Bomethius

Bomethius is the baroque pop project led by Jonathan Hodges, a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter based in Chicago, IL. Hodges draws from decades of classical training as a violinist to craft a mischievous brand of chamber rock that echoes the sounds of Andrew Bird, Randy Newman, and Elliott Smith. 

Tropopause, Bomethius’ eighth record and second release on Chicago-based indie label Oakley Avenue Records, arrives with the sort of effortlessness that can only be born from experience. Working with the same core of collaborators from his prior record, Borrowed Time, and following years of diligent live performances, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Hodges has opened a new, louder, and more compact chapter of his nearly decade-long baroque pop project. 

In a discography that maintains a clear aesthetic and thematic continuity—with each release in conversation with its predecessors—Tropopause serves as a welcoming entry point for new listeners. For one, it’s Hodges’ most concise statement. A trim-the-fat approach to composition for this album produced a 10-song tracklist and 26-minute runtime, and the lean result is both digestible and direct. There’s also a greater clarity to the writing as Hodges covers similar lyrical territory to his most recent releases. “The cycle, against which most of my music is set, borbles on,” he says, but on Tropopause, he's been afforded time and distance from this cycle, which allows for a wider perspective unburdened by still-sharp pains. Like the meteorological term from which it draws its name, the record represents a threshold in one’s life and the areas on either side of it—all of which can be best appreciated from a bird’s-eye view.   

Bomethius’ studio records feature a long-standing rotation of guest contributors, including Sam Ahmadi and Phil Hodges (guitar), Maggie Fahey and Caroline Hodges (vocals), Matt Shaw and Michael Minkoff (percussion), Ricky Roshell (woodwinds and horns), Chris Stubblefield (trumpet), and Jeff Tullis (bass). Since 2022, Bomethius' live and studio performances have featured Jeremiah de la Peña on drums, Dan Kristan on bass, Taylor Vos on electric guitar, and Chris Wilson on keys. Together with Hodges’ other collaborators, these talents aptly fill out and refine the sound of Bomethius’ manic meditations and existential audits.

Hodges graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance. He has performed as an improv and studio violinist for Angel White, Adela's, Danielle Juhre, Girl Named Nino, Just Logan, Cardboard Aviator, The Devil Said Jump, and Yna. His former violin teachers include Marla Feeney, Mrs. Fryer, Alexander Serafimov, Ivan Ženatý, Chee-Yun Kim, and Diane Kitzman.