| Nick J.D. Hodgson |
| Tell Your Friends |
Nick J.D. Hodgson — Tell Your Friends (Jan 26th, 2018) 
★★ Singer~songwriter who delves into indie and neo~psychedelia.
Born: October 20, 1977
Location: Leeds, England
Album release: 26 Jan., 2018
Recorded: at Albion, London.
Record Label: Prediction Records
Duration:
Tracks:
01. RSVP 3:47
02. Honest Face 3:21
03. Suitable 3:34
04. I Love The Way Your Mind Works 4:20
05. Tomorrow I Love You 4:26
06. Feel Better 4:31
07. Iceberg 3:31
08. My Own American Dream 3:31
09. Thank You 3:39
10. Don’t Forget To Go To Sleep 4:31
℗ 2018 Prediction Records
Credits
√ Anna C Hodgson: Backing Vocals (tracks: A4, B1)
√ Robert Harvey: Backing Vocals, Handclaps [Claps] (tracks: B3)
√ Dave McCracken: Co~producer
√ Nick Scott: Design
√ Robert Sellens: Engineer [Assistant Mix Engineer] Tracks: A1, A3, A4, B3, B4
√ Andrew White: Lead Guitar (tracks: B1)
√ John Davis: Mastered
√ Cenzo Townshend: Mixed (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B3, B4),
√ Danton Supple: Mixed (tracks: A2, A5, B1, B5)
√ Dave McCracken: Mixed (tracks: B2)
√ Anna C Hodgson: Photography
√ Anna C Hodgson: Violin (tracks: B5)
√ Nick Hodgson: Written, Co~producer, Recorded, Vocals, Instruments
About Nick J.D. Hodgson
★★ Indie rock singer/songwriter Nick J.D. Hodgson made a name for himself as the drummer/backing vocalist for the Kaiser Chiefs before embarking on a solo career that delves into indie and neo~psychedelia. Hodgson played a central role in the Kaiser Chiefs, helping bring the band together and co~writing some of their biggest hits, including “I Predict a Riot” and “Ruby.” In 2012, after three albums with the Kaiser Chiefs, Hodgson parted ways with them. In the years that followed, he worked as a songwriter and a producer with several other musicians, including Mark Ronson, Hurts, John Newman, and Shirley Bassey. In early 2017, he started to write songs for himself, leading to his debut single “Suitable” later the same year. After a year of penning his own tracks, Hodgson released his debut solo full~length, 2018’s Tell Your Friends. ~ Liam Martin
About album:
★★ Emerging back into earshot, erstwhile Kaiser Chief Nick J.D. Hodgson is pleased to announce his debut solo album Tell Your Friends. Set for release on January 26th 2018 on his own label imprint Prediction Records.
★★ As main songwriter and founder member of Kaiser Chiefs, Hodgson already has an enviable record of global hits under his belt, including number 1 single Ruby and I Predict A Riot. Since leaving the band in 2012 he has written and produced for other artists, and has seen success in this new world with the likes of Mark Ronson, John Newman, Hurts and Ratboy. A solo career was not something Hodgson was even considering, as he explains: ‘It was a long time since I’d written a song just for myself… and then I wrote Thank You”.
★★ Thank You was written one night in Leeds when Hodgson was suffering from manflu and waiting for an email that never arrived about a track he had co~written for another artist. It proved a pivotal moment in the making of Tell Your Friends, and was quickly followed by first single Suitable and RSVP in the same week: “I suddenly thought, OK, let’s make this a proper album.”
★★ All the tracks were written and recorded at Hodgson’s home studio in London in the summer of 2017. And as quickly as the ideas came to fruition, the album was completed when he “…couldn’t write any more and knew that it was finished.” It was produced alongside Dave McCracken (Ian Brown, Depeche Mode) whom he met on the Ivor Novello judging panel, highlighting again the serendipitous creation of Tell Your Friends.
★★ Hodgson played all the instruments himself, aside from a guitar solo by Kaiser’s cohort, Whitey on Feel Better, violin on Don’t Forget To Go To Sleep courtesy of Anna C Hodgson, and My Own American Dream features The Music’s Rob Harvey (keeping it in the Leeds family) on backing vocals.
★★ Adept at his craft, Tell Your Friends marks Hodgson’s leap from band member to solo artist, and is a collection of songs that sees him expressing himself in a more personal way than ever before: “The lyrics are very honest, I wanted to express myself on this record, delve a little deeper and draw out some feelings I’d never touched on in songs before… I’d mainly written with someone else’s voice in mind, so the lyrics would reflect that. I would shy away from writing very personal things, but with this album I thought there’s no point doing it unless it’s honest.”
★★ Encompassing his knack for a melody, the album basks in his ability to conjure a great lyric and punchy chorus, be it about love, frustration or fear.
Review
Rahul Bhogal | 22 January 2018 |
→ EX KAISER CHIEF NICK J.D. HODGSON UNVEILS HIS TAKE ON INDIE AND BRITPOP AS HE LEAPS INTO THE RISKY REALM OF SOLO WORK
→ Founding member, former drummer and principal songwriter of Kaiser Chiefs already has a fantastic portfolio of hits to his name, including ‘I Predict A Riot’ and ‘Ruby’. Since leaving the band in 2012 he has seen success in writing and producing for other artists, such as Mark Ronson, John Newman, Hurts and Ratboy. A solo career was not something Hodgson was even considering, as he explains: “It was a long time since I’d written a song just for myself… and then I wrote ‘Thank You’”.
→ After writing ‘Thank You’ in Leeds whilst under the weather, two more tracks followed in the same week in the form of first single ‘Suitable’ and ‘RSVP’, when Nick thought “OK, let’s make this a proper album.”. Impressively, and much like Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), for this debut solo album all instruments were played by himself, aside from one violin, one guitar and one vocal contribution.
→ Kicking it off with your fairly standard dose of pop rock, ‘RSVP’ opens with accessible acoustic guitars and simplistic guitar work. Whilst that isn’t necessarily a negative, for this particular track which lacks interesting melody, vocal and lyrical work, it needs a special intervention of some form which could have been achieved through better musicianship and risk taking. An unimpressive start and maybe a missed opportunity, however, taking into account all parts were recorded by Nick, he presents a well produced easy listening track with catchy pop sensibilities.
→ Things start to pick up on ‘Honest Face’, which provides a more upbeat and faster tempo indie punk rhythm, coupled with a three chord piano progression drenched in the holy grail of indie: reverb. Intricate, elegant guitar work and song structure compliment the song, with a middle eight to break it up just before the emotional storm which has been brewing crashes into you. An odd sense of melancholy and happiness oozes from this gem; the juxtaposition channels emotions which aren’t overtly happy or sad, and whether it’s intentional or not, it certainly yields a sublime production.
→ “I HEARD CALVIN HARRIS TALKING ABOUT FEEL~GOOD MUSIC, AND I WAS THINKING IT’S SUCH A GOOD AIM. IT’S NOT EASY TO DO FEEL~GOOD MUSIC RIGHT. IT’S UNDERRATED.”
→ ‘Suitable’ is garnished with extremely catchy sing~a~long vocals and a pleasantly addictive stripped down oasis vibe. Capturing uplifting emotion in a feel~good anthem is erroneously conceived as being too easy. Rather, it is the other way round and writing a feel~good song takes more than just playing it in the key of G, as Nick explains: “I heard Calvin Harris talking about feel~good music, and I was thinking it’s such a good aim. It’s not easy to do feel~good music right. It’s underrated.” Written about his wife, ‘Suitable’ hits the nail on the head with its decorous lyrics full of positive energies: “I don’t wanna hear about any other lovers, I don’t wanna mess around underneath the covers, with anyone that isn’t you, cause you’re beautiful, and we’re suitable’.”
→ Two stand out tracks ‘Iceberg’ and ‘Thank You’ showcase outstanding Beatles style vocals, and regardless of their 60’s vibe, the vocals present truly brilliant melody; something that is slowly vanishing off the face of modern music. ‘Iceberg’ takes a slower turn, focusing on minimalism with piano and man working together in perfect harmony. The reverberating background strings may not be a match for Mick Ronson’s work on ‘Life On Mars?’, however, they produce an ecstatic, hair raising, cinematic atmosphere. Perhaps the best track on the record. ‘Thank You’ utilises vocals to send listeners on a journey, with a constant feeling as though they’re leading to a fantasy land that only classic rock seemed to be able to do.
→ The remainder of the album takes an unfortunate dive into mediocre indie pop energies, such as the ‘Dancing In The Moonlinght~esque chimes of ‘Tomorrow I Love You’, or the trippy “ahh’s” on ‘Feel Better’, providing it with its typically indie swirling vocal jazz backdrop. → http://www.bornmusiconline.com/
Also:
7.5 / 10 — Aideen
→ https://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/nick-jd-hodgson/tell-your-friends/
Review
By MARTIN TOWNSEND | SCORE: ★★★★ ALBUM OF THE WEEK
PUBLISHED: 19:52, Sun, Jan 28, 2018 | UPDATED: 20:11, Sun, Jan 28, 2018
→ WHO DOESN’T love The Kaiser Chiefs? With his former bandmates currently — and eternally – poised to play in Yorkshire Tea’s witty TV ad, drummer Hodgson brews up his own extraordinary solo pop confection.
→ Writer of some of the band’s classic hits (I Predict A Riot, Ruby), Hodgson is no stranger to great tunes and from the opening RSVP, a giddy, in~your~face blast of sheer joy, he flexes his songwriting chops across a whole slew of fast and furious hit singles in the making.
→ His voice is unusual — a kind of pithy, American~style indie croon — but the likes of Honest Face, Suitable and Feel Better are superbly addictive. → https://www.express.co.uk/
Website: https://www.nickjdhodgson.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickjdhodgson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nickjdhodgson
© ★★ Nick J.D. Hodgson at The Islington, Mike Garnell, The Upcoming
_____________________________________________________________
| Nick J.D. Hodgson |
| Tell Your Friends |
Born: October 20, 1977
Location: Leeds, England
Album release: 26 Jan., 2018
Recorded: at Albion, London.
Record Label: Prediction Records
Duration:
Tracks:
01. RSVP 3:47
02. Honest Face 3:21
03. Suitable 3:34
04. I Love The Way Your Mind Works 4:20
05. Tomorrow I Love You 4:26
06. Feel Better 4:31
07. Iceberg 3:31
08. My Own American Dream 3:31
09. Thank You 3:39
10. Don’t Forget To Go To Sleep 4:31
℗ 2018 Prediction Records
Credits
√ Anna C Hodgson: Backing Vocals (tracks: A4, B1)
√ Robert Harvey: Backing Vocals, Handclaps [Claps] (tracks: B3)
√ Dave McCracken: Co~producer
√ Nick Scott: Design
√ Robert Sellens: Engineer [Assistant Mix Engineer] Tracks: A1, A3, A4, B3, B4
√ Andrew White: Lead Guitar (tracks: B1)
√ John Davis: Mastered
√ Cenzo Townshend: Mixed (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B3, B4),
√ Danton Supple: Mixed (tracks: A2, A5, B1, B5)
√ Dave McCracken: Mixed (tracks: B2)
√ Anna C Hodgson: Photography
√ Anna C Hodgson: Violin (tracks: B5)
√ Nick Hodgson: Written, Co~producer, Recorded, Vocals, Instruments
About Nick J.D. Hodgson
★★ Indie rock singer/songwriter Nick J.D. Hodgson made a name for himself as the drummer/backing vocalist for the Kaiser Chiefs before embarking on a solo career that delves into indie and neo~psychedelia. Hodgson played a central role in the Kaiser Chiefs, helping bring the band together and co~writing some of their biggest hits, including “I Predict a Riot” and “Ruby.” In 2012, after three albums with the Kaiser Chiefs, Hodgson parted ways with them. In the years that followed, he worked as a songwriter and a producer with several other musicians, including Mark Ronson, Hurts, John Newman, and Shirley Bassey. In early 2017, he started to write songs for himself, leading to his debut single “Suitable” later the same year. After a year of penning his own tracks, Hodgson released his debut solo full~length, 2018’s Tell Your Friends. ~ Liam Martin
About album:
★★ Emerging back into earshot, erstwhile Kaiser Chief Nick J.D. Hodgson is pleased to announce his debut solo album Tell Your Friends. Set for release on January 26th 2018 on his own label imprint Prediction Records.
★★ As main songwriter and founder member of Kaiser Chiefs, Hodgson already has an enviable record of global hits under his belt, including number 1 single Ruby and I Predict A Riot. Since leaving the band in 2012 he has written and produced for other artists, and has seen success in this new world with the likes of Mark Ronson, John Newman, Hurts and Ratboy. A solo career was not something Hodgson was even considering, as he explains: ‘It was a long time since I’d written a song just for myself… and then I wrote Thank You”.
★★ Thank You was written one night in Leeds when Hodgson was suffering from manflu and waiting for an email that never arrived about a track he had co~written for another artist. It proved a pivotal moment in the making of Tell Your Friends, and was quickly followed by first single Suitable and RSVP in the same week: “I suddenly thought, OK, let’s make this a proper album.”
★★ All the tracks were written and recorded at Hodgson’s home studio in London in the summer of 2017. And as quickly as the ideas came to fruition, the album was completed when he “…couldn’t write any more and knew that it was finished.” It was produced alongside Dave McCracken (Ian Brown, Depeche Mode) whom he met on the Ivor Novello judging panel, highlighting again the serendipitous creation of Tell Your Friends.
★★ Hodgson played all the instruments himself, aside from a guitar solo by Kaiser’s cohort, Whitey on Feel Better, violin on Don’t Forget To Go To Sleep courtesy of Anna C Hodgson, and My Own American Dream features The Music’s Rob Harvey (keeping it in the Leeds family) on backing vocals.
★★ Adept at his craft, Tell Your Friends marks Hodgson’s leap from band member to solo artist, and is a collection of songs that sees him expressing himself in a more personal way than ever before: “The lyrics are very honest, I wanted to express myself on this record, delve a little deeper and draw out some feelings I’d never touched on in songs before… I’d mainly written with someone else’s voice in mind, so the lyrics would reflect that. I would shy away from writing very personal things, but with this album I thought there’s no point doing it unless it’s honest.”
★★ Encompassing his knack for a melody, the album basks in his ability to conjure a great lyric and punchy chorus, be it about love, frustration or fear.
Review
Rahul Bhogal | 22 January 2018 |
→ EX KAISER CHIEF NICK J.D. HODGSON UNVEILS HIS TAKE ON INDIE AND BRITPOP AS HE LEAPS INTO THE RISKY REALM OF SOLO WORK
→ Founding member, former drummer and principal songwriter of Kaiser Chiefs already has a fantastic portfolio of hits to his name, including ‘I Predict A Riot’ and ‘Ruby’. Since leaving the band in 2012 he has seen success in writing and producing for other artists, such as Mark Ronson, John Newman, Hurts and Ratboy. A solo career was not something Hodgson was even considering, as he explains: “It was a long time since I’d written a song just for myself… and then I wrote ‘Thank You’”.
→ After writing ‘Thank You’ in Leeds whilst under the weather, two more tracks followed in the same week in the form of first single ‘Suitable’ and ‘RSVP’, when Nick thought “OK, let’s make this a proper album.”. Impressively, and much like Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), for this debut solo album all instruments were played by himself, aside from one violin, one guitar and one vocal contribution.
→ Kicking it off with your fairly standard dose of pop rock, ‘RSVP’ opens with accessible acoustic guitars and simplistic guitar work. Whilst that isn’t necessarily a negative, for this particular track which lacks interesting melody, vocal and lyrical work, it needs a special intervention of some form which could have been achieved through better musicianship and risk taking. An unimpressive start and maybe a missed opportunity, however, taking into account all parts were recorded by Nick, he presents a well produced easy listening track with catchy pop sensibilities.
→ Things start to pick up on ‘Honest Face’, which provides a more upbeat and faster tempo indie punk rhythm, coupled with a three chord piano progression drenched in the holy grail of indie: reverb. Intricate, elegant guitar work and song structure compliment the song, with a middle eight to break it up just before the emotional storm which has been brewing crashes into you. An odd sense of melancholy and happiness oozes from this gem; the juxtaposition channels emotions which aren’t overtly happy or sad, and whether it’s intentional or not, it certainly yields a sublime production.
→ “I HEARD CALVIN HARRIS TALKING ABOUT FEEL~GOOD MUSIC, AND I WAS THINKING IT’S SUCH A GOOD AIM. IT’S NOT EASY TO DO FEEL~GOOD MUSIC RIGHT. IT’S UNDERRATED.”
→ ‘Suitable’ is garnished with extremely catchy sing~a~long vocals and a pleasantly addictive stripped down oasis vibe. Capturing uplifting emotion in a feel~good anthem is erroneously conceived as being too easy. Rather, it is the other way round and writing a feel~good song takes more than just playing it in the key of G, as Nick explains: “I heard Calvin Harris talking about feel~good music, and I was thinking it’s such a good aim. It’s not easy to do feel~good music right. It’s underrated.” Written about his wife, ‘Suitable’ hits the nail on the head with its decorous lyrics full of positive energies: “I don’t wanna hear about any other lovers, I don’t wanna mess around underneath the covers, with anyone that isn’t you, cause you’re beautiful, and we’re suitable’.”
→ Two stand out tracks ‘Iceberg’ and ‘Thank You’ showcase outstanding Beatles style vocals, and regardless of their 60’s vibe, the vocals present truly brilliant melody; something that is slowly vanishing off the face of modern music. ‘Iceberg’ takes a slower turn, focusing on minimalism with piano and man working together in perfect harmony. The reverberating background strings may not be a match for Mick Ronson’s work on ‘Life On Mars?’, however, they produce an ecstatic, hair raising, cinematic atmosphere. Perhaps the best track on the record. ‘Thank You’ utilises vocals to send listeners on a journey, with a constant feeling as though they’re leading to a fantasy land that only classic rock seemed to be able to do.
→ The remainder of the album takes an unfortunate dive into mediocre indie pop energies, such as the ‘Dancing In The Moonlinght~esque chimes of ‘Tomorrow I Love You’, or the trippy “ahh’s” on ‘Feel Better’, providing it with its typically indie swirling vocal jazz backdrop. → http://www.bornmusiconline.com/
Also:
7.5 / 10 — Aideen
→ https://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/nick-jd-hodgson/tell-your-friends/
Review
By MARTIN TOWNSEND | SCORE: ★★★★ ALBUM OF THE WEEK
PUBLISHED: 19:52, Sun, Jan 28, 2018 | UPDATED: 20:11, Sun, Jan 28, 2018
→ WHO DOESN’T love The Kaiser Chiefs? With his former bandmates currently — and eternally – poised to play in Yorkshire Tea’s witty TV ad, drummer Hodgson brews up his own extraordinary solo pop confection.
→ Writer of some of the band’s classic hits (I Predict A Riot, Ruby), Hodgson is no stranger to great tunes and from the opening RSVP, a giddy, in~your~face blast of sheer joy, he flexes his songwriting chops across a whole slew of fast and furious hit singles in the making.
→ His voice is unusual — a kind of pithy, American~style indie croon — but the likes of Honest Face, Suitable and Feel Better are superbly addictive. → https://www.express.co.uk/
Website: https://www.nickjdhodgson.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickjdhodgson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nickjdhodgson
_____________________________________________________________