EP: Hawk – ‘She Knows’

Calling all fans of Warpaint, Daughter and maybe even The Cranberries, Hawk bring us a powerful new EP. Filled with themes of inequality, exclusion and preconceptions faced daily by different social groups, Hawk’s creative ability to turn messages about society’s downfalls into art has been a longstanding trait of theirs, and shines through more than ever in She Knows. 

‘Take it Away’ is a topical track, leaving listeners with an potent message about victim blaming. The song was written as response to singer Julie Hawk’s friend being followed home after a night out. After speaking out about her experience, Julie’s friend was told “she shouldn’t have been out on her own”, putting the blame on her rather than the man following her home. Julie felt that these people “missed the point and are the main cause of the problem.” The style of the track matches the song’s context perfectly with its gothic-indie riffs and rising tension throughout, leaving a feeling of imminent danger.

Third track ‘Static’ shares a different but equally poignant message, exposing those in power who talk the talk but fail to make real change. This is followed by personal favourite, ‘Mirror Maze’ – a track about what society expects from us from a female point of view. Stylistically, it’s an effectively overcrowded track creating a sense of constantly being pulled in different directions.

Final track ‘Ghosts’ touches on the same theme heard throughout the EP; this idea that we need to break free from what society expects from us and just be comfortable in our own skin. A positive and inspiring message to leave us with, and with the sweeping guitar riffs and intense, pounding beats in full swing, it feels like the whole band is behind it.

She Knows is a wonderfully political EP, with the anger and rebellion found in punk alternatives replaced by a deeply affecting, haunting beauty.

She Knows is out 17 March via Veta Records. And you can expect to see Hawk on tour across the UK and Ireland this Spring and – if their recorded tracks are this powerful, you can just imagine the atmosphere of their live shows!

22nd March – The Hope & Ruin – Brighton
23rd March – The Waiting Room – London
30th March – Cyprus Avenue – Cork, Ireland
31st March – Connolly’s of Leap – Leap, Ireland
1st April – Pumphouse – Kilkenny, Ireland
2nd April – Central Arts – Waterford, Ireland
5th April – Roisin Dubh – Galway, Ireland
6th April – Whelan’s – Dublin, Ireland

Melody Johns
@Melody_Johns

Melody Johns

Melody Johns

Melody Johns

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