“The album is about the quest to right wrongs, the search for inner peace, and the reconnection with the land of my birth”

While firmly grounded in the rock and blues influences of his youth, “Fields Of Redemption” sees Irish guitarist Joe Hodgson encompass a myriad of musical styles, which he blends and moulds to stunning effect. The result is an almost entirely instrumental album that is insanely diverse and refuses to fit neatly into any musical genre. Hogson explains, “You’ll find all my influences in there: rock, blues, jazz, classical, country, and even Irish traditional music. I also recorded two acoustic tracks, which was a first for me”. Feelings of introspection and soulsearching pervade the record, but it also radiates brighter, less angst-ridden melodic explorations than its predecessor, “Apparitions”. The inspiration for the album came from an extended journey around his native Ireland with his new wife and his trusty Gibson Les Paul, soaking up the land of his birth. Hodgson explains, “The album is fundamentally about reconnecting with my roots, reconciling with and embracing the past, while steadfastly looking to the future. It’s also about a journey to find inner peace, which for me is punctuated by laughter and a whole lotta fun. Overall, I think it’s a very uplifting record”.

The album is co-produced by Hodgson and Chris James Ryan (Keith Urban, Go West, David Bowie, The Church), and it features the Austrian rhythm section of Philipp Groyssboeck on drums and Vinzenz Benjamin on bass, both currently members of Go West and Cutting Crew. The nucleus of the band is completed by Otger Garcia on Hammond organ, Kelly O’Donohue on horns, João Paulo Drumond on percussion, and All-Ireland Champion bodhrán player, Paul McClure. Recording sessions took place in Ireland, England, Germany, Canada, Brazil, the USA, and the Czech Republic. For Joe, the most memorable recording session took place in Prague with the Czech Philharmonic, who appear on one of the album’s flagship tracks, “You I Think Of”. He describes this as “a spine-tingling moment”. Two other highlights come with the guest appearances of Irish singer Glen Harkin on “Since You Had A Hold On Me”, and legendary keyboard player George De Angelis on “Losing It” and “Shapeshifting”. The album was mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer William Bowden (Gotye).

“Fields Of Redemption” is a big-sounding record, but not an over-produced one. It covers a wide range of emotions, moods, and styles, and it takes the listener on an epic journey. It is ambitious and brave, and the frequent twists and turns will keep listeners constantly on their toes. Despite the blending and blurring of musical genres, “Fields Of Redemption” has a truly cohesive feel to it, and it is an album that is meant to be listened to from start to finish.