For Immediate Release
\nAugust 6, 2018<\/b><\/p>\n
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ACCLAIMED ALT-COUNTRY SONGWRITER\/PERFORMER Chapel Hill, NC-based songwriter, frontman, and multi-instrumentalist Greg Hawks is set to release his latest album,\u00a0I Think It\u2019s Time<\/em>, independently on October 12, 2018.\u00a0 He casts a wide net with the record, which was inspired by the twang of classic country, the hooks of 1970s pop\/rock, the rhythmic soul of old-school Stax records, and Hawks’ own roots in the American South. With influences that veer from Big Star to Buck Owens,\u00a0I Think It’s Time<\/em>\u00a0shines new light on an enduring, eclectic musician who was making Americana music long before the genre had a name.<\/p>\n “The album is a culmination of all my influences, thrown into a big pot as separate ingredients and turned into something cohesive and new,” says Hawks, who recorded\u00a0I Think It’s Time<\/em>\u00a0at his home studio in Chapel Hill. He produced the album himself, playing most of the instruments \u2014 from finger-style acoustic guitar to keyboards \u2014 along the way. He then turned to Chris Stamey (the dB’s, Whiskeytown, Alex Chilton), who had previously mixed Hawks’ debut album for YepRoc Records,\u00a0Fool’s Paradise<\/em>, back in 2001. Stamey reprised that role for\u00a0I Think It’s Time<\/em>, resulting in a DIY album whose songs mix Hawks’ sharp, melody-driven songwriting with plenty of social commentary.<\/p>\n Written during the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency,\u00a0I Think It’s Time<\/em>\u00a0holds a mirror to the modern world, reflecting a swirl of partisan politics, social media debates, and the maddening echo chamber of America’s 24-hour news cycle. Throughout these songs, Hawks struggles to find his own place in a country that’s become increasingly divided. He’s torn between his desire to speak out in defiance of our leaders \u2014 as he does during “The King of Hate,” one of the album’s most sharply-worded tracks \u2014 and his need to preserve his own sanity by focusing his attention elsewhere. That push-and-pull between activism and purposeful unawareness adds a unique twist to these songs, turning\u00a0I Think It’s Time<\/em>\u00a0into a record aimed at anyone who’s become disenchanted with the noise of the late 2010s.<\/p>\n “The right and the left have moved so far in their own directions that it’s hard for anyone to be in the middle,” Hawks says, pointing to the frustration that spawned the track “Living Between the Extremes.” He adds, “This country was founded on the principles of compromise, but everything now is about digging in your heels, and vilifying the other side.”<\/p>\n While the album tackles thorny subjects,\u00a0I Think It’s Time\u00a0<\/em>also marks the most musically inclusive album of Hawks’ career. A diverse music fan who grew up on country music, discovered punk during his teenage years, and helped spearhead the early days of alt-country’s mainstream emergence during his days as a Yep Roc recording artist, Hawks makes room for multiple genres throughout his new album’s tracklist. The sunnily strummed “Hope I Never Know” evokes Tom Petty’s award-winning work with Jeff Lynne, while “Nothing Matters Anymore” channels the dark, impactful work of Johnny Cash’s final albums. On “Pretending,” Hawks croons his way through an oldies-worthy song like a reincarnated\u00a0Roy Orbison, then stacks his voice into layers of gorgeous harmony on the Beach Boys-influenced closer, “It’s All Gonna Be OK.” Together, the songs on\u00a0I Think It’s Time<\/em>\u00a0do more than examine the personal and political struggles of a divided country \u2014 they show the full range not only of Hawks’ interests, but his songwriting abilities, too.<\/p>\n It’s been more than three decades since the critically-acclaimed Hawks picked up his first instrument, kicking off a career that has found him leaving his mark on everything from alt-country to bluegrass music.\u00a0 Hawks is planning to bring new tunes and old to a hometown area album release show on release day \u2013 October 12th \u2013 at the Carrboro Arts Center in Carrboro, NC.\u00a0 Tickets for the show are already on sale and can be purchased here:\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/2vnyAtM<\/a>. \u00a0He has also confirmed an album release show on November 1st at The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC, with tickets available\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0 Hawks plans to add additional tour dates to his schedule, which will be announced soon.<\/p>\n www.greghawksmusic.com\u00a0<\/a> For Immediate Release August 6, 2018 \u00a0 ACCLAIMED ALT-COUNTRY SONGWRITER\/PERFORMER GREG HAWKS TO RELEASE\u00a0NEW ALBUM IN OCTOBER Chapel Hill, NC-based songwriter, frontman, and multi-instrumentalist Greg Hawks is set to release his latest album,\u00a0I Think It\u2019s Time, independently on October 12, 2018.\u00a0 He casts a wide net with the record, which was inspired by the twang … <\/p>\n
\nGREG HAWKS TO RELEASE\u00a0<\/strong>NEW ALBUM IN OCTOBER<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nwww.facebook.com\/GregHawksMusic<\/a>
\ntwitter.com\/greghawksmusic<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"