About
Jascha Hoffman is a journalist and songwriter in San Francisco. His debut album A Cure for Sleep has been praised for its “deceptively simple, deeply weird pop songs” that earn him comparisons to Sufjan Stevens, Magnetic Fields and “Leonard Cohen without the attitude.” He plays regularly at intimate venues such as the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City. His next recording, due in late 2011, is The Future Limited.
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About the debut album 
[download one-sheet PDF]:
It began with a nightmare. When he woke, Jascha Hoffman decided to keep track of his dreams on a blog. Then he began to set them to music with his friends. In this way he accumulated a sort of pop dream diary, a set of vulnerable and eccentric songs at the heart of his debut album, A Cure for Sleep.
With their unexpected twists, the songs on A Cure for Sleep open up a world of intimacy and loneliness. They have the playfulness of Regina Spektor, the earnestness of Sufjan Stevens, and the wit of the Magnetic Fields. Like dreams they cover a wide range of moods and registers—lullabies and laments, hymns and whodunits.
A Cure for Sleep features an impressive roster of musical talent, from string players Loren Ludwig and Dina Maccabee to Norwegian guitarist Bjørn Solli. It was produced by Jesse Olsen and recorded in San Francisco by Scott McDowell, with a dreamlike cover designed by Shawn Feeney.
Since cutting the record Jascha (ya-sha) has embarked on an experiment in open-source songwriting by inviting fans to critique budding songs at jaschavsjascha.com. As a result, hundreds of listeners on Facebook and other social networking sites will have the chance to contribute to the next album.
Dear Jascha,
I truly loved the experience of listening to this album and I have a question about it. I am a poet and a HUGE FAN OF DA Powell, and it was just marvelous to discover his work on your record!?!? I was curious to learn how you came to find his poem, or how exactly it ended up as a song? Had you met previously, etc? In the same San Fran circles? very interesting stuff you put together here, just beautiful! Hope all the best and much success with your music.
Be well,
~Andrew
Hi Andrew. Thanks for writing. Very glad you liked the album. I met Doug Powell at Harvard in a poetry seminar when I was an undergrad. We’ve stayed friends. He’s a fantastic poet. Last week on a songwriting retreat I actually began to set the companion poem from the end of “Cocktails” to music as well. Will post a draft of that at some point soon. Thanks again for your kind wishes. Jascha