Guitarist Joe Hodgson hails from the village of Ballymagorry in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland. His music, shaped by his upbringing during The Troubles, mirrors the fierce rain and winds of the Emerald Isle. It is both sweeping and intense, boldly blending rock, blues, jazz, and Irish traditions into finely crafted instrumentals, which reveal a multi-facetted, emotive, and passionate performer.
The early years
Joe’s love of guitar was ignited after discovering Irish blues legend Rory Gallagher, and shortly after he managed to procure his first instrument, a battered old second hand Woolworth’s Top Twenty guitar. The day that changed Joe’s life for good, though, was when he saw another Irish great, Gary Moore, play at the UK Monsters Of Rock Festival. Joe recalls, “I was blown away by the sheer brilliance of Gary’s playing and from that moment on, all I wanted to do was play guitar.” A hobby quickly turned into a passion, and Joe became obsessed with the instrument, spending all of his free time absorbing the popular hard rock and blues of the day and gigging around Ireland with his first band Steel Claw.
Moving to London
Looking for a new challenge, Joe moved to London where he integrated himself into the city’s thriving indie scene, spending the next two decades writing, recording, touring, and playing lead guitar in various rock bands, releasing numerous albums and singles along the way, while collaborating with an eclectic mix of songwriters on varied musical projects. During his time in London, Joe worked closely with legendary producer and Ivor Novello winner George De Angelis, who he cites as “a genius” and a major influence on his career. It was in London where Joe really honed his musical chops; “Living there changed, challenged and broadened my whole view of music; it forced me to grow up musically, and I quickly realised that touching people’s emotions is far more important than dazzling them with technique.” Joe’s musical explorations led him to branch out and incorporate elements of funk, jazz, and experimental music into his playing, laying the foundations for his future career as a solo guitarist.
Back home
After returning to his native Northern Ireland to nurse his terminally ill mother in her final years, Joe began embracing the spiritual nature of music, composing melodies and themes that helped him find peace, solace, and hope in difficult times. The resulting debut solo album, ‘Apparitions’, was released in 2020 to wide critical acclaim. Guitar World called his playing “elite”. Prominent Canadian music journalist Steve Newton said he is “the best guitarist you’ve never heard of”. While ANR Factory described the album as “a modern-day masterpiece”.
The here and now
Fast forward 4 years, and after a lot of soul-searching, experimentation, and countless hours writing and recording, Joe has finally completed his second solo album, “Fields Of Redemption”. He explains, “I actually recorded a whole album’s worth of material in 2021, but I found myself covering old ground. The most important thing for me is not to repeat myself musically, so I scraped it and started again”. In pursuit of inspiration, Joe set off on an extended journey around Ireland with his wife and his guitar, soaking up the land of his birth. The idea paid off, and the resulting music, while firmly grounded in the rock and blues influences of his youth, sees a myriad of styles blended and moulded to stunning effect. Feelings of introspection and soul-searching pervade the record, but it also radiates brighter, les angst-ridden melodic explorations than its predecessor. Joe explains, “The overarching theme is of a journey to find inner peace, which for me is punctuated by laughter and a whole lot of fun. So, I think it’s a very uplifting record”. The album includes contributions from musicians all around the world, including the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra who appear on one of the album’s flagship tracks, “You I Think Of”. Joe sums up his feelings towards his new music, “A musician is never fully satisfied with his work, and I have a long way to go, but this album is a milestone that I’m proud of”. “Fields Of Redemption” will be released on Friday 20th June 2025.