Andy Hawk: Press/Reviews

Andy Hawk’s "Here It Is" is Homegrown Enjoyment

With the proliferation of home recording computer programs, recorded artistic expression is no longer limited to musicians who can afford pricey studio time.
Singer/songwriter Andy Hawk is an artist whose home recordings have enabled him to document his fourth CD of homegrown musical creativity.
Hawk, a former writer, turned teacher, turned part-time musician, now perfects his musical craft in Hamilton, Virginia, after squatting in towns like Frederick, Federal Hill, Columbus, Ohio, and originally Kittanning, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh).
Hawk’s latest CD, "Here It Is", features Hawk with a variety of musical guests. Hawk’s vocal style is raw and expressive and reflects hints of the Replacements with a heavy presence of the Beatles.
His songwriting mixes simple melody with well-crafted lyrical expression. His lyrics are simplistic in that no dictionary or classical literary training is required to enjoy them, but the message is multi-layered and worth the effort in peeling them down.
"Here It Is" presents stripped-down instrumentation with acoustic guitar being the primary instrument. On a few tracks Hawk is joined by a full accompaniment of musicians that compliments his vocals well. Tracks such as “Tomorrow Is Today”, “Sorrow Floats”, and “The Water Song” illustrate Hawk’s ability to mesh with a full band and reveals an avenue he might want to explore further. The blues track “Visit From Love” is a toe-tapping hoot that has a Dylan-esque, "Highway 61" feel that rocks like nothing else on the CD.
"Here It Is" is a creative musical pleasure that we don’t have to wait to be discovered by a big label for us to enjoy. If Andy Hawk’s Hamilton, Virginia, studio keeps cranking out the music, I’ll keep listening. Andy Hawk can be seen live in and around the Leesburg, Virginia, area. "Here It Is", along with Hawk’s previously released CDs "Moth Crazy", "Something farther away...", and "Chasing the Sun") can be found on iTunes, and at cdbaby.com.

Andy Hawk - Here It Is
2008, Andy Hawk

Andy Hawk is very hard to classify. There are definite elements of Van Morrison, Joe Cocker and Blue Rodeo in there, all rolled up into a sweeping Americana sound. Here It Is is a very mature and thoughtful collection of songs that make great listening for the coming quiet summer evenings.

The title track is one of the true highlights here, sounding like something right out of Blue Rodeo's catalog. Awkwardly At Easy is a lilting little rocker that will get your feet moving. I also enjoyed Visit From Love, Sunshine Water Dance and The Hours and The Days.

All in all, Here It Is is a very solid effort. The musicianship here is top-notch, and the songwriting is informed by thoughtful lyrics and catchy melodies. Depending on your mood and likes, Here It Is may be just a bit on the mellow side for some, but I thought the overall effect was outstanding

Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)

Posted by Wildy at 10:41 PM

Review: Andy Hawk - "Here It Is"

For those who are of a certain age, Andy Hawk's music might be compared to a gravelly voiced James Taylor, a pensive Arlo Guthrie. What is difficult to imagine until one has listened to Hawk's music is the mellow, complex sounds and thoughts that are uniquely Andy Hawk of Hamilton.

The song titles on "Here It Is" are a dead giveaway that Hawk is charting familiar territory but taking a fresh new path. "Sunshine Waterdance," "Awkwardly at Ease," and "A Moment in a Bar in Nashville (Linsday's Eyes)" evoke both the universal and the surreal. The music does not disappoint.

Those performing on this CD are Hawk on vocals, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, bass, percussion, harmonica, mandolin and water sounds; Marnie Hawk, backing vocals, piano; Gary Rudinsky on electric guitar; Anthony Schneck, electric guitar; Patrick Holbrook, electric guitar, bass, drums; Chuck Bordelon, bass; Sean Cunningham, piano; Kelly Gaitten, backing vocals; Jake Robey, acoustic guitar, vocals, Andy Belt, backing vocals, acoustic guitars, keyboards; and Jon Russo, classical guitar.

Hawk predicted that he would be 80 years old, strumming away in the rocker.

"Writing is something I've done for almost 30 years," he said. "It started as the dark and desperate poetry of a 16-year-old -- I couldn't play a note until my early 20s -- and ultimately led to songwriting. It started off as an almost therapy-like activity. I needed to do it. As I've aged, I've been able to write more for the sake of the song. 'Sunshine Waterdance' is a good example of that."

Hawk indicated he, like the members of The Woodshedders, does not let ego get in the way of the music. When he began putting this CD -- his fourth ?together, he decided to bring in people he believed could play much better than he could.

"I played what I had to, but I knew certain songs needed something I couldn't provide," he explained.

Hawk is not, however, immune to praise, he just prefers it subtle and sincere.

"I am always blown away -- and surprised for some reason -- when someone mentions liking a certain song," he said. "It's hard for me, because I'm so close to it, to see how my stuff and 'real' stuff are the same. It always means a lot when I'm playing out if someone requests an original."

His ultimate goal, surprisingly, is to write songs for other people to sing.

"I think my voice is passable for rock and roll, but it's not great," he said. "I'd love to hear someone with a great voice sing my stuff."

The next CD, Hawk said, will definitely have blue overtones.

"I like that old '50s-sounding stuff like Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry. Great feel to it. Of course, I still feel that the Beatles cannot be touched. They, by far, are my biggest influences."

Trunkful of Dreams
By Bruce Dries
When summer signals a break from teaching high school English and journalism, Andy Hawk throws his guitar in the car trunk and travels around the country to hit open mic nights, singing and playing his own music. Last year, those little trips took on a more focused tack.
“A friend and I talked last year about how millions of people have dreams when they’re young, but at some point just tuck them away and label them childish,” Hawk said. “It made us think, ‘Why do people quit?’ Why can’t you keep some of that alive, even if you’re never going to be famous or make money from it?”
He always wanted to record his songs and have his own tour, but since record companies and promoters weren’t pounding on his door with corporate-sponsored deals, Hawk realized that the power to realize his dreams was in his hands.
“I thought, why not use my time off to go on tour and use some of my earnings to record a CD?” With the addition of a third friend who always wanted to be a standup comedian, Hawk and his pals took off from their home base of Frederick, Md., in late June and began traveling and performing around the country.
The trip is being filmed, as are their interactions with people they meet. Tentatively titled "Hawk Across America", it will be about regular people who don’t want to give up their dreams.
“We’ll be interviewing various people along the way and asking them what they’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “If someone wanted to act, then we’ll film them doing a scene from a play or movie with us, or if they wanted to play music, then we’ll have them get on stage and play. I think it’s appealing because there are so many people who talk about their half-finished novel or how they used to play in a band.”
A website will soon be up and running to document the group’s travels, along with information about Hawk’s first CD, Moth Crazy (available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/andyhawk).
For his “regular” job, Hawk teaches English and Journalism at Loudoun County (Va.) High School, where he’s been since 1997. The Kittanning native worked as a sports writer for the Columbus Dispatch for four years before moving on to teaching, which includes running the school’s newspaper and literary/arts magazine. Elected by the high school seniors as faculty graduation speaker in June, 2004, Hawk wrote and sang a song to them instead of giving the traditional “chase your dreams” speech.
“It’s not a bad gig, although I miss the newspaper stuff on occasion—especially when I have to wake up early in the morning,” he said. Hawk’s summertime travels bring him back to the Pittsburgh area on occasion, such as last May when he opened for a friend’s band.
“The school kids are my biggest fan base right now, which is great,” said Hawk. “Last year’s seniors voted me the faculty graduation speaker, and I wrote and sang a song to them instead of giving the classic 'chase your dreams' speech. It went really well.
“The whole process of preparing for this documentary has been fun and rewarding for me. We want to show others that there’s no age limit on living your dreams,” he said. “It’s a story about not being afraid to keep doing what you love. It doesn’t matter if nothing ever sells, what matters is ‘I did it, and it’s been terrific.’”

***** (out of 5) - "MOTH CRAZY":EXCELLENT SONGS AND SMART PRODUCTION
author: J. D. Weeks
Although sometimes the lead guitar overwhelms slightly, these quiet pop tunes are smartly written and extremely catchy. Andy Hawk's voice is frail and expressive, without devolving into whiny confessionals. This CD is one that expertly melds introspective lyrics with appealing poppy hooks, and deserves a much wider audience than it currently has.