Start Listening To: Sonic Hawkins

We spoke with Darrell Hawkins, the man behind the music of Sonic Hawkins, to speak about his new single, his upcoming 2021 album, and his involvement in art projects beyond the realm of music.

Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and a little bit about the music that you make?
My name is Darrell Hawkins, I am a musician and visual artist from Medway in Kent. I enjoy making music with lots of energy; I started out as a guitarist so this is the basis of my music. I like to try and keep things simple, punk is a big influence. I love the absurd, pop, rawness and grit.

How does it feel to be going solo after being part of Wild Palms?
Exciting. It's been fun getting back to basics and learning lots. It's kind of daunting after being in a 'gang' and then suddenly going at it alone, but it's interesting to see where I can take myself creatively.

How different is this new project, musically speaking, compared to your previous releases with Wild Palms?
Different in lots of ways but there are also some similarities. I draw from a lot of the same influences we had collectively as a band. We had a bunch of earlier rougher and punkier songs and demos that never really saw the light of day and I have always wondered what it would of have been like to release them. I have thought a lot about that period when we first started, not thinking too much and going with our gut, it's definitely shaped my approach to writing recently. Wild Palms was different in that I just played guitar, didn't sing or write the lyrics. The four us contributed to the creation of our music. It's fun not having to compromise now I'm on my own, but I do miss elements of collaboration too.

As a person I like to be playful and experiment with aesthetics in music and art. I want to use Sonic Hawkins as a way of exploring and learning with a childlike naivety and enthusiasm.

I’ve read you get this name from the existing Sonic brand so you must really love Sonic to be called Sonic Hawkins. Do you feel like the music kind of relates to this character in a sense?
Yes I taught myself to draw by drawing Sonic, so I owe him a lot for my subsequent life choices. I think he relates to music in the fact I love distorted old lo-fi sounds, lots of energy and saturation, (I'm talking about 90s Megadrive Sonic). I often reference popular culture in my lyrics so it makes sense to be linked to him by my moniker.

You’re also a visual artist. How do these two worlds overlap for you?
I love composition, collage, sampling, intense colour and overloading, which can be applied and explored within both mediums. I have always enjoyed creating subject matter for paintings and inventing titles. Often my paintings come from my songs and vice versa.

What music are you still listening to from when you were a kid?
The Ghostbusters soundtrack, The Beatles, Spice Girls, bit of Britney.

Your debut single ‘Christine’ is an energetic punk-inspired track. Can you tell us more about how you wrote this song?
I wanted to write a song that referenced the punk attitude of the medway towns in the 70s and beyond. I also love fuzzy guitars and electronic drum sounds. I wrote it very quickly in my kitchen. I was trying to capture the energy of when you are first starting out in a band and just doing what feels good, not over thinking things or trying to be too clever.

The name of the single comes from the Stephen King book of the same name. Are you a big horror fan?
I am indeed. I enjoy survival horror games, horror movies, as well as reading horror novels. Especially anything with zombies.

How was this track produced?
It started with the simple verse riff, which referenced music I made in my first bands; G and A bar chords are always a good place to start! I made it using Ableton, building up the music with drums, bass, then guitar. I processed some guitar elements to act as synth type sounds. Matthew Herbert produced the track and Ben Hillier mixed it.

If you could work with any producer who would that be and why?
It's been amazing working with Matthew Herbert. I think he's fantastic and can't think of anyone else I'd rather work with to be honest.

Do you have plans for the future to release a debut album?
Yes! I am working on it at the moment, been super fun and learnt loads, so I can't wait to release it and show people what I have made. I think it will help provide context to what I have been aiming to achieve and it will be nice to introduce people to my world.

If you do have an upcoming project in store for us, should we expect to hear music in a similar vein to that of your lead single?
Christine sums up my general approach in lots of ways, but I go down a few routes, some songs are busier and messed with, others are stripped back and rougher around the edges, some have pop sensibilities. I have a couple of acoustic tracks too!

What were some of your favourite releases from 2020?
A Spine/Evidence EP by Powerplant, Speed Kills by Chubby and The Gang, American Advertisement by Advertisement, Lifetime by Romy.

What can we look forward to from Sonic Hawkins in 2021?
Singles and my debut album! I'm currently making videos for future releases as well as making artwork and getting a live show together, so plenty on the way.

Keep an ear out for new Sonic Hawkins content in 2021, and the years to come, and remember to support music by supporting independent artists.