Hoodless is not the run of the mill hard rock outfit. Their music presents a feel of raw emotion and rock and roll finesse that is truly amazing, with every element of the group meshing perfectly into an explosion of hard rock awesomeness. Their latest release, Music for Jerks, provides the listener with a wide array of the group’s unique style compacted into ten tremendous songs. From the slow and relaxed beginning of the track “Innocent”, to the blow-out-your-windows rock of “Be My Whore”, Music for Jerks seizes you in a rock and roll rollercoaster of doom. I had the privilege to interview the lead singer Twon over the phone, and was able to ask him a couple questions about the background of Hoodless.
Originally, Twon was not the lead singer for Hoodless. Their original singer had “exploded” due to the pressures of being in the band, and the remaining members of Hoodless went on a search for a new frontman. They discovered Twon on Craigslist, and scheduled a audition. I asked Twon if he was apprehensive at all about the audition. Twon responded by saying he was worried about how the band would receive him, and whether or not they would have some preconceived notion of what they wanted Twon to perform lyrically and melodically. Fortunately, the band was extremely welcoming and basically gave him free reign to do what he wished. His freedom, coupled with the band’s ability to tweak each other’s ideas, creates the unique sound that Hoodless presents.
Lyrically, Hoodless’s lyrics tend to be very metaphoric. Metaphorically songs present lyrics about one subject, but enables Hoodless to address the real subject indirectly. Not only does this give a layer of mystery to the song, but also allows their lyrics to be interpreted by the audience, allowing them to comprehend the song independently. The song “Say it Loud” is about a girl in a literal sense, but the real influence to the song was the period after the presidential election. Twon states that that period in time was like the Roman ideals of “entertain the masses” and the real issues are not in society are left unaddressed.
Hoodless’s influences range from Bob Dylan and 90’s groups like Tool and Soundgarden, to singer/songwriters like Kevin Gilbert, as well as many influences from works of literature. “Be My Whore” is influenced by the works of John Irving, and Twon cites TS Elliot as another literally influence on his songs.
Next I addressed the band’s choice for the album art of Music for Jerks, figuring it must mean something deeper since the songs on the albums all seem to have an alternative meaning. When asked about the cover art, Twon laughed and said that it wasn’t anything with a deeper meaning, but rather a random spoon found in the parking lot during a photo shoot. It looked cool so they decided to go with that as the cover. Although it doesn’t have a more in-depth meaning, Twon stated the fact that it makes people think about a deeper meaning is why he likes the dirty ringed hand with the silver spoon so much as the album art.
Hoodless is a great group of guys, who put a great deal of personality and craftsmanship into their music. Check Hoodless out here, and their shows here.
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