New Release – Wilderness Road by James Hodder
James Hodder is a songwriter from Kent (England) who fuses Folk and Americana influences with bittersweet lyrics and storytelling. Since the release of his debut album, ‘In The Beginning’, he’s been honing his craft on the live circuit and playing for a variety of audiences around the UK.
“I’m excited to be releasing my new album in 2023 and putting together my first full band shows. The name of the album is ‘Wilderness Road’. This is also the title of the first single being released on Friday 2nd December.”
“‘Wilderness Road’ is about finding a way to overcome adversity during times of change. When I wrote the song the experience was a personal one, but I hope the message is universal. Change is an unavoidable part of life and it can sometimes be hard to adapt and find a way forward. The song is about seeing the light ahead of you and leaving the darkness behind.”
“I wrote the song shortly after completing my first album in 2017. It was one of the first to be written for the new album. The title is actually the name of a road near to where I live and I would pass it most mornings when leaving the house.”
“The album was recorded with studio engineer Dan Cooper at Rodel Sound. We worked together on my first album which was almost entirely acoustic. For this album, we wanted to have a full band sound and we were very lucky to work with some incredibly talented musicians. The full line up included Beth Reid (vocals), Jim Kimberley (drums), Tom Monks (keyboards) and John Appleyard (harmonica). Dan played bass and I sang and played all the guitar parts.”
The album will be out 3rd February 2023. It will be released on Bandcamp first and then made available on streaming services.