This place is dead.

[ChasingYesterday]

gah. this continuation of your posts is killing me. feel free to type up one long post and then submit that.

[dhodges]

...So as I was listening through all this material, certain songs began to naturally group together.  And as they did, I started to see different entities form that made sense of it all.  At the same time, I had an interesting series of events transpire where a song that had been "released" but never really heard on large scale get picked up for a major label project that a good friend of mine was putting together.  

And with those 2 things happening around the same time it dawned on me: I don't need to be holding music back from the world, hoping that some A&R guy pats me on the head and tells me I did a good job and puts it on an album; I just need to be making the music that inspires me and doing whatever it takes to get it to a place where people can hear it.  If that's with an artist at a major label, then that's great; but if not, that doesn't mean it just gets thrown in the vault never to be heard from again.

And so this fall you are going to see the beginning of Sleepwalker Records...

[ChasingYesterday]

words fail to describe the badassness of that announcement my friend. wow. i seriously can't wait for that label to get off the ground. is it just gonna be your music or you and others like you?

[ChasingYesterday]

I believe this has something to do with it?

http://www.davidcookofficial.com/us/news/new-studio-vlog-david-cook-album-teaser

I hate it. Don't get me wrong, I hope it's a huge hit and David makes enough money off it to roll around naked in, but the song itself, from that clip, I hate it.

but for the sake of making sure one thing is done before moving on to the next let's just plan on having coffee in a month and i will let you know the plan.

Make mine an Italian Soda instead, half Blackberry, half Raspberry.  Only guy from Seattle that doesnt like coffee.

no you're not. can't stand the stuff.

[dhodges]

...I'm not sure how this whole thing will play out, but here's what's in store for chapter 1 of Sleepwalker Records:

Avox 10/10 - Avox is a partnership between a composer named John Campbell and myself.  It is all instrumental music; symphonic, electronic, rock driven pieces.  Think of The Rising as the first taste of Avox.  We're putting the finishing touches on an hour musical journey that I couldn't be more proud of, and we're planning on releasing it in October.  You can follow @avoxmusic to keep up with where this road takes us.

David Hodges 12/10 - I'm planning on making an acoustic album between Thanksgiving & Christmas.  Looking back, I feel like there's more than a handful of fragile, beautiful songs that I can't wait for you to hear stripped down.  Most of the time when I write it starts on a piano or acoustic guitar and then finds it way to a full recording with drums and guitars and the whole thing, but along the way I feel like I've collected some songs that just have a magic to them when they're broken down.  I'm hoping to make this recording process something that you guys can see as it's taking shape toward the end of this year...

[ChasingYesterday]

followed avox and if it's anything like The Rising, my face is going to be officially rocked off. gah i can't WAIT man.

[dhodges]

Arrows to Athens 02/11 - Steve Miller, a great writer/producer/awesome-guitar-guy friend of mine for years and band member with me on the Daughtry tour last summer, and I have been writing songs together for a bit.  The first thing that jumped out at me while listening through my vault of music was these songs that I had written with Steve.  Well, after some scotch and rock and roll, Steve and I decided to start a band together called Arrows to Athens.  This is the rock band we both have always wanted to be in, and now we're making the album that we always wanted to make.  It's loud and it's awesome.  We're planning on putting out our debut album Kings & Thieves early next year, and begin to play around southern California.  Unfortunately you have to put up with me singing again, but you're gonna love this LP.  You can follow @arrowstoathens to keep up with everything as it's coming together.  It's gonna be good.

Trading Yesterday 11/10 - It hasn't been officially inked, but it looks like Epic is finally letting us put out More Than This.  I know a lot of you have heard these recordings, but to finally get to master it and officially release it is...well, it means more to me than any words I could come up with.  I have been so proud to hear stories from people who have heard the album through the years, and how people continue to ask where they could officially buy it.  Well, now you'll actually be able to buy it.  I appreciate how much you guys have spread the word about Trading Yesterday through the years.  So even though this might not be that exciting because it's not "new", it's going to be a good moment to be able to hold a copy of More Than This for real...

[dhodges]

...So that's just the beginning of Sleepwalker Records.  There's another full length that I'm sketching out for 2011 that I'll fill you in on as it progresses, and I'm actually having a meeting tomorrow for what could be a crazy project that you're totally going to flip over (if we can make it happen).  All that to say, the days of holding music back are over.  It just doesn't make any sense.  It may take some time for me to put things in the right place, but no longer will the line between my art and your ears be blocked by senseless industry bs.  It's a new day my friends.

Now technically the termination papers between me & WB haven't gone through yet and I haven't gotten the official rights to More Than This as of now (thus my delay in our coffee date), so until everything's in stone let's just keep this to ourselves.  I'll make sure to tweet (@hodgesmusic) when we're all free and clear and the real SR party can begin.  Also, davidhodgesmusic.com is almost up and running, and that will be a good place to find out how everything's rolling out.

Last but not least, there are 2 major label projects that I've spent a lot of time on so far this year that I can't wait for you to hear: David Cook's sophomore album is going to be unreal.  He's a genius and the songs that we've written and that he's played me are fantastic.  And Rev Theory, a full on rock band on Interscope is putting out their next album soon and it will knock your teeth out.  We wrote some songs together, and I got to work on some other stuff that they wrote and it is serious.  Serious.

You guys are great.  Can't wait until you hear everything I've gotten to be a part of this year.

DH

[ChasingYesterday]

once again words fail to capture the excitement and giddiness i have after reading this gigantic update from you dude. holy cow, if just a few of these things come to fruition when you say they will, i will be beyond happy. thanks for filling us all in and i'm glad you mentioned not to say anything about any of it just yet cuz i was just about ready to tweet it from the rooftops....or something like that. you rock more than you know my friend, thanks again.

[Ahutiare]

Don't know if I must be sad or not    but I'm sure this is the end of something and the beginning of another. We must be prepared to face whatever life presents us. Please keep on sharing your music with us and one day you will be rewarded. It is bound to happen.

God bless you!

[blackvulture]

That's a lot to take in!

I just hope these albums are more than just iTunes releases tho.

But wow, 4 different albums in the next 6 months.... I better start saving my pennies now.

This is exciting!
(And never thought I would see the day MTT got released. I think everyone I pimped the music to over the years will be getting this for Christmas. haha)

[Alicia]

I'm really hoping it all works out that way! To say reading this made my day would be an understatement.

[BlakeCampbell]

All that being said, I think I just heard the Hodges Board come back to life. This should be an interesting upcoming year..

[Katie]

Bring it, Hodges.

[WorshipGuy]

Holy. Crap.  Best News Ever.  I, for one, am looking forward to stripped down, oldschool Hodges.  Also, the new rock band is intriguing.  If he brings even a fraction of the epic, thematic rock that he was a part of back in the original Ev days, I'll be stoked.  Good times to be had.  It'll be good to spend some money on some DH!