David Hodges

David Hodges is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He first gained attention as a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 2000 to 2002, co-writing several of their biggest hits. Since then, he has built a prolific career behind the scenes, crafting songs for a remarkably wide range of artists across pop, rock, and country genres.

His co-writing credits include global smashes like Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years," Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You," and Carrie Underwood's "See You Again." He has worked with Ed Sheeran, P!nk, Daughtry, Maren Morris, Dan + Shay, and many others. His catalog has sold over 100 million records worldwide, and he has earned two Grammy Awards for his contributions to Evanescence's Fallen.

Hodges continues to release his own solo music, including the 2023 two-part album The Unattainable / The Unavoidable and 2025's The Inevitable. He is known for his emotive, cinematic songwriting style and his ability to move fluidly between genres while maintaining a deeply personal touch. [edit]

David Hodges grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he began playing piano and keyboards at a young age. He developed a neo-classical, cinematic style that would later define much of Evanescence's early sound. In the late 1990s, he connected with the band's founding duo, Amy Lee and Ben Moody, and joined Evanescence in late 1999 as a keyboardist, programmer, and backing vocalist.

In 2000, Wind-up Records sent Lee, Moody, and Hodges to Los Angeles for an artist development program, where they lived together and learned to function as a cohesive team. During this period, Hodges helped write and record the band's independent demo album Origin, released in 2000. The songs he co-wrote during these sessions would later form the backbone of Evanescence's major-label debut. [edit]

Hodges co-wrote several tracks on Evanescence's 2003 album Fallen, including the global hits "Bring Me to Life," "My Immortal," and "Going Under." He left the band in 2002, before the album's explosive success, but was credited as a writer and pianist on the record. Fallen sold 17 million copies worldwide and earned Hodges two Grammy Awards in 2004: Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance.

After Evanescence, he co-founded the band Trading Yesterday (later The Age of Information) with Mark Colbert, releasing the EP Everything Is Broken in 2007 and the album More Than This in 2011. In 2009, he released his debut solo EP The Rising on Reprise Records. He also formed the project Arrows to Athens, releasing Kings & Thieves in 2011.

His songwriting career took off in the mid-2000s. In 2004, he co-wrote Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" and "Addicted" with Ben Moody. In 2011, he co-wrote Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years," which became a multi-platinum hit from the Twilight soundtrack. That same year, his song "A Place for Us," recorded by Carrie Underwood for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song.

Throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s, Hodges co-wrote numerous No. 1 singles across multiple formats, including Carrie Underwood's "See You Again," Kelsea Ballerini's "Miss Me More," Maren Morris and Vince Gill's "Dear Hate," and Dan + Shay's "Say So." He also worked with Ed Sheeran on "Afterglow," "First Times," and "Camera." His recent solo work includes the 2021 album In the Round, the 2023 two-part project The Unattainable / The Unavoidable, and 2025's The Inevitable, all on Sleepwalker Records. [edit]

David Hodges is widely regarded as a versatile, behind-the-scenes hitmaker who moves seamlessly between rock, pop, and country. His songwriting is characterized by emotive melodies and cinematic storytelling, often drawing from personal experience. He is not a celebrity in the traditional sense; his fame comes from his craft rather than his public persona. He maintains a low profile, with no official fandom name or organized fan community. His social media presence is modest, and he uses platforms like Twitter and Instagram primarily to share updates about his music and occasional personal reflections. [edit]

David Hodges may not be a household name, but his songs are everywhere. As a songwriter and producer, he's the quiet force behind some of the most enduring hits of the 2000s and beyond. Yet, for all his professional acclaim, his fanbase operates without a formal name or organized structure. There's no official fandom title, no coordinated fan campaigns, no birthday billboards or streaming pushes. Instead, his audience is a loose, global collection of listeners who know his work intimately, often without ever knowing his name. They're the ones who've cried to 'A Thousand Years' at weddings, screamed 'Bring Me to Life' at karaoke, or found solace in 'Because of You.' They follow his solo releases on Sleepwalker Records, catch his occasional interviews, and share his music on playlists. It's a quiet, organic appreciation that mirrors Hodges' own low-key public persona.

In the iFANN rankings, David Hodges is currently evaluated but unranked. He doesn't hold a placement in the Global Top 1,000 or any Top-100 scope list. This reflects his behind-the-scenes status, his fame is real, but it's the fame of a craftsman, not a celebrity. He's the guy who writes the songs you can't forget, not the guy on the magazine covers. And that's exactly how he seems to like it.[edit]

Hodges has described himself as "a frustrated film composer," and his piano work often carries a cinematic, neo-classical quality. The song "Emily" from his 2023 album was inspired by the Pixar film Inside Out, specifically the idea that memories are rarely just one emotion. He once said, "There are always little movies going around in my head when we're writing songs." Despite co-writing some of the biggest songs of the 2000s, Hodges maintains a relatively low public profile and rarely gives interviews. He is represented by Kobalt Music Group for publishing and by Milk & Honey for management.

One of the most retold stories in his career is the resurrection of "Bring Me to Life" in 2022, when the song topped the US iTunes chart 19 years after its original release, thanks to a viral TikTok trend. While the moment belonged to the song, it was a reminder of Hodges' enduring impact. Another tale from the studio: in a 2021 interview, he discussed writing with Ed Sheeran and selling his catalog, explicitly stating he refuses to be "fixated on fame." It's a sentiment that defines his entire approach, let the music speak, and let the fame come and go as it will.[edit]

David Hodges was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. Details about his parents, siblings, and extended family are not publicly documented. He keeps his personal life private and has not shared information about a spouse or children in interviews or on social media. [edit]

Hodges has collaborated extensively with former Evanescence bandmate Ben Moody, co-writing Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" and "Addicted." He also worked closely with Amy Lee on Evanescence's early material. Other frequent collaborators include Mark Colbert (Trading Yesterday), and songwriters such as Hillary Lindsey, Josh Kear, and busbee. [edit]

David Hodges keeps his personal life extremely private. According to some sources, he had a short-lived relationship with an unnamed singer in 2005, but no further details are available. There are references to "Marriages" in his biography, but no specific information about a spouse, wedding dates, or divorce has been publicly confirmed. As of 2026, his relationship status is not publicly disclosed. [edit]

iFANN currently estimates David Hodges' net worth at $12 million. His wealth comes primarily from songwriting royalties and production fees. He co-wrote multiple multi-platinum songs including "Bring Me to Life," "My Immortal," "Because of You," and "A Thousand Years," which continue to generate significant income from streaming, radio play, and sync licensing. As a credited writer on Evanescence's Fallen, which sold 17 million copies worldwide, he earns ongoing royalties. He also receives income from his solo releases on Sleepwalker Records and from publishing deals with Kobalt Music Group.[edit]

David Hodges has won two Grammy Awards as a credited member of Evanescence: Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance for "Bring Me to Life" in 2004. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 2011 for "A Place for Us." [edit]