by Joe Vickrey
Photos By Stewart Baxter
Nick Hodgson may be best known for writing “I Predict a Riot” and “Ruby” during his time in Kaiser Chiefs, but he’s written and co-written hundreds of fantastic songs for other artists. His new band, Everyone Says Hi, has just released their debut album into the world. I was lucky enough to sit down with Nick and talk about his experience, where life has taken him lately, and what it’s like to be back in a band.
Nick’s mindset on music has been very clear since he was child. “I’ve always been in a band. When I was a kid, maybe about eight years old, I was in a band but it was just me, my friend, and his dad playing ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight,’” he recalled. “But I remember thinking: This is it. I’m in a band.”
With his first formal return to a group format in over a decade he added, “So getting back in a band is really great because I think if you really know bands, you've been in bands, and speak the language of bands, then you feel really comfortable. It’s great.”
Composed of members of the Kooks, The Howling Bells, and the Dead 60s, Everyone Says Hi began in a sense as Nick’s live backing band for his first solo album. When it came time to make another solo record, the whole band jumped in on the writing process and elevated the songs. It started to feel like a band as opposed to a solo venture. Nick expressed how nice it is to be in a group with “everyone who’s done it once before,” and already speaks that sacred language of bands.
He started writing for the album in 2022, and “I Wish I Was in New York City” was one of the earliest demos that he began teasing on Instagram.
When I asked about what drew him to New York specifically, he replied, “Have you ever heard ‘Bang Bang Bang’ by Mark Ronson?” Nick was invited to New York to help Ronson while he was working on the track, and he was reminded of how much he enjoyed the “old days” of being called out to work on songs. “Nice flights, great hotel… Everything’s laid on.” Even though the tribute to the memory is somber, it’s a fond recollection of good times, and hoping for more to come.
From everything I’ve seen and heard, it sounds like Nick is IN the good times. Everyone Says Hi’s saddest songs are even about some of their sweetest memories. The group’s debut album ends with a song that I described as a haunting ballad from a ‘50s American Surf film. I asked what the inspiration was behind the song, and Nick mentioned he and his partner went in for their first ultrasound for their future child, and looking at the monitor, he asked aloud, “Did I Just Fall in Love?” Elated, he came home, sat at the piano, and the verse came out, “You don’t know me at all, but I think that we’ll be friends.” The sweetness and love put into a song for his first child is a perfect example of why ESH’s songs feel so heartwarming.
As Kaiser Chiefs’ Employment turns 20 this year, I thought I’d ask Nick if he’d been looking back at all seeing as he was the main writer of an album that has influenced rock music for the last 20 years. To my surprise, he really hadn’t given it much thought.
After a small shrug he said, “I like the fact that it’s stuck around.” I couldn’t help but laugh at how nonchalant he was.
After a bit more thought he then added, “And I like the fact that ‘I Predict a Riot’ gets played after Leeds United wins.” Nick further explained how much joy it brings him, “I go to the Leeds United games, and when they play it everyone sings along and knows every word to the verse.”
Leaning back in his chair, Nick pulled out a budget travel guitar with a built-in amplifier from seemingly thin air, and said, “I remember writing the chorus [to ‘I Predict a Riot’] in my flat twenty years ago in my pajamas on this guitar.” I then got a private concert of a few bars of the chorus to the song, and my life felt complete.
Recently Nick has been sharing some similar stories to other songs he’s written on Everyone Says Hi’s TikTok and Instagram pages.
I mentioned how I loved the behind the scenes footage, and he chuckled, “I really like TikTok because I’ve always made videos, but now it’s cool.”
Nick has been sharing some of his camcorder clips that he’s made over the last thirty years in addition to studio clips of ESH making their debut album, and it’s easy to see he’s still having the time of his life doing what he loves.
Whether he’s in the studio, with his family, or his band, Nick Hodgson looks content as can be. This sense of home was palpable as I spoke with him and as I heard his perspective on his trip through the industry. My favorite quote from my time with Nick was when I asked how he began co-writing with others.
He said quite emphatically, “I didn’t really know I was co-writing. I was just turning up.”
He’s never been worried about the accolades, but he’s always been there for the music and for a good time. Even at the peaks of success, that ego-less ethos shines through in the authenticity of his writing and perfectly encapsulates what’s so special about Everyone Says Hi’s debut album.
You can read our review of Everyone Says Hi’s debut album here. You can stream the album’s lead single “Brain Freeze” below.