The Dublin duo smashed into the Irish rock scene with the same purpose and grace as seminal Irish bands before them. With an ear for anthemic songwriting akin to U2 and a soft intensity to their indie sound popularized by bands like Kodaline, it seems like the only way is up for the band. With ‘Limo’ being only their fourth single it’s no wonder massive acts such as rock legends Aslan have called them ‘the next big thing’.
Formed in March 2019 by best friends Richie Power (vocals/keyboards) and Eoghan Mac Mahon (vocals/guitar), their passion seeps through in every one of their tracks. “Gonna Be Alright”, “Pinch Me (Am I Dreaming?)” & “Molly” set the stage for ‘Limo’, a track that goes above and beyond the hype circling it. Inspired by the groups love for upbeat 90’s rock like Oasis and The Verve, it was conceived in the back off a banged-up taxi as the duo reflected on their big dreams and even higher aspirations.
Incredibly, the birthplace of ‘Limo’ is miles from the track’s most interesting feature. The song was inspired by a bizarre tale of car trouble following an evening partying in London alongside British icon, Ray Winstone. Eoghan describes the tale as;
“The first time we met Ray Winstone was also the first time we ever got near a limo – Ray was a true gent, a top lad. We had all attended an event at the London Hilton and, after a great night of partying we eventually left. Or at least we thought we were leaving, because we got stuck at the Hilton underground car park’s sole exit barrier in our €400 battered Irish Ford Focus. Six limos & their drivers stuck behind us were apoplectic and, after ten more minutes passed without us moving, they were going totally nuclear. STRESS. We didn’t have the money between us to pay the outrageous £50 parking fee as we were skint – it was a charity event so we hadn’t even charged a performance fee for our live set at the event. Next thing, some sheikh whose limo was right behind us jammed his head in our car window and screamed blue murder at us to pay up so he could leave. We told him we hadn’t a pot to pi*s in for the tenth time so he fired a £50 note at us and roared all the way back to his car. Thankfully our engine didn’t give out and we got on the A5 back to our ex-Travelodge in Dunstable for another night with five sleeping in a one-bedded room. A night to remember for sure, and I’ll never forgot my first up-close limo experience. We hope this song was worth it – perhaps if this single blows up big we might even be able to afford our very own limo (or even just some parking change).”
‘Limo’ is strikingly unique and familiar, marking HAWKE THE BAND as one of Ireland’s biggest rising artists and a rock duo to watch out for. The growth in songwriting for only four songs shows the effort and passion the Dublin band have put into their art over the past year and the reception and appraisal is no doubt a testament to that.
Catch HAWKE THE BAND here:
10 December | London – The Grace (with Elijah Miller)
Tickets on-sale now via https://www.hawketheband.com/tickets
Reviewed by Ciarán Coleman
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