‘I lost my voice completely’: Nick Hodgson on surgery, Dave Grohl, & bringing Everyone Says Hi! to Leeds

When Nick Hodgson envisioned launching his brand-new band, Everyone Says Hi!, the plan was simple: record an album in his home studio, release it to the world, and hit the road.

Then, in July, disaster struck.

The former Kaiser Chiefs drummer and hit-making songwriter - the mind behind anthems like ‘I Predict A Riot’ and ‘Ruby’ - woke up to find his voice completely gone following a lingering viral illness.

"I found out that in July I had lost my voice, basically," Nick reveals to the Yorkshire Evening Post. "I couldn't sing; it was really bad. I had a sort of COVID-virusey thing, so I let that pass, but my voice never came back.

“I don't want to say scary, because it wasn't scary - it was very concerning!"

What followed was weeks of medical frustration.

After an initial misdiagnosis pushed the timeline back, Hodgson sought a second opinion, undergoing a gruelling battery of tests.

"It was all endoscopies," Nick laughs. "I've had like five endoscopies. It's funny how people say you get used to anything - I've actually got used to them!"

Surgeons discovered a polyp on his vocal cords, which was surgically removed at the end of August. The diagnosis triggered an intensive rehabilitation regime to ensure he could sing again in time for the release of Everyone Says Hi!’s new album, and an upcoming performance on TV.

"I've been in speech and language therapy, doing two to three hours of exercises and rehabilitation every single day," Nick explains. "As soon as the surgeon told me I needed surgery, I was like: 'Will I be able to sing on Sunday Brunch?'"

With his vocal recovery progressing well, Hodgson is now preparing to bring Everyone Says Hi! to Crash Records on October 13 for a special rescheduled in-store session to celebrate the release of their new album, Funny Cos It’s True, complete with Q and A.

Step from behind the kit to front and centre

For years, music fans knew Nick as the powerhouse behind the drum kit for Kaiser Chiefs. But stepping up to lead Everyone Says Hi! as lead vocalist is a role he has quietly coveted his entire life.

"I love being front and centre," Nick admits. "In my early days, the drums completely won that battle, but you know those drummers who flamboyantly want to be the singer - like Danny from Supergrass or Keith Moon?

“That's where I was at!"

His ultimate hero in making that transition was Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.

"Dave Grohl was always my hero," Nicks says, recalling an unforgettable moment from 2005. "In the early noughties, I made a T-shirt that said 'I Love Dave Grohl' and wore it everywhere. Then in 2005, somebody asked Dave on TV if he liked any current drummers, and he named me!

“It was unbelievably thrilling, and then they asked us to go on tour with them."

After a brief detour trading Grohl stories, attention turned back to the new album. Recorded in his home studio, Nick made the conscious decision to reject modern digital grid-snapping and overly-polished perfectionism in favour of real, performance-led compositions.

To capture his dream '70s drum sound, Hodgson transformed his studio using improvised acoustic baffling.

"I surrounded the drum kit with duvets first, and then surrounded that with mattresses," Nick explains. "When Glenn started playing, it just sounded perfect to me.

"I don't like the sound of perfection. Three of my favourite albums - Nevermind (by Nirvana), Is This It by The Strokes, and Definitely Maybe by Oasis - perfection is not on the menu. It is pure heart and soul. You can take every single drum and put it on a grid to make it perfect, but it doesn't sound like a drummer playing it anymore.

Nick then admits: “I don't care about keeping up with production trends - I just want it to sound great, cool, friendly, fun, and real."

Writing for his daughter

Lyrically, the album balances catchy guitar hooks with emotional weight. The single ‘Don't Underestimate Yourself’ was written as an uplifting note of guidance for his young daughter as she grows up.

"When you've got a very specific emotional target in a song, the tricky bit is avoiding being corny," Nick notes. "You have to express the feeling, but include some humour, charm, and wisdom."

The message is already landing deeply with listeners.

“We put ‘Don't Underestimate Yourself’ out on the radio, and a lady messaged me on Instagram," Nick shares. "Her dad had recently died, and she was so struck by the song - she said it helped her after hearing it just once. That's a dream response."

As for how he rates the new record compared to his extensive back catalogue, Hodgson refuses to play it coy.

"Everyone puts out a record and says it's the best one they've ever done, so how do I say that in a fresh way that makes people believe me?" Nick laughs.

"I can't! So I will just say it: it's the best record I've ever made!"

Everyone Says Hi! will be at Crash Records (35 The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 6PU) for an in-store session on October 13 - entry is available via album bundle purchases through Crash Records. The new album, Funny Cos It’s True, is out now through digital outlets, on CD and vinyl.