Spotlight Sounds; Episode Two with Hawke The Band

Welcome back to Spotlight Sounds, a series by Secrets Behind The Sound celebrating the vibrant world of Irish music. Dive into the blend of tradition and innovation that characterises Ireland's contemporary music scene, featuring both established and emerging artists. Explore the influences and experiences shaping Irish musicians and join us as we delve into their creative processes, stories, and journeys. Through in-depth discussions, Secrets Behind The Sound recognises the ground-breaking contributions of Irish artists to global creativity. Whether you're a returning fan or a newcomer, Spotlight Sounds invites you to explore the captivating realm of Irish music—a journey into the stories, sounds, and enigmas that make up Ireland's music scene.

Next up on Spotlight Sounds, I had the absolute privilege of interviewing a band I hold close to my heart, HAWKE THE BAND. Hailing from Dublin's inner city and formed by a group of talented musicians with a shared passion for music, HAWKE has quickly risen to prominence, gaining recognition not only in their local music scene but also on a broader scale. Their music reflects the vibrant energy and diverse culture of their urban environment, and this authenticity has struck a chord with listeners.

What sets this band apart is not only their musical talent, but their authentic connection to their roots. Their Dublin inner city and Wicklow background is an integral part of their identity, and they wear it proudly in their music. This genuine connection has not only endeared them to their local community but has also helped them build bridges to fans across the globe who can relate to their messages of hope, resilience, and the power of music to transcend barriers.

Can you start by introducing yourself and your musical background?

Our name is HAWKE THE BAND, we're an Irish Indie Pop band based in London. Being from different parts of Ireland and having very different childhoods and experiences, we aim to use a combination of experiences and musical influences to create and anthemic flavour of Indie Pop. We aim for stadium rock melodic vocals with soaring guitar lines and solid drum beats to achieve an uplifting anthemic catalogue of tracks.

How would you define the genre you as a band primarily identify with, and how do you incorporate other influences into your sound?

I would say Indie/Pop. We're all lovers of "good" music and aren't majorly closed off to any genres when listening in our own time. If it sounds good and means something we'll indulge. I think that comes through in our music too. It's not niche indie nor is it necessarily akin to what you'll hear in the UK Top 40 pop charts but it does have elements of indie music while also being quite "accessible" to the average listener.

How do you see the current state of the Irish music scene? Are there any emerging trends or unique characteristics that stand out to you?

To be honest I think there has never been a shortage of Irish talent in the music industry. I think we're a seriously over achieving nation in this industry for our population size. Ireland has such a buzz right now in the industry, genre wide. It's a bit of a shame that the industry support in terms of live venues and music nights isn't as accommodating as it could be for up and coming artists. Granted London is a different kettle of fish in terms of size, but the opportunity here and incentives for up and coming artists is unmatched and with Ireland being a nation full of talent but also full of lovers of music, I think more facilities to accommodate up and coming artists would be majorly beneficial.

In what ways does your music reflect your Irish identity or connect with the local culture?

Well some of our songs are about experiences at home and growing up. "Scraps in the bowl" is a song about an area in the Liberties where lead singer Richie grew up. There's a dried out canal there that they used to call "the bowl" and after school if there was a fight happening they'd go up to the bowl and scrap it out, the song tells the stories of the memories attached to that and inner city Dublin in those times. We've other songs about other places and experiences, with the other lead singer Eoghan coming from Wicklow and our Donegal drummer Darragh, there's no shortage of Irish references and influences from all over.

Can you walk us through the creative process when writing and composing music?

We don't have a set way of creating music and that's something we love about creating. Sometimes it's a lyric or a concept that can inspire a song, sometimes it's a guitar riff that our guitarist will come up with, other times it's an experience we had, other times it's completely for a bit of fun and then something comes of it. We don't really feel like there is a set way, inspiration can be found in anything and that's the beauty of creating really. Once the bare bones of the song is done and we've messed around with different structures etc we'll bring it to a demo stage on logic and throw out some sonic ideas and patches and develop the song further that way before bringing it to a studio.

Could you provide an overview of the genre you as a band identify with in the Irish music scene. In your opinion, has it evolved in any way over the years?

I think it's always quite difficult to latch yourself onto one particular genre in music, and in my opinion maybe not even a smart thing to do. I think every artist is influenced by more than one style of music in some way or another, and taking influence from other styles is what ultimately creates your own unique musical identity. But if we were to generalise the style of indie-pop, more on the alternative side, I would say there's a lot of promise in the future for anyone in that vein of music. With social media making finding new music so accessible these days, people are leaning into different styles more and more, so chart music and outright pop isn't taking over the scene in any way. And having big artists becoming really successful in alternative styles like Sam Fender, should give great inspiration to up and coming artists in that sort of indie pop/rock style. There's a lot to be hopeful for.

Diversity is an important aspect of any music scene. How do you think your band's music contributes to the diversity of the Irish music scene?

With our music- we generally like to keep things quite hopeful. We feel like there isn't a lot of modern music promoting things like togetherness, love, hope, happiness etc. Of course these are themes we've seen for years but it feels as though there's a lot more sadness and tension in modern records. Some for a very good reason, granted, however we feel we try to add a flavour of something a little more hopeful with not only our music but what we try to say as a band. In terms of personal diversity, we are a group of people with completely different experiences and backgrounds, our two lead vocalists for example, Richie and Eoghan, the former coming from an inner city working class background in the heart of Dublin and the latter growing up in the country side in Wicklow and going to a private boarding school in Tipperary. They don't really come more different than those two to be honest. That's what the band is about though, learning from each other’s differences, having different mindsets and views, but ultimately working together with a level of understanding and respect that not everyone feels the same, thinks the same, shares the same views etc but that's okay.

As an Irish band, what advice have you got for other artists trying to navigate the industry and find their unique voice?

Write more. Always keep writing and writing and you'll start to notice natural tendencies that will develop your "sound". Your influences and experience will keep coming to surface and dictating the direction of your music and sound, so the more you write the more you'll figure out yourself and your sound. Write for YOU. It's easy to be distracted by what you'll think other people will like and enjoy as opposed to what you actually like but the truth is if you don't believe in it 100%, you won't be able to convince other people to either. Write what you believe in and love it unapologetically, the rest will follow.

What can listeners expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming releases, collabs, or projects you're excited about?

We have a number of singles recorded and mastered and ready to go. We're just waiting on a couple of exciting things to be finalised before releasing them. Except the first one in the next couple of months. That's where a lot of our focus is going at the minute

I am going to finish off by asking you what's the most bizarre or hilarious fan encounter you've had?

We don't have fans :(

In conclusion, HAWKE have had a remarkable journey in the Irish music scene. As an Irish-indie band, HAWKE have not only survived but thrived, captivating listeners with their soulful melodies and introspective lyrics. HAWKE's dedication, authenticity, and fusion of tradition Irish influences with contemporary indie sound makes them a band worthy of everyone's attention. With great promise for the future, this band have the potential to continue making waves in Ireland and beyond. Keep an eye on HAWKE; they are an undeniably promising band, and their musical journey is one not to be missed by enthusiasts.

Be sure to catch HAWKE on their socials;

Instagram; @hawketheband

Spotify; HAWKE