Bio
When people talk about artists who do it all by themselves, a good example to include would be Brent Hood - A 100% DIY outfit.
A proven and versatile musician & record producer, with bags of experience and a track record in songwriting that speaks for itself. As a writer and producer, he has also dabbled in genres outside of his signature punk sound, such as; metal, pop, folk, hip-hop & dance.
When entering high school in 2000, he met other like-minded aspiring musicians and decided that finally picking up a guitar and sticking to it was the best choice for him, and he never looked back.
Between 2002 and 2006, he formed and fronted several punk & metal bands. Always gaining a large following and a loyal fan base, his bands often gigged regularly which helped him cut his teeth as a performer at such a young age.
After taking a break in 2006, he came back in 2009 when gigging as a solo artist. It wasn’t until April 2010, age 21, when he wanted to form a new band, a three-piece punk outfit, named Break The Stereotype, with two ex-band mates from a previous group.
Following the recording of a new 5-track EP in May 2010, Break The Stereotype went on to play their first gig in July that year, offering something different to their local music scene, which was over-saturated by wannabe indie bands who played covers, hoping to be the next Courteeners.
In Summer 2011, the group was signed to an independent label called Righteous Records. After realising the label wasn’t the real deal and couldn’t materialise on any promises, Brent decided to quit the band in order to get out of the contract.
After a 12 month break, he started recording again as a solo artist. He wrote new material which was more of a pop-rock sound, completely different to his previous productions. However, the songs attracted the attention of a music executive in London, who was working for Warner Music but had her own artist management company. Brent signed with her in early 2013.
At the turn of Spring 2013, BBC Introducing invited him to perform a live acoustic set, as well as an interview, to promote his new music. Due to his new, radio-friendly, pop-orientated music, Brent felt out of his comfort zone. He soon realised that he was doing something that he didn’t enjoy, which was reflected by the lack of creativity during this period.
He left his management in late 2013, going on another hiatus until 2017 when he reunited his band, Break The Stereotype, for one last crack at the whip. They went on to learn a new set list, all from Brent’s new compositions, and headed to the studio in May 2018 to record a new 7-song self-titled EP.
The band continued to gig weekly to promote the new record, but strains were upon the band when Brent moved 40 miles away from his other band mates. In December 2018, Brent cancelled a gig which led to the drummer and bass player quitting the band. Despite all parties sharing a friendship spanning almost 20 years, the other members didn’t confront Brent with their concerns and instead ghosted him on WhatsApp.
In summer 2019, Brent moved to a bigger house and began to build his own home studio. After thinking long and hard about what his next project will be, he decided to steer towards the punk route once again, as that is what he enjoys best and started out as. But this time, as a solo outfit.
He began writing and recording for his new album in Summer 2021. He surprised people by releasing a new single, his first solo track in 8 years, titled ‘Incapable (Until I Found You)’ in October 2021. Followed by another single ‘Armchair Epiphany’ in January 2022, and finally the critically acclaimed track ‘Small-town Syndrome’ which dropped in April 2022. However the most played track on the album is a non-single titled ‘Dead Weight’ which landed on dozens of Spotify playlists.
The album ‘Call Me What You Want’ is out now, and was released Friday 15th July 2022, on all digital platforms and CD, and was met with entirely positive reviews from music critics. Mark Cartright from ‘The Punk Site’ praised the album saying, “This can truly be called DIY punk of our time” and followed up by saying “Songs that give out plenty of melodic punk, tonnes of attitude, yet never do anything more than speak of the realities of life. Just great heart felt songs”.
Brent produced the album entirely by himself. He plays all instruments, mixed it, mastered it, and even designed the album artwork. He has released the album under his production and publishing company, HOLD Recordings, which acts as a kind of ‘label’, coinciding with the operations inside of his home studio.
A new EP or album is already in the works for 2024 and a new track 'The Realities of a Wasted Youth' dropped 8th December 2023 on all digital platforms. Brent will also dedicate a lot of time next year to produce and write for other artists.
Thanks for reading.