HAWK’s latest self-titled EP, out now via Veta Records, is one of their most exciting releases to date. The EP is the sound of a band who have grown, a band curious of their surroundings, inspired by their collective experiences, politics, environment and change.
HAWK’s last EP, Clock Hands, was only a mere glimpse into the band’s world, experimenting with noir folk and post-rock. Their latest EP, however, shows two distinct sides to HAWK – the first two tracks, singles Once Told and The Hunt, are epic, sweeping cerebral indie rock at its finest. ‘Rattle’ and ‘Sleep’ take on a more celestial air. On ‘Sleep’, Julie Hawk’s voice glides and soars over the music as if being steered by supernatural forces. Via EP HAWK, the band convey the difference between our waking life and our dreams
Hawk:
Members: Julie Hawk – Vocals, Guitar Matthew Harris – Guitar Chris Handsley – Bass Sam Campbell – Drums
Track By Track is all written by the Artists…
Once Told is the lead track of the EP, and it’s definitely most representative of the direction we’re going in musically. Even in terms of subject matter, it’s a lot more driven and loaded than anything we’ve written before. The track is about the controversial laws in Ireland about abortion, and the effect this system has on women.
The Hunt is the second single off the EP, and it’s probably the poppier track on the record, which means it’s always fun to play live. The song is about choosing to stand for what you believe in, letting go of distractions and being honest with your choices. If we have an Eye of the Tiger, I guess this is it.
Rattle is probably the last hark back to our folkier days. It was originally written on acoustic, I think you can hear Celtic elements in the melody. This will probably suit fans of our last EP, but hopefully they’ll still be fans of the new darker stuff.
Sleep was actually released before Christmas ’15 as a free download, and I got together with James Byrne to make a stop-motion video for it (which you can check out on YouTube). It’s maybe the most theatrical of all the track on the EP. It’s about being wracked with a guilty secret and not being able to sleep until you come clean. In the video you can see our little character Ruairí haunted by a monstrous embodiment of his own guilt while he tries to sleep. It’s very kid-friendly!
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