For more than ten years, Calum Hood has been the understated driving force behind 5 Seconds of Summer — providing the consistent rhythm, solid basslines, and a sense of calm amidst the turmoil. Now, he’s stepping into the spotlight, not with fanfare, but with something far more impactful: authenticity. With his debut solo album approaching, Hood is prepared to shed the layers and showcase the artist beyond the band member — exchanging large-scale anthems for contemplative soundscapes and late-night musings.
When I reach him on the phone, Hood appears at ease. A calm confidence has taken the place of the youthful exuberance fans encountered a decade ago. He’s casually dressed, sitting in his sunlit home filled with plants in Los Angeles — the very environment he wishes listeners envision when they experience his new music. There’s a newfound steadiness to him, one that was hard-earned and matured, as he discusses his solo aspirations with a clarity that seeks not approval but simply an opportunity to be heard. “It was quite a lengthy thought process. It stretched over many years,” he shares. “The most important thing I wanted to ensure, even before entertaining the idea of going solo, was that it was something I genuinely wanted — because I couldn’t live without it.” He elaborates that this desire evolved over time. “After several years of quietly creating music on my own, it became painful not to express that freely. That’s when I decided to take action and began nurturing the ideas.”
The result is a collection of music that feels intensely personal — imbued with stillness, subtle pain, and raw thoughts. For the first time, Hood was writing without considering an audience, without the familiar collaborative framework. “So many moments took me by surprise,” he exclaims. “Naturally, after almost 15 years of writing with the band, there were dynamics I missed, like the ongoing dialogue about how the music was developing and what we should pursue next,” he recalls with a smile. “But that’s the essence of creating your own album. It’s meant to showcase you as an individual, so many decisions are made solely by you, which was a significant challenge for me.” This journey encouraged him to go inward, yet not withdraw. “Creating this record was about stepping up and doing it with the hope of becoming a better version of myself — both as an artist and as a member of 5 Seconds of Summer.”
While ORDER chaos ORDER marks unexplored territory for Hood, it rests on a foundation he knows well. His experiences with 5 Seconds of Summer serve as a core influence, one he carries with appreciation and intent. “Absolutely,” he nods when asked about the impact of his band contributions on his solo work. “The band is the only context I have in understanding how to function musically,” he acknowledges. “I've engaged in thousands of writing sessions with my bandmates, always gaining valuable insights on crafting songs and albums, particularly one that resonates with me as deeply as it does with others.” However, to create something uniquely his own, Hood realized he had to unlearn aspects of that structure as well. “I approached my solo project with a mindset of being unsure about what I was doing,” he explains. “This perspective alleviated much of the pressure I placed on myself. Having the mindset of being an expert can stifle your creativity, and I wanted to avoid that. Sometimes you grasp at ideas to turn them into something substantial, and I recognized I had much to express in this album.”
By shedding such pressures, the album was permitted to be raw, introspective, and even contradictory — mirroring the complexities of his inner world. “Often, the album presents some confusion, but there are also beautiful, expansive moments of clarity,” he remarks. “At times, the lyrics clash, resembling numerous voices in the room trying to communicate,” he chuckles. “But that’s me attempting to showcase how my thought processes function.”
This newfound freedom became crucial for the album's emotional richness, though it came with its difficulties. “I initially clung to an idea of what the album should be, which turned out to be quite different from its current form,” Hood confesses. “It was challenging for me to relinquish that vision because I was applying significant pressure regarding the quality of the project and anticipating how others might perceive it,” he shares. “Even before the project was a reality, I was preoccupied with others' opinions, which is a misguided approach,” he laughs.
Eventually, he recognized that dismissing that external noise was vital for progress. He had to cease envisioning the audience and start believing in himself. “There came a moment when I told myself I needed to be entirely myself, and the music should reflect that both lyrically and sonically,” he reveals. “It had to feel authentic; otherwise, it wouldn't resonate with anyone — especially not with me, as that would feel in
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For more than ten years, Calum Hood has been the subtle strength behind 5 Seconds of Summer — the reliable rhythm, the solid basslines, and the tranquility in the midst of turmoil.