I recently had the chance to chat with Justin Hodak aka HODAK, the talented American singer, songwriter and producer. In this interview, I got to talk about his craft, creativity and progress on his forthcoming new album “Happy Forever”, set to release summer of 2023. If your taste runs towards hyper-electronic pop, then you’ll be sure to love the sneak peek of his upcoming record exclusive to Trendleap. I had so much fun chatting with Justin and I am finally delighted to share it with you – I hope you enjoy reading!
TRENDLEAP: Hi! It’s great to be able to chat with you! First things first.. What kind of ambitions do you have for your music career in 2023?
HODAK: I think my main goal is to just get myself out there more. I’ve been sort of a recluse these last 2 years more behind the scenes writing and recording, but I’m happy to get back out there now that I’ve been dropping new music and getting back into the swing of things.
TRENDLEAP: You’ve been on beast mode for quite a while producing and releasing songs. What is a recent track you have produced that has you in your feels right now?
HODAK: I’ve recently done a song called “In Tokyo” that has such a trip-funk vibe that I really feel like a lot of people will resonate with. I wrote the song about leaving your heart displaced, for example leaving a relationship and still trying to recover your heart fully to move on. I think it’s a collective of emotions that people will really vibe with!!
TRENDLEAP: Sounds awesome! Speaking of newness, what can we expect to hear from your upcoming album “Happy Forever”? And Can you tell us why you chose to name your album this?
HODAK: With “Happy Forever”, I really went through a bunch of different ideas and song genres before I found the sound that fit. Sonically, it’s a collection of moods, emotions and vibes that we each feel. I wrote these songs because I feel all things you and everyone else feels; love, pain, sadness, grief, ect. I wanted each song to reflect something special so whoever is listening will find something they can relate to. As for the name, I think that happiness is something we all strive for, and I also find that it’s a collection of moments, and if we build upon the good times, we can truly be “happy forever” in a sense, haha.
TRENDLEAP: That’s definitely something a lot of people can resonate with. So, are there any under-the-radar artists that you would love to collab with?
HODAK: I wouldn’t necessarily say “under”, but I will say that I have submitted a few pitch demo’s to Bebe Rexha since she gave me her personal email years back, haha. But on the serious side, I’m always open to new collaborations and upcoming talent.
TRENDLEAP: Wow! Email her if she’d love me to interview her! Ha! That is incredible. You have quite the ties with people working behind the scenes in the music industry for sure. And you, yourself write, record and produce all of your tracks, can you tell us how long it takes to finalise one track?
HODAK: When it comes to creating, the process can either be lengthy meaning up to a month, or can even be done in a day or two. I actually just finished a song today that I started yesterday!
TRENDLEAP: How many songs can we expect on Happy Forever?
HODAK: I want this album to be as cohesive and catchy as possibly, right now I’m at a 10 track album, but I’m always working on music!
TRENDLEAP: I can not wait to hear the rest! Can you tell us something about yourself that we may be surprised to know?
HODAK: You’d be shocked to know that I’m actually a homebody. If I’m not at the gym, I’m most definitely comfy on the couch playing xbox and eating ice cream, haha.
TRENDLEAP: That’s a big mood! Who doesn’t love ice cream, xbox and chill? And when you are listening to music, who can we expect to find on your playlist?
HODAK: Currently, I’m listening to a lot of Miley Cyrus. Flowers is such a great tune she just dropped and I absolutely love the vibe. But I’ve also got queen Dolly Parton and Cher up on my playlist also!
TRENDLEAP: True icons! Do you have any advice to other fellow aspiring singer/songwriters out there?
HODAK: I’d say really take your time with learning your craft, set a goal, and only focus on you and the music. The only competition is yourself!
TRENDLEAP: Well, it’s been a pleasure! Thank you so much for your lovely responses. I can’t wait to hear Happy Forever when it drops. Before we go, any last sweet words?
HODAK: I wanted to share a little snippet of a new song that I am working on off of my new album “Happy Forever”. I am hoping to get the album released this summer and I’m so excited for everyone to hear it. This song is titled “Hold Me Down”
LISTEN TO THE SNIPPET OF “HOLD ME DOWN” HERE!
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HODAK’S Poster Picks:
