beneath Hottman’s expressive vocal performance. Her voice remains the focal point throughout, carrying a quiet determination that transforms vulnerability into something empowering rather than fragile.
Echoes of Imogen Heap’s influence can certainly be heard in the song’s intricate electronic flourishes and emotional candour, but Hottman avoids imitation by grounding the track in her own experiences of transition and self-discovery. The result is a piece of synth-pop that feels deeply personal, capturing the uncertainty that comes with leaving familiar comforts behind while remaining hopeful about what lies ahead.
We had the chance to sit down with Jessica to learn all about the upcoming record, what makes her tick and much more here, exclusively here at LOCK.
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After years of releasing music through different projects, what made this the right moment to step forward under your own name?
I had always imagined releasing music under my own name, but I think I was waiting for the right moment, or a point where the work felt more fully realized. During the pandemic era, I was releasing pop music under the name Sun Cycles, but COVID changed both the music industry and the world in a way that felt impossible to ignore. There seemed to be a collective shift toward something more raw, personal, and honest in artistry, even within pop music itself.
After taking time away from pop to write darker rock and goth music with my band Giveth, as well as write folk music with my band The Hottman Sisters, returning to pop felt almost surreal — like an entirely different chapter of my life. With that shift came the realization that I wanted a fresh start creatively. The Sun Cycles project, especially my final EP Imaginary, belonged to a more dance-oriented era of my songwriting, whereas the music I’m releasing now feels far more narrative-driven and deeply personal.
Releasing music under my own name felt like the natural next step because these songs are rooted in my own journey, and particularly the process of finding alignment within myself over the past several years.
Your work has explored everything from folk to goth to synth-pop. Do you feel this song brings those different sides of your artistry together?
I’ve intentionally created multiple music projects across different genres because I never wanted to feel confined creatively. I like allowing inspiration to arrive however it wants, and in whatever genre feels honest to that specific moment in my life. Because of that, I think all of my projects naturally carry traces of one another; there’s always some shared thread woven through them.
The artists and music I love most, tend to blur genre lines, and that’s something I embrace in my own work as well. Even though this project (and this song specifically) lives within pop music, I still approach songwriting from a very organic place. Every song is designed to “hold up” when stripped down to just acoustic guitar and vocals. Most of the songs, including ‘Barefoot and Haunted,’ were actually written that way first.
So yes, this song definitely carries some of the mystical, layered atmosphere of my darker goth project Giveth, along with the rich harmonies of my folk-oriented sister-band The Hottman Sisters. But at its core, it’s still very much a pop ballad.
Imogen Heap is cited as a major influence on the project. What is it about her artistry that continues to inspire you?
Imogen Heap has been one of my earliest and most important musical influences. I was introduced to her around the age of 12, and I think that the artists we discover during those formative years, always stay with us in a profound way as songwriters and musicians.
What inspired me so deeply about her, was that she embodied every aspect of the creative process. She writes her own music, produces it, performs it, sings it beautifully, and has even become a pioneer in music technology. She’s someone who fully holds her own in every corner of her artistry, and seeing that as a young woman gave me the confidence to believe I could do the same. It showed me that I could extend beyond being “the singer” of a project—not that there’s anything lesser about that at all—but I personally wanted to step into songwriting, production, arrangement, etc, and Imogen modeled that possibility for me.
I also love that she is such a powerful songwriter and storyteller, but she approaches storytelling in a more abstract, conceptual, and emotionally intuitive way. Her music isn’t necessarily direct or literal in the way traditional folk songwriting can be. Instead, she can communicate an entire emotional world through a single line, a subtle phrase, or even through the texture and timbre of her voice itself.
That has always been a huge goal for me in writing pop music — to walk the line between narrative and mystery. I want the songs to feel emotionally revealing while still leaving room for interpretation. A lot of the meaning, for me, comes through how something is sung: the tone, the breath, the tension, the softness, the way a word is emoted rather than simply what the lyric says on paper. That’s one of the things I love most in music, and she is truly a master of it.
Her layering of sounds and vocals, along with her subtle production details, has also massively influenced me. And there are so many little vocal layers, harmonies, and tucked-away sonic moments throughout my record, that were absolutely inspired by her approach to music-making.
Was there a defining moment that sparked the song’s creation?
‘Barefoot and Haunted’ is the big ballad of the record and, in many ways, the emotional centerpiece of the entire project. I think I was trying to write something timeless with this song — something expansive and cinematic that could almost exist in a theatrical, stadium-like atmosphere. Conceptually, it really sits at the core of what I’m trying to say throughout the record as a whole.
At the heart of it, is this idea that finding alignment in my life has required stepping outside of my comfort zone. The song is about searching for an “exit through the trees,” so to speak — trying to find a place where I could feel more connected to myself again through simplicity, nature, and stillness. Sometimes that feeling can come from something as simple and grounding as standing among trees or reconnecting to the natural world.
I had actually written a completely different song years ago centered around the image of an exit door that I never ended up using, but I always loved the symbolism of it. So I revisited that concept in this song and reshaped it into something that felt more emotionally and spiritually connected to where I am now.
The chorus melody and lyrics were really the spark for the entire track. Once that piece clicked into place, the rest of the song came together very naturally. Sonically, I was also heavily inspired by Phil Collins on this single — particularly the emotional, nature-rooted atmosphere of the Tarzan soundtrack. I wanted the song to feel earthy, cinematic, and almost mythological — like it belonged somewhere inside a lush, tree-covered Garden of Eden.
Your upcoming album ‘Exit Through The Trees’ sounds like your most accomplished work to date. Can you give us some teasers on what this record means to you?
Thank you! Although I’ve released a lot of music across my different projects over the years, creating a fully-realized, solo, concept album, complete with accompanying music videos for every song, has felt like an entirely new and deeply exciting experience. It’s been a massive undertaking creatively, emotionally, and logistically, but I’m incredibly grateful to finally have this larger body of work on its journey out into the world, in the way I envisioned it.
‘Exit Through the Trees’ is ultimately about stepping beyond the comfort of my own personal Eden in order to pursue a deeper, more authentic existence. At its core, it’s about finding the courage to release the things that no longer serve me and choosing a life that feels fully aligned with who I truly am.
Throughout that journey, I’ve had to confront old habits, unbalanced relationships, and toxic experiences within the music industry that dimmed my light and kept me lingering in spaces that stunted my growth. There were periods where I felt disconnected from myself — numb, uncertain, and unable to fully recognize the person staring back at me.
This record is about stripping away distraction, illusion, and the temptation to settle for mediocrity, in order to reconnect with the wild, resilient, and deeply intuitive self that has always existed underneath it all. It’s about learning to listen to the quiet voice within me again — trusting my instincts, reclaiming my sense of power, and choosing to walk through life in true alignment with my spirit.
And finally, as you enter this new era – what excites you most about the future of your music and creative identity?
What excites me the most right now, is the sense of freedom I have in my music career. I finally feel open to exploring and creating in whatever genre genuinely inspires me, without being confined by expectations or pressure to stay in one lane artistically.
My spiritual life and daily quiet time have given me a much deeper inner well to draw from — grounding, clarity, and peace that have reshaped my approach to songwriting and art. That internal shift has been reflected in a major change in environment as well. I recently moved from the fast-paced world of New Jersey into a quieter, nature-centered existence. My partner and I are in the process of moving into an RV full-time, we are tending a garden, and embracing our woodland fairy dreams of a peaceful retreat surrounded by nature.
We’re also embracing a bi-coastal lifestyle, and I’m excited to see how the changing landscapes throughout the year will become an inspiration for my songwriting.
I’m truly grateful to be in this place of feeling less driven by industry pressure or arbitrary timelines, and it’s liberating to be making work that feels authentic to who I am, at my own pace.
I’m also SO excited to be working creatively with my partner, Anthony Farenwald. He has played a key part in bringing the visuals of this record to life. He helped me to translate the sonic world of the album into music videos and photos that encapsulate the vibe and deeper meaning of the record. We are really looking forward to collaborating on more projects together, and to keep merging his filmmaking with my music. It truly feels like an open road ahead.