photo credit :  Nathan Aguilar download hi-res

photo credit:  Nathan Aguilar
download hi-res

Hideout is the moniker of Manhattan-based songwriter and longtime live member of indie-pop band Cults, Gabriel Rodriguez. His sophomore album "So Many Hoops, So Little Time" is out now.

It’s been two years since the release of Hideout’s debut album "Rookie", and in that time many things have changed for Rodriguez. Most tragically, the passing of his brother. So Many Hoops / So Little Time deals with grief in different spectrums –– the album ranges both sonically & lyrically from whimsical space-pop to crushing acoustic vulnerability. There isn’t a singular concept or message, but the deeper you delve into Hideout’s world the more you feel nostalgia and a sense of loss.

Hideout began as a recording project. The majority of Rookie was recorded while on the road with Cults. Rodriguez took advantage of the downtime by tracking songs in hotel rooms or at friends’ homes. Fast-forward to the forthcoming So Many Hoops. . . –– mixed by Loren Humphrey (Nice As Fuck, Guards, Adam Green) at Stockholm Syndrome Sound Studio in Bushwick, NY –– the recording process was far more linear than Rookie. The album evolved predominantly at Rodriguez’s apartment while the surrounding turmoil of loss sunk in. Emotionally charged, he turned to the art of songwriting & storytelling to help navigate through the many answerless questions.

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contributing musicians:
Scarlett Connolly, Cory Stier, Will Mclaren, John Fredericks, Tyler McKusick, Max Kamins, Ben Flesch, Conor Meads, Tommy Garcia, Jayme Ralph, Andy Breihan, George Pritzker.

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press / quotes:
“I don’t believe it / I must be dreaming,” goes the chorus, as Rodriguez deals with the initial denial that came along with the message on his phone. But in such sobering times, Hideout’s music shines through the clouds. ‘I Got Your Message’ is a gorgeous little homemade pop song, clicking jaunty hooks and overlapping vocals together with comforting ease.”- Billboard

“Hideout’s sophomore release is a promising one—the product of a musically knowledgeable pop enthusiast. Although Gabriel Rodriguez’s work is intelligently referential, it seems to exist under a certain guise. Somewhere beneath Hideout’s veil of influence lies a natural authenticity. The band’s sought-after sound briefly surfaces on top-notch openers “I Got Your Message” and “Doctor,” making for a comparatively top-heavy release. Despite its drawbacks, So Many Hoops/So Little Time is unmistakably natural, produced on pure instinct and without reserve.”- Treble Zine

“Lead single ‘Doctor’ demonstrated Hideout’s knack for packaging inspired lyricism in zippy hooks; meanwhile ‘I Got Your Message’ proved they could slow the tempo down for something a bit more syrupy, with a video-game menu-music guitar riff poking holes in a ballooning cloud of puffy art-rock. The entire album is full of such delightfully left-of-center songwriting.” - Stereogum

"’I Got Your Message’ captures the senses that accompany disbelief. Its airy and energized pop looks at the loss that follows a distressing phone message and the acknowledgement of being unable to comprehend or act on a feeling.”- The Grey Estates

“Rodriguez is an ace pop songwriter, and most of his compositions here are upbeat and catchy, even when he’s exposing his wounds… From a pure songwriting standpoint, Hideout has made great strides since their debut. At just a half-hour long, So Many Hoops doesn’t wear out its welcome, but in that short span it combines catharsis, celebration, grief, joy and pain. For a relatively short album, So Many Hoops covers an impressive amount of ground.” - SD City Beat

“Hideout makes the kind of glam pop that you could image selling millions of records if people still actually bought records.”- Free Williamsburg

 “‘See You Around’ does give you an almost immediate sense that you’re listening to a person who has recently had to handle a lot of life in a relatively short amount of time. Fortunately, in the hands of such a skilled songwriter as Gabriel Rodriguez, that experience has been expertly mined into a tight, and deeply catchy pop song.”- KCRW