Chris Hodder on SoundBetter

"Expressive guitar work", "strident guitars", "the best guitar riffs" - a few reviews on my guitar work on a recent track I released (So Sweet by the Razorwire Blues). I have over 30 years playing experience and love to improvise chunky riffs and singing, expressive solos that add character and feel to a song.

It was the late 1980s. A small boy who grew up listening to Queen in his dad's car suddenly saw god for the first time and he was wearing a top hat and playing a Les Paul. I've spent the last 40 years trying very hard to be Slash, but in that time I've also discovered first blues and later jazz and frankly expanding my musical range beyond pentatonics. My technique is very expressive and dynamic being heavily influenced by Miles Davis and BB King and I'm most happy being given a key or a theme and being allowed to improvise.

I am currently recording my own music in my home studio (everything except drums) and can certainly add a cool riff or soaring solo to whatever it is you're working on. Although my "goto style" is usually rock or blues, I love to experiment with different styles and mash things together (much like Miles). Examples of my own recordings and compositions can be found by searching "The Razorwire Blues".

Send me a rough mix and some notes on key and theme, and I can send you WAV files that will lift your song from solid to wow. Or, as a songwriter and performer, I am more than happy to do a full-on collaboration.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

The Razorwire Blues

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Interview with Chris Hodder

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm currently recording and mixing my next EP - should be out in September or October!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I always prefer analogue for tracking. However, editing and mixing is only practical by digital these days and software emulations of classic outboard gear are not only more affordable, but also much more practical. I mean, who actually has a plate reverb, let alone enough for a 25 track recording?
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: My promise is that I will add something creatively to your project.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: "What's the story?" Without a concept of the theme and how things change over the song, it's hard to picture what my contribution can add.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Raw and expressive.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: If it sounds better muted, then mute it. Sometimes "more is more", but that's usually the exception.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Brutal analysis of what's working and what doesn't. I'm not precious about my playing, so I'm happy to ditch the stuff that doesn't work and focus on what does.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I like to make sure a song has a story - that it has a beginning, a middle and an end. This is both through arrangement of the parts, but also through the narrative of the melodies and counter melodies. It's not always easy to do, but it is always worth trying.

Angelica by The Razorwire Blues

I was the everything in this production

Electric GuitarAverage price - $250 per song
Acoustic GuitarAverage price - $150 per song
Bass ElectricAverage price - $150 per song
Pop-Rock ArrangerAverage price - $250 per song

The price is per song. 3-4 revisions is fine, but will depend on other work load. My turnaround time is around 1 or 2 weeks based on availability and prior commitments.