Singer-Songwriter
David Hawkins
has found Pittsburgh by way of Chicago, New Orleans, Tulsa,
and Detroit, and he has picked up musical flavors
wherever he has lived...
. . . His songs are both tough and gentle, born in a place
where flesh and spirit meet and one's soul is on the line.
They are songs of Love, Hope, Death, Loss,
a splash of Whiskey, and an echo of the Divine.
IN OTHERS' WORDS:
BLAIR HULL - Lighted Window Concerts, Campbell, CA; formerly of Stained Glass Coffeehouse, Deerfield, IL:
Tucked in this album [Everything that Brought You Here], as unassuming as the man himself, are some stunning songs of David's own, and each makes you push replay. Whether it is "Flaming Heart," "When Winter Comes," or, my special favorite, "Driving to the End of the World," David writes music we can crawl into and relate to. We, as listeners, aren't outside his art; we are inside it.
ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER:
Singer-songwriter David Hawkins sure knows how to turn a phrase. The lyrics of the 11-song Hello Mr. Death & Other Love Songs are at once pleasing and perceptive, especially on “Hello Mr. Death (A Love Song)” and “Till My Heart Beats Again.” Hawkins’ folksy voice melds well with his country-style picking, resulting in a set that’s equally enlightening and entertaining.
LILLI KUZMA, Host of Folk Festival, WDCB Public Radio, Glen Ellyn/Chicago, IL:
With his second release, Hello Mr. Death & Other Love Songs, David Hawkins delivers an excellent collection of new material, from the delightfully witty romp with the title track, to superb country-infused tracks and gorgeous ballads. The well-crafted songs shine with fine vocals and acoustic guitar, and embellishments by noted sidemen such as Don Stiernberg, Mark Dvorak, David Wallace, and Clark Sommers, among others, contribute to this top-shelf production filled with stand-out material from start to finish. It is highly recommended.
ELLIOTT DELMAN - Composer, Music Producer, Guitarist:
David is intelligent, wry and devoted to songwriting. His songwriting is uniquely insightful, vulnerable, and thoughtful. He is vocally superb, and his musicianship is clean and emotive. I've had the pleasure of diving deep into his material and am a better man for it.
TOM MANCHE - Studio X, Nashville--Producer, Engineer, Musician:
Just listened to your CD yesterday [Everything That Brought You Here]--great work! My faves were "Driving to the End of the World" & "When Winter Comes." Does this mean you're a better writer than Dylan, Prine, & Van Zandt?
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN - The Digital Folk Life:
Everything That Brought You Here is a collection of what could well be, for a given audience, exactly “Everything That Brought [Them] Here." Am I impresed? You bet. Do I give this CD five stars (*****)? You bet. A new-to-me musician, clearly an expert, as well as a connnoisseur of fine pop/folk music. David Hawkins is someone to keep watching for in the future. As we say in Scotland, "Do yourself a major favour." Get the CD.
BUDDY MONDLOCK - Songwriter, Performer, Recording Artist:
You gotta love a guy who digs right down deep to the dark side and dances around down there for a while. (re: Hello Mr. Death & Other Love Songs)
JAMES DURST - WorldWind, Work o' the Weavers, Sidewalk Songs, Songsmith Society:
Of Hello Mr. Death & Other Love Songs: David's singing has never sounded stronger or more confident, and the production is pristine with a lovely aggregation of support musicians. Solid representation of his ongoing evolution.
GREG TRAFIDLO - Songwriter, Producer at Kira Records, Salem, VA:
David Hawkins deserves to be a regular fixture in any coffeehouse, showcase, or festival stage. His well-crafted story songs are intelligent, honest, and musically solid, each delivered in a voice reminiscent of Merle Haggard in his prime (and that’s a good thing).
ERIC ERICKSON - Music Host at The Coffee House at Chestnut & Pine, Burlington, WI:
Of Everything That Brought You Here: Hawk, I am enjoying your record immensely. It's so good and so real. I can feel the synergy between you all, and I am drawn in. I love all the songs.
MELISSA DAGENHART - Maple Street Concert Series:
Of Everything That Brought You Here: Great interpretations of some great songs, sung amazingly well with excellent musicianship by David Hawkins, Clark Sommers, and the one and only Don Stiernberg!
STEVE GERLACH - Guitarist/Vocalist, John Cale, Tommy Keene, The Most Dangerous Race, Ralph's World, Tomorrow the Moon:
Dave's songs have been distilled and refined for years, so much so that it's a challenge to add much to what's already there: his steady guitar and characteristically understated vocals. The lyrics are as richly detailed as you'd expect from a highly distinguished and respected English teacher who likes the Ramones and Frank Zappa, as well as Bruce Cockburn and Bob Dylan.
SCOTT BENNETT, Musical Whiz Kid - Brian Wilson Band, Beach Boys, Dotted Line:
It was a pleasure to work on David's CD. You can tell what kind of heart he has by his songs and his gentle singing.
KEVIN - Listener:
Why aren't you all over the Billboard Charts right now?! Really good stuff man. You're a severely talented singer and guitar player. It'll be nice to know that one day I can say to people, "Yeah, he was my English teacher in high school!" Really good stuff.
REYNARD - Radio Listener:
Was that you doing "All Along the Watchtower" on WDCB Folk Festival? I loved it. It was inspiring enough for me to seek you out for the purpose of expressing appreciation.
SANDRA - Listener:
What a way to spend a Tuesday night! I was very moved by your songs, David. They have the power to transform. I came in feeling tired and overwhelmed and left feeling rejuvenated! Thank you for inspiring me to explore more with my own music as well.
Everything That Brought You Here
2014
Suggested Radio Format: Singer-Songwriter / Contemporary Folk / Alternative Country
Artwork by Dean A. Kendrick
Folk meets Jazz in David's third release, Everything That Brought You Here, an all-acoustic collection in which David's rich vocals and distinctive guitar meet the brilliance of Grammy-winning upright bassist Clark Sommers for a live-in-the-studio recording that is tastefully embellished by internationally acclaimed mandolinist Don Stiernberg. This collection features new takes on songs by some of David's favorite songwriters, as well as three originals.
1. All Along the Watchtower 3:16 (B. Dylan)
2. Heart of Gold 2:53 (N. Young)
3. Crescent City 3:18 (L. Williams)
4. Pancho and Lefty 4:39 (T. Van Zandt)
5. Gypsy Davy 4:23 (W. Guthrie)
6. Little Wing 2:44 (J. Hendrix)
7. Flaming Heart 4:15 (D. Hawkins)
8. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 3:32 (B. Dylan)
9. It Only Hurts When I Cry 2:18 (D. Yoakam/R. Miller)
10. Mexican Home 4:22 (J. Prine)
11. Driving to the End of the World 5:11 (D. Hawkins)
12. Moondance 3:42 (V. Morrison)
13. When Winter Comes 3:29 (D. Hawkins)
℗© 2014 David Hawkins
David introduces Everything That Brought You Here:
“I love these songs! These are some of the writers and the songs that have shaped my sense of music and writing. These are the songs that moved me when I first heard them and still move me today.
“The challenge of doing a collection mostly of cover songs is to give them new life without gimmicks and without compromising the spirit of the songs, but while still offering my own unique interpretation of them.
“The idea for the album originally came after a gig in a conversation that bassist Clark Sommers and I had about recording a live-in-studio album with just the two of us. As the project developed, we decided to bring in Don Stiernberg to play on nine of the songs. Clark, Don, and I have played together in the past--both live and in the studio--so it was a natural fit, and I love the way they respond to a piece of music as an individual composition, not just as a genre.
“The album title comes from the bridge of 'Driving to the End of the World,' one of my original songs, in which an otherworldly voice addresses the narrator: 'Everything that brought you here / speaks to you across all time.' This line is the center of the dark, baptismal journey depicted in the song, and the idea is at the center of the album as a collection of musical influences that have brought me to where I am musically today.”
WDCB Folk Festival:
Everything That Brought You Here was in the top 10 of Favorite Albums of 2014; #4 Favorite Originals: "Driving to the End of the World" and "When Winter Comes"; among Favorite Covers 2014: David Hawkins, "Crescent City" (L. Williams), "Moondance" (V. Morrison), "Heart of Gold" (N. Young), and "All Along the Watchtower" (B. Dylan)
Folk DJ National Chart for December 2014:
David Hawkins among Top 40 Artists December 2014; Everything That Brought You Here charted #24.
WVPE The Back Porch Radio Show, Elkhart, IN: Everything That Brought You Here among Top 30 albums of 2014
HELLO MR. DEATH & OTHER LOVE SONGS
2012
Suggested Radio Format:
Singer-Songwriter
Contemporary Folk/Alt Country
Artwork by Dean A. Kendrick
Hello Mr. Death & Other Love Songs, is a pared down, mostly acoustic project, with the same attention to musicianship as in Driven to the Strings, Hawkins’ first release, also produced by Derrick “Suede” Stout and recorded at Darwin. Hello Mr. Death contains eleven original songs that are built around an acoustic guitar and voice, with mandolin, upright bass, banjo, and a few drum and electric guitar tracks to give a cross-genre music appeal. Hawkins is joined by the talents of Don Stiernberg (mandolin); Mark Dvorak (banjo); Nashville-based David Wallace (electric guitar); Clark Sommers (upright bass); Matt Walker, Phil Brines, Chris Tomek and Scott Bennett (Drums); Steve Gerlach (electric guitar); Terry Moran (acoustic slide); Teddy Rankin-Parker (cello); Susie McMurray, Erica Samis, Suzanne Cross, and Daniela Sloan (backing vocals); and the musical touches of Suede throughout the album.
1. Hello Mr. Death (A Love Song) 3:31
2. Let Love Lead the Way 4:57
3. When Winter Comes 3:18
4. My Girl Whiskey 4:47
5. Till My Heart Beats Again 3:56
6. In a Bad Way 4:10
7. I'll Do the Damage First 3:59
8. How Long? 4:10
9. Trouble on My Mind 3:22
10. Northern Star 5:02
11. I'm Not Ready 4:25
All Songs Written by David Hawkins,
© 2012 David Hawkins (ASCAP), except “Trouble on My Mind” by David Hawkins & Cheryl Hawkins, © 2012 David Hawkins & Cheryl Hawkins (ASCAP)
Recorded, Mixed & Produced by Suede @ Darwin Studio, Lake Bluff, IL
Mastered by Blaise Barton / JoyRide Studio, Chicago, IL
Photography, Art Direction, and Design by Phil Goldman
Radio promotion/distribution:
www.lorettasawyerpromotions.com