Carol Hodge, best known for her work with Steve Ignorant of Crass, today released a new single, ahead of a new album.
This is the first taste of The Crippling Space Between, set for release on her own Midnight Stamp label on September 24.
It’s her third album, after 2018’s solo debut Hold On To That Flame and 2020’s excellent Savage Purge (reviewed here).
Carol Hodge’s roots and ethics are firmly set in punk. She’s keyboard player and long-term collaborator with Crass frontman Steve Ignorant and his current band Slice Of Life.
She’s also performed with Ginger Wildheart, Headsticks and The Membranes, but her solo music is very different.
A gifted songwriter, she’s as happy conjuring up heart-wrenching melodies as she is railing against authority.
Born with a rare condition called cleft type symbrachydactyly, which means she has just two fingers on her left hand, Yorkshire lass Carol Hodge describes herself as a ‘seven-fingered pianist’.
This is an uplifting rock anthem packing a positive punch, despite charting the deterioration of the spirit throughout 2020.
Low-key verses give way to huge, heavy guitars, which reflects the rollercoaster of uncertainty of life under Covid.
“We all like to think we are in control of our own lives, and have a hand in our own destinies, ” says Carol.
“But 2020 pulled the rug out from under us. It has absolutely taught me to accept that there are forces in the world beyond my control.
Finding positives
“I’ve never felt such rage, such grief, such uncertainty. I have dug deep and found the positives. When it seems like there is nothing left, there is hope. Always.”
The video for This stars Nashville-based dancer Erik Cavanaugh, whose unconventional style and crusade against the ‘dancer’s body’ stereotype has won him millions of fans.
