Ragged Rebel City is an Indie-Folk/Alternative-Rock group forged by Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist Stephen William Hodd.

Their debut album, Better Man, recorded in 2024, is set for release in early 2027. The album features the sublime rhythm section of drummer Mat Hector (Iggy Pop, Mark Almond) and bassist Mark Neary (Pete Doherty, Noel Gallagher), whose urgent, rock-infused energy elevates Hodd’s sharp songwriting. Hodd himself toured for years with Mike Rosenberg (Passenger) and Lou Rhodes (Lamb), grounding the project in a deep well of live experience.

A Journey Through Light and Healing

Written during a period of profound grief—following the suicide of his brother—Hodd initially resisted the album’s upbeat, life-affirming refrains, dismissing them as too pop for his usual style. But through deep psychological work, he embraced the idea of inviting healing into his life, allowing the songs to flourish in a fluid, rocky style.

From the title track, Better Man—a call to let light into the darkest pathways—to the rock ballad Superhero, an ode to his father and his son that champions the idea that even superheroes need saving sometimes—the album pulses with a raw, urgent thrust toward healing. It’s as though the music itself is a lantern, guiding listeners (and perhaps Hodd’s departed brother) toward the light, even if the path feels impossible to traverse.

The Light Finds Its Way

Better Man spent years in the shadows, ironically mirroring the album’s themes of struggle and stagnation. Perhaps it was Hodd’s own psyche resisting freedom, keeping him—and the music—locked in a limbo between despair and release.

Yet, as the saying goes: “The right door will not open until you are the right person to go through it.”

Maybe that’s the solace we find here. Not just in the music, but in the act of creation itself—a testament to resilience, healing, and the unshakable belief that light, no matter how faint, will always find a way.