Hodera

"Three or four years ago, Hodera didn’t have a place to play, so we set them up with a show at my church. It was in this strip mall. This empty space. We had church in the morning and I said, ‘Can we use this empty space? I’ll set up and do the sound.’ So we hooked up Hodera with a show. I fell in love with their music. I feel like you don’t get good Americana very often anymore. Everyone does a quirky screamo thing, or a pop-punk thing. It’s kind of fragmented. But it’s a very ballsy move to just do rock. Not alt-rock, not post-rock. Just rock. That’s what Hodera pulls off so well.

United by Birdcalls is just astonishingly well put together. I hooked him up with a show three years ago and he performed for 10 people. But he performed as if it was a sold-out show. When I saw him at SXSW, it was a packed room, and he performed the same way. He always leaves it all out there. I respect that so much. You know when you first listen to a record and you have your immediate favorites? And then you sit on it for a little while and it changes. My first favorite was the single “Feel Better,” because I just love the line ‘Why can’t I feel better?’ That frustration of trying to be better for another person. He’s describing the exhaustion of trying to be better, and if I could find someone who’s haunted by the same things I am, then we could talk for hours until we both feel better. I love that one lyrically. When I saw them live, they played “Breathe Easy,” and it was so loud. I stuck my fists in the air like a goober. I didn’t know how else to respond. It just rocked so hard. They had these big giant lights that they controlled. They didn’t have a lighting guy; he just put a switch next to his pedal board and controlled the lights with his feet. It was so cool. They do everything. If they want something done, they just do it themselves" - Julien Baker - Bandcamp

"Hodera has an alternative-rock sound that is just on the verge of being indie-emo to give you a slow and melodic sound mixed with moments that are loud and honest." - http://theweekender.com/news/WK_Music/1531050/QUICK-CHORD:-Tired-Army-Hodera-and-Hank--Cupcakes - Amanda Dittmar

"Hodera not only brings a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to their music, but also an endearing kind of modesty and realism to the stage. They're the kind of rock you want to see not only more often, but over and over. 'Reset to Default' runs loud, honest, and strong. Definitely glad I gave it some time." -

"Hodera's Matt Smith talks New Jersey and "resetting to default" - http://www.axs.com/hodera-s-matt-smith-talks-new-jersey-and-resetting-to-default-13993 - Molly Hudelson

"Beat the bandwagon because Hodera's the kind of band you'll want to tell your friends about." - http://34st.com/2014/06/interview-hodera/ - Carolyn Grace

"The band’s latest release, Reset To Default, is so fantastic that, if harnessed into energy, could power more than a few states for at least a week." - http://unsignedunleashed.com/post/90570907263 -

" Another standout tune is the title-track, “Reset To Default”; I could hear this one on the radio with no problem. I tend to feel I know a hit when I hear one, or recognize one at least, and this is in that category. The musicianship is very robust, and I love every second of it." - http://www.theaquarian.com/2014/07/16/marias-local-radar-hodera/ - Maria Ciezak

"As I crossed Valley Road in Montclair, New Jersey, I walked up the driveway of a modest three-story house next to Enzo Pizzeria & Restaurant. A dozen young people stood outside, smoking cigarettes and having conversations." - https://arena.com/article/hodera-brings-music-and-fun-to-batcave - Matt Contreras

"The title track to Reset To Default, the latest release from NJ indie-rockers Hodera, opens with bandleader Matt Smith’s lamentation of not being able to perform the action referenced in the album’s title in his life. Such is the immediately established theme that pervades the tortured nostalgia and radical acceptance of the record’s emotionally raw five song arch.
With that look into the past comes the maddening impatience waiting for things to change. Hopelessness, helplessness, these are the cornerstones of depression which eventually become the norm or, in this case, instinct. The album opens with “Just My Instinct”, a swelling, acoustic-led existential outburst.
That fiery start bleeds into the more intimate, drawn back Alice In Chains style ballad that furthers the impatience, pondering over a cigarette. Smith continues with the skiffle “Creature Comforts” which seeks to find refuge from the aforementioned issues with the things that had actually worked in the past, but coming out on the other side just as stuck.
Reset To Default closes with the climactic “She Knows Because She Read It In A Book Once” shuffling through different anti-depressants which features an ethereal secret track as the real end.
With Reset To Default, Hodera have struck a chord with bleeding and self effacing honesty. Don’t fuck up your serotonin people." - Mike Mehalick

When a local band releases its debut LP, it's with the hope that someone — anyone — will listen.

North Jersey alt-rockers Hodera dropped their first full-length record in July, a contemplative work titled "United By Birdcalls." And for two months, there was little fanfare.

But two weeks ago, the four-piece's lead single "Feel Better" was selected for streaming giant Spotify's New Music Friday playlist, a weekly updated collection of tunes to which more than 900,000 users subscribe.

The wistful tune took off, and was soon found on the service's Top Viral 50 playlists in the U.S. and U.K. All told, the song belonging to a band known only to local music circles has been heard more than 125,000 times.

Matt Smith, the band's frontman and songwriter, still doesn't know exactly how Spotify came across the song, and was understandably incredulous to its rise.

"I kept telling myself it was going to go back down, but it wasn't," the pensive singer says in a recent interview with NJ.com. "It was crazy."

The unsigned four-piece was established in early 2014, and has already rocked across the country — more than 150 shows so far — and will take on its first U.K. tour this winter.

The guys perform most often within New Brunswick's basement circuit, alongside other rising local acts.

But not every band schlepping around Rutgers can provide Hodera's mix of approachable rock and songwriting, which is both piercing and sanguine in the face of distress.

"Happiness can't be fulfilled without sharing it with others," Smith says.

THE LINEUP
Vocals/guitar — Matt Smith, 21, of Montclair

Guitar — Doug Gallo, 21, of Iselin

Bass guitar — Alek Mager, 20, of Kunkletown, Pa.

Drums — Ace Hendrix, 23, of Stroudsburg, Pa.

WHAT THEY SOUND LIKE
Many musicians freeze when faced with the simple yet lethal question "what does your band sound like?" But Smith is quick to answer: he says "sad, college indie-rock with a folk influence." He's mostly correct, but another look at the band's moniker reveals an extra wrinkle.

Smith birthed Hodera from Hedera, the genus name for ivy plants. His connection to nature — bolstered by album title's avian affinity — is apparent, and woven into songs that don't exactly match the cramped basements where they are typically performed. "United By Birdcalls" instead feels like it should be performed outside, near the band's favorite hangout — bassist Alek Mager's barn in rural Pennsylvania where much of the record was written.

In that respect, Hodera does not fit the "college rock" mold. Rather it mirrors the mix of visceral folk and alt-rock also employed by North Jersey favorites The Front Bottoms.

Despite its melancholy content, Hodera's "Birdcalls" is surprisingly pragmatic. In "Feel Better" and "You'll Get Through This," there is hope, even through Smith's low, frustrated groans.

The singer describes the album in two halves, and says it offers contrasting viewpoints on a struggle with depression.

"Side A is trying to let go and find this positive perspective," he says. "And side B is the resolve of that, which says 'we are getting better.'"

WHO THEY SOUND LIKE
The Front Bottoms, Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie

WHY THEY MATTER
Another Front Bottoms comparison seems warranted here. The Woodcliff Lake rockers also started in basements, before building a strong local following both at their shows and online. The band was signed this summer to Fueled By Ramen, a label known for managing Paramore and fun.

Hodera seems to mimic the group's path — they play out constantly, and obviously have established themselves on the web — and with a recognizable single to lean on, their shot at something bigger feels real now. And frankly, "Birdcalls" is one of the stronger LPs any Jersey group has released this year.

Let's see what they do with this hot start. - Must-hear N.J.: How Hodera's pleading single caught fire

"New Jersey indie rock band Hodera released Reset to Default a while back, a collection of five honest, emotional songs that feel brisk and slightly folky. They also have a punk grit that results in explosive moments with screaming gang vocals that help bring a few songs to a huge, resolute ending. Combining a more soft, story telling atmosphere with their hard rock mentality, Hodera is often successful at conveying the deep feelings of the lyrics through the instrumentals.

“Just My Instinct”opens up with an intricate guitar riff that introduces Matt Smith’s full, bold voice as well as his experiences with apathy, “All that I can say is that I’m afraid / When theres really nothing to keep me going.” The song ends in a climax, with a heavy riff and pounding drums that really get across the frustration of the lyrics. “Tell Me Something I Can Do” shares a similar theme, yearning for a connection or something that matters while the instruments spend most of the time in a dreamy state of growing melancholia.

“Creature Comfort” gets more upbeat, and contains a bass and drum line that bounce in sync as Smith holds down the verse with a quick delivery. The guitar and vocals create a serene yet painful feeling during the chorus, with painful oh’s and the repeated line “let go again, my dear.” The ending of the song sees Smith getting out of control over all these feelings, screaming in line with the rest of the hollering instruments. The title track is overflowing with emotion, especially on this song Smith delivers lines with a sense of conviction similar to that of Weatherbox‘s Brian Warren. As he explains his lack of ability to “Reset To Default,” the song rotates through melancholy sections that are spiced up by some cool drum fills. About three minutes in, the band takes a moment to quietly step back and set up for another climactic ending, which turns from a chorus of “everything’s okay” to a way more honest and crazy screaming conclusion. The final track, “She Knows Because She Read It In A Book Once,” ends the EP in a grand way, Smith tackles issues like having “all your emotions caged like a lion” and “little pills that numb depression” while the instrumentals close out in full, heavy fashion.

Hodera’s Reset To Default is one of those releases you need to listen to all the way through multiple times before it really clicks. The emotional stake the band takes in the songs is real and apparent, and their style of folk/punk rock allows them to take those feelings from the soft and sullen to the loud and dynamic. Listen to Reset To Default and check out an acoustic session of the title track below." - Jay Breslin

"Matthew Smith, like so many others on this list, is a solo artist writing musical pieces meant for full bands. Hodera, the name of his self-described “sad boy indie/alt folk rock” project, was conceived in March 2014, and has played consistently since, from Pennsylvania to Georgia to Tennessee. Smith released Reset To Default in June 2014, and can be likened to Coldplay’s older sound, as well as Bright Eyes." - Dean Scordilis

The strong instrumental builds and raw lyrics of Hodera’s music cause listeners to bounce with anxious energy as they take in the heavy meaning of each song. Contemplation follows as the audience is left to explore those emotions fully. The lyrics speak freely of depression, nostalgia and anxiety, and it is helpful to realize that others share those feelings, which connects listeners to the songs.
While Hodera has toured across the country at various basements and small clubs, the band is primarily known for their shows in northern Jersey, specifically Montclair. Also, they recently started playing at venues in New Brunswick.
Hodera combines the genres of alternative, indie rock, and folk to create a sound reminiscent of The Front Bottoms, Radiohead, and Conor Oberst. Matt Smith is responsible for creating the foundation of the band. Hodera is his brainchild, and while he writes all the songs, sings lead vocals, and plays guitar, he collaborates with musicians who help make the music better, he says.
“I have steady musicians, but over the past year, it’s been a fluctuation. It’s a big commitment—it’s time consuming and requires a lot of money to be on the road for about four months a year, so some people just can’t do it anymore. You can’t have a really good job if you’re on the road so much, or if you’re in a relationship, it can be difficult,” Smith said.
Hodera has an EP out, called Reset to Default, and it features five songs, along with one “secret track.” Smith’s lyrics confront the demons of his past and reveal his uncertainty about the future. Each song displays the difficulties of life and the emotions that come along with it. Recently, Smith has been working on a full-length album, and he hopes to release it in June.
I sat down at the Red Eye Café in Montclair with Matt Smith to discuss Hodera’s history, the ins and outs of running a DIY band, and the meaning behind Reset to Default.
Smith admits that he is an acoustic musician at heart, and he has only recently been playing the electric guitar with Hodera. Smith’s interest in music began when he was 10, when he really got into playing. He was in his first band at 12, and his first show was in 2007 with his dad and brother, down the street from The Red Eye Café in Montclair. Led by their father, they were a three-piece folk group that performed cover songs. They mostly played music that their dad was interested in, including Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan.
When he started growing into his own musicianship, he listened to modern folk, like Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes, and Bon Iver. Once graduating high school, Smith started a project called M.R.Smith with his brother as a two-piece.
In the fall of 2012, after choosing William Paterson over Berklee College of Music in Boston for monetary reasons, Smith wrote the songs that became the Reset to Default EP. During winter break after his first semester, Smith went on his first tour with M.R.Smith. When he came back to school, he took only three classes and spent time booking two more tours.
A songwriting course that he took in his second semester acted as a reason to leave school. “There were a lot of kids that weren’t actively going and playing shows, they were just in school, and I was like ‘you’re getting A’s, but you’re not playing shows or getting your name out there.’ I was touring and actively pursuing it, yet I was failing [the course],” he said.
His second semester ended, and he found himself on academic probation, yearning to be back on the road. “What do you do when you’re going to college? Working for something to make your future better? A lot of people when they’re doing their homework or taking a test, in their head they feel like they’re moving forward. I didn’t feel like I was moving forward, but the tours I was booking and the albums I was working on, I felt that,” he said.
In 2013, at the start of his second year at college, Smith signed up for one class, but this disrupted his financial aid plan. Instead of staying to sort through the issues, he chose to leave and come back for the spring semester. However, he realized he was happy out of school. “I still was working just as hard as I was in school, but just focusing on music,” he said.
It was around this time that M.R.Smith merged into a band called Epilogues, which was basically M.R.Smith with a new drummer, he said. Once they added a bass player, they started recording the Reset to Default EP in January 2013 at Timber Studios in Bayonne as Epilogues. Soon they added another guitarist, and changed their name to Hodera. “It all blended up into what Hodera is now,” he said after explaining the complicated details.
In terms of the band name, Hodera came about while Smith was researching literary symbols. He found the decorative ivy leaf at the end of paragraphs in novels intriguing, so he looked up more information about it. He discovered that the scientific name for ivy is Hedera, but at first, Smith pronounced it as hodera, and he liked the sound of it. When the time came for the band to change names, he chose Hodera since it embodies the music, he says.
As to how the band name relates to their music, Smith said, “I feel like Hodera could be a folk band, or a really hardcore rock band, or an emo band. [The name] just encompassed what I was doing. There’s some folk roots in there from when I was a kid, playing 60’s folk music with my dad. And it could also be that dirty indie rock basement band, which is what I’m really into right now. Very crisp and serious, but I like it.”
One artist that Smith is influenced by is Neil Young, specifically his songwriting style in earlier albums. Additionally, Smith said, “I feel like the whole folk thing is always going to be in the DNA of my music.”
The folk influence in Hodera’s music is evident in each song of the Reset to Default EP. After spending 9 hours a day for three days recording in Timber Studios with Adam Cichocki, the EP was ready for mixing and mastering. Smith says that they recorded it quickly to save money. A couple of weeks later, when the final touches were complete, the EP was ready for release.
Discussing the details of Reset to Default uncovers secrets about the recording process. At the end of both “Reset to Default” and “Creature Comfort,” the listener hears spoken word poems that have a rant-like quality to them. Smith says that usually, when recording through guitar amplifiers, they will put the amplifier in a separate room and then play. However, they went a step further and put the amp in a big wooden box with padding inside to prevent echoes. Smith contorted himself into the box, and they closed him in to get the spoken word parts recorded.
Examining the songs in depth reveals much about their meaning. Most of the songs are based on Smith’s experiences, except for “Creature Comfort.” That song began as a melody with a guitar part, and lyrics came after. “Reset to Default” allows the listener to interpret the lyrics as they wish. The theme of the song revolves around going back in time to re-do something, or thinking about how things used to be. It’s about starting over.
“I left the theme open, so the first verse is a metaphor for a building falling apart, and not being able to stop it. So that represents that the house was once new and now it’s falling apart and you can’t reset that to default. And then the chorus: they will watch from far away/ after every step you take/ so fear not now and go to sleep…the thing watching you, at least for me is my past, like a younger self; how would he view me now? He’d be like, ‘oh you dropped out of college?’ It’s like living up to your own expectations,” Smith said.
The second verse of “Reset to Default” is about getting into your own head and going crazy over this concept. “Then the next chorus goes back to the same theme. The bridge, ‘everything’s okay,’ is that you’re never going to go back, but it’s okay,” he said.
On the album cover, the two deer in the background are supposed to be your past, viewing you from afar, he explained.
A big part of his music revolves around depression, as he suffers from this frequently, he admits. The song “She Knows Because She Read It in a Book Once,” is based on an exact experience in which Smith sat on a couch in his basement, listening to a family argument going on above his head. He says that there were always moments where he could tell a “storm” was about to happen, so he would retreat to his room in the basement. The second part of the song reiterates the reset to default theme and shows that Smith cannot stop thinking about the past and where he is in life now. The title itself comes from experiences that seem really hopeless, and oftentimes people who don’t understand depression try to help by offering quick solutions from books to a problem that cannot be repaired instantly, he said.
On the secret track at the end of “She Knows Because She Read It in a Book Once,” there is a barely audible sound of fireworks in the background. Smith explained that, “I recorded that by myself in August when we got home from a tour…when I record at my house, a lot of times I’ll record the song and then put a microphone outside the window to record outdoors, and then put it underneath the track. It’s like, ‘I’m recording the song on a night in August, let’s record the night.’ I forget what the holiday was, but it was a celebration, and there were fireworks. It wasn’t even raining, and it sounded like a storm,” he said.
Hodera’s Reset to Default EP is well known to those who are a part of the music scene in Montclair. Despite living in Bloomingdale 40 minutes away, he spends much of his time in Montclair. This is partly due to its role in the northern New Jersey music scene. He got involved with a house venue called The Bat Cave, which was up the street from Red Eye Café. This is where he met a lot of his friends, who frequently hosted the shows. They held 48 events last summer, and when Smith was not on tour, he was at The Bat Cave almost every day being a part of it. Unfortunately, they closed down a couple months ago, but Hodera had the chance to play there once more.
“I was on tour in Tennessee for their last show and I was really upset that I couldn’t be there to be a part of something that I was very invested in with all my good friends. But then on December 27th they reopened for one night to raise money for a new music venue…they asked me to play, and I played with such awesome bands like Pinegrove, which is one of my favorite bands, ROMP, and Prawn,” he said.
Now that The Bat Cave closed down, Smith has not been able to play in Northern Jersey in months. He recently started hanging out at Rutgers, because the music scene is very separate from North Jersey, and he wanted to see what it was about and connect with it, he said. Smith prefers basement shows, or more specifically, house shows and the DIY music scene. However, this does not only mean houses, living rooms, and garages; it could also be art spaces with small stages.
Hodera played 85 shows in 2014, and Smith has high hopes for 2015. The next step is to play in small music venues that have 3-4-foot tall stages and nice PA systems, he said. Recently, they have been throwing new songs into their sets, making listeners aware that they are excited about their latest material.
The full-length album is well on its way, since Smith “demo-d” it with Adam Cichocki again. “We recorded it as if we were recording a professional album. We just did it quicker and didn’t focus as much on really crisp tones. Eventually in March, we’re going to re-record the whole album and take our time with it. This was ‘demo-ing’ it for business reasons as our first full-length album,” he said. Smith would like to be picked up by a record label for multiple reasons, and if not, he will try crowd-funding as a means of reducing expenses. “That’s my back up,” he said.
Smith intended to take off February and March to work on the full-length album, but evidently, he could not resist playing shows. Hodera is now booked through May 1st, which gives people more opportunities to see them perform live.
The game plan for 2015 involves a tour in April to “hype up” the album, a short tour in May, and the album release in June. He would then like to embark on a two-month U.S. tour, and by the end of the year, have two full U.S. tours under his belt. After that, it will be time to plan a European tour, he said.
The artistry with which Smith crafts each song attests to his skill as a musician. He is often reassured about his choice to pursue music and a creative lifestyle by the enthusiastic response his performances receive. Whether he is planning the next tour or painting while playing the guitar with a loop pedal, “everyday I get to do what I love and move forward with it. Today my to-do list is insane, but it’s all right. It’s what I want to do, so it’s not a burden,” he said. - Laura Curry

What is the story behind the name Hodera?

Hedera is the scientific term for Ivy. I didn't like how that sounded, so I changed the E to an O and made it Hodera (pronounced Hoe-dare-ah). I don't have any particular fondness for Ivy. The name Hodera just sounded good. Even though it's a made up word, it just sounded like it fit the music. It sounded folky, but also could be an indie-rock band's name. It fit every genre I try to encompass.

Your interests on Facebook include a lot of convenience stores. What makes for a good convenience store in your opinion?

Clean bathrooms with music playing in them // fresh and quality coffee with assorted flavor options // cheap cigarettes // good food // cheap gas

Who/what is your favourite animal?

Two deer

What has been your craziest tour experience?

Over the summer I was arrested in TN because I fit the description for an armed robbery. Turned out to be an African American dude. I'm as white as it gets. haha

What would your dream tour sound like?

A month in the US and a month in the UK, comfortable tour bus, sleeping in hotels instead of on peoples floors, quality food, 2-3 days off a week, opening for a major headlining act that we all admire and love.

If I were to show up at your place, requesting a vegan meal. What would you serve? What would we do for fun?

I'd probably call my Vegan friends Asia and Jose over and ask them to cook. They bring me Vegan treats to work sometimes and make killer smoothies! My ideal good time would be to go to a show a few towns over with my friends and then chill afterwards, drink some wine, and have some deep conversations.

What music have you been listening to most in the last few months?

Pinegrove, Brand New, Foxing, Matt Pond PA's older stuff, Joseph Arthur's 2006 album

What are you passionate about other than music?

My purpose in life is to create and love. I'm creating everyday. I change my medium around a lot. Sometimes i'll have a couple weeks where I'm really into poetry. Sometimes I'm writing letters to my friends around the country, or journaling, or writing short stories on my typewriter. I feel like this all helps strengthen my craft for songwriting. When I get into songwriting mode I can usually get through about 5 songs before I'm bored and start moving to a different medium. Once every year or two I'll do a little visual art.

I also enjoy sitting in cafes for hours, reading, being in the woods, making lattes, dancing, thrift shopping, and being among positive people. I sometimes dumpster dive at storage units to find cool stuff. I love NPR (WNYC to be particular). And I like driving and listening to good music.

What's next for Hodera?

A new album in the works, possibly a B side of acoustic songs. We're doing a short week tour in January to VA and back. We are trying to take a break from touring though so we can write and record. We've been on the road a lot recently and we're ready to stay home for a bit, save up some money and be creative. We expect to be touring again in April and a lot in the summer.

Find Out more about Hodera on Facebook, Bandcamp, Hodera.net and Soundcloud. - Lyndsay Penner

It is very rare that I see a band with this much potential and if they continue what they’ve been doing, they’ll set themselves up for headliners in the near future" - Hodera “Reset to Default” EP Review

"There’s an ongoing theme throughout this record, all about self-pity and anxiety, yet Hodera tackles it so well that it doesn’t necessarily come off as complaining or whining. Instead, the singer seems like he’s aware of these feelings but is truly struggling, and the thoughts that he’s struggling with are not only felt by him, but everyone listening. If you like indie-punk bands like Brand New, La Dispute or The Front Bottoms, then United By Birdcalls is an album you need to check out" - Album Review: Hodera – United By Birdcalls

"There are a handful of albums in your life that you don’t mind hearing again and again. Those albums tell a story that sucks you in at the beginning, wraps you in emotion and traps you in the melodies until the very end, when you’re ready to circle back and do it all over again. It’s like being on a rollercoaster as a kid and wanting to go back to the same one again and again.

Such is the case with Hodera’s incredible new LP, ‘United by Birdcalls.’ Like other great “moving on” records (Dylan’s ‘Blood on the Tracks’ and Beck’s ‘Sea Change’) before it, this album takes you on an emotional journey that is both heart-breaking and gorgeous. It’s got great hooks from start to finish. It hits the heart strings when necessary and rocks you when the heart is all warmed up. It’s just perfect" - Hodera’s New ‘United by Birdcalls’ LP is an Instant Classic

"There is a charm to Matt’s voice that makes it so easy to want to listen to Hodera. When I first heard “Feel Better” I was shocked and how smooth and soulful the music felt. That rings true for every song on ‘United By Birdcalls.’" - EXCLUSIVE: STREAM A NEW HODERA SONG CALLED “FIRST ONES AT THE PARTY” FROM ‘UNITED BY BIRDCALLS’

"New Jersey has always birthed interesting and refreshing rock groups. From The Gaslight Anthem to The Front Bottoms to the idol of rock himself Bruce Springsteen, it is no doubt something is in the air that channels such great musical acts. Enter Hodera, a musical project led by Matthew Smith who exhibits the same visionary appeal of the ones before him. His debut album, United By Birdcalls, leads listeners into explosive rock tunes that never fall short of having a wow factor in them" - Hodera - 'United By Birdcalls' Review

"There's plenty of bands that write scathing lyrics of self loathing but very few can pull off what Hodera does. It feels like it's coming from a real place and that the songs are a form of catharsis for the band.

The most appealing aspect is how easy it is to relate to these lyrics. Songs like The Outside which compare what you hate about yourself to an actual monster climbing into your room. This is how I feel when I think about myself and it really just hits home. This is a common theme for the album. If you find yourself drawn to this type of music which can be depressing at times, then this is the perfect album. lines about calling someone and pretending to be drunk just to tell them something that you can just laugh off and pretend you only said because you were drunk is an experience I expect many of us share. It's nice to know you're not alone"

"This is an album for people with a permanent rain storm on the inside. It's easy to relate to a lot of the imagery created by the lyrics. It's always good to have listen to a band that can say what I feel but in a much more articulate way" -