Today we’d like to introduce you to Hope Hendrix.
Hope, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I formed a punk band called Draven while an undergrad, but Draven disbanded when I started law school. I barely looked back for years as I pursued a career in the legal field, but recurring dreams of writing songs and performing often crept into my dreams at night.
Fast forward to the summer of 2024, when I, as the vocalist, started jamming with a guitar player and drummer. Having been bitten by the music bug once again, I picked up the bass in November of 2024 and started writing songs. The nascent band was christened Sonic Volt in early 2025.
My original bandmates were not able to devote the time necessary to be a gigging band, so both quit in September of 2025. Fortunately, Evan Whitington had joined the band as a lead guitarist before the original two band members left, and he and I decided to continue on. Sonic Volt posted in Facebook groups and found Andres Arce, who joined the band as its drummer in October of 2025. I’m extremely excited that Sonic Volt now has musicians with the love, dedication, and passion to really become a professional, gigging band.
Sonic Volt hit the ground running. The band’s first show, at The Cicada in Fort Worth on December 27, 2025, was praised by many of those in attendance. In January of 2026, Sonic Volt traveled to Santa Ana to perform in a showcase at Stages Bar during the annual NAAM Convention.
The next month, in February of 2026, Sonic Volt returned to Santa Ana, California to record at the venerable Maple Sound Studios (owned by Cameron Webb, who has worked with Pennywise, Motorhead, Kelly Clarkson, and The Aquabats). I hired engineer David Dominguez (Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Staind, Guns N Roses, The Offspring, Weezer, Orgy, Adema, Powerman 5000, and Stabbing Westward) to record and produce two singles, “Breaking Out” and “Secrets”.
In March of 2026, Sonic Volt performed at two showcases during SXSW in Austin, one at Shiner’s Saloon and the other at The Cabana Club. Sonic Volt followed the Austin showcases with a live performance and interview at San Marcos radio station KZSM on March 28, 2026, during the Unsigned Hype radio show. Sonic Volt has also played shows in Deep Ellum (Reno’s Chop Shop), Dallas/Lake Highlands (Underdog), and Sherman (Glitch’s Arcade).
Next up for Sonic Volt are the Rawk the River festival in Oklahoma on June 26th and the Rockin’ the Summer Music Fest at Underdog in Dallas/Lake Highlands on July 26th.
The band’s official music video for its single “Breaking Out” is available now on YouTube. The official music video for the single “Secrets” will be released on YouTube on June 19, 2026. The “Secrets” video tackles the difficult topic of childhood abuse and CPTSD. Both singles are available on all streaming platforms.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. As mentioned above, I struggled with not being able to book shows consistently due to the original members’ busy schedules, and they both quit the band within a couple of weeks of each other. I was forced to cancel two shows and also had to find a drummer. Whether Sonic Volt would move forward was in question, but we pulled through.
Other than that, it is challenging to figure out ways to gain traction with the current state of the music business, especially as far as wanting to be professional, working musicians who make income from our music.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Sonic Volt is a grungy punk band that delivers raw, passionate, energetic performances. We’re known for our high energy level and riveting stage presence. I’m most proud that our music and performances make people feel excitement. One thing that sets us apart from others is that we have our own unique sound. People have a difficult time describing our sound. When I try to think of other bands to compare us to for promotional purposes, I really can’t think of anyone. I think that will work in our favor!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Learn as much as you can about the music business. Today, we artists don’t have to wait on a record label or some powerful manager to push our careers for us, but we do need to understand the business part of the music industry. You can’t just create your art–your music–and expect it to reach your ideal audience without savvily promoting it.
I just bought a book by Daxton Page called The Musician’s Dilemma: Music Business Secrets for Becoming a Music Entrepreneur and Balancing Your Art with Your Business. I feel if I had discovered Page’s YouTube page and book earlier, Sonic Volt would be further along. Still, we have only been at it for about seven months and have accomplished quite a bit in a short time. With the right resources, I think we will be able to really start gaining traction. I would recommend those just starting out to find those resources that will help you reach your goals from the outset.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sonicvoltband.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonic_volt_band
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonicVoltBand
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SonicVoltBand
- Other: https://linktr.ee/SonicVolt
