Nightdish

James Hodcroft

James Andrew Stephen Hodcroft (Born 7th August 1980) is a British singer and self-taught musician, raised in Lincolnshire UK. James was born on the set of "little lord fauntleroy" in Barrowby, Lincolnshire; where the actor Ricky Schroder was asked to be his Godfather (there is no more information as to whether this invitation was accepted) James' first paid job was working as a porter, at Buckingham Palace, for the Queens infamous garden parties where he had the opportunity to meet many of the worlds most celebrated entertainers.

James Showed a flare for drama and music, from a very early age. At 15 he went to Melton Mowbray College of Performing Arts, where he studied for 18 months and excelled in the subject of Drama.

At the age of 17 James became the frontman of Rock band KickBack UK, who boasted several tours with the likes of Robin Black Love/Hate, Jizzy Pearl and The Mudmen to name but a few. Kickback UK consisted of Guitarist Graham Byron, Guitarist Rob Holsman, Bassist Steve Hopper, Drummer Stuart Watson and Vocalist James Hodcroft. Originally spotted by legendary crooner Vince Eager known internationally as a "Pioneer of British pop" in 1997, Kickback UK went on to regularly perform at some of the UK's largest venues. In 1999, the band released their first EP "This is not a Drill" apparently named because the band were working to such a strict budget, that they had to use recording studios at unsociable hours and, at one stage, were recording the EP's ballad "Until Tomorrow" between the bursts of a pneumatic drill outside confetti studios (Nottingham)

Their best known track "Joker in the pack" was recorded in the somewhat more serene setting of The Barn studio in Ruskington, Lincolnshire. This became their signature tune and was played at every live show of the bands seven year career.

In 2000, James was seen with Megadeth front-man Dave Mustaine at the Moathouse Hotel, Nottingham UK. Shortly after that the band took a noticeably heavier direction with their music which honed their appeal to the Metal-audience.

The band seperated through creative differences in 2003, whilst still recording the album "Pulse". The album was never completed and the showcasing single of the album "Stronger" was only available for a limited time. Graham Byron and Rob Holsman went on to form the band The Skeleton Crew While current projects for Bassist Steve Hopper and Drummer, Stuart Watson are unknown. James went on to compose his first soundtrack for British thriller "The Pale Man" and announced his intention to self-produce his first solo work. As yet no official recordings have been released though he has recently started showcasing acoustic versions of upcoming releases on youtube, such as "Hold Me" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBSk7jYU2uk A heartfelt ballad that demonstrates his versatility as a vocalist and writer.

In January 2015 it was announced via His Facebook Page that he is to star in a pivotal role in the third instalment of a popular series of feature films.