Hailing from the South Bay of Los Angeles, Mad Hawkes aims to embody all things California with her music: good vibes, sun, and surfing. Through honest and raw lyrics, she speaks her mind and can even challenge the listener at time. She got her start while interning at Parts + Labor Records, immersing herself in songwriting entirely. After having label owner/producer Jimmy Messer encourage her to write from an honest, passionate place, she was eventually signed to the label, releasing “Fantasy” not long after.
All of that aside, that brings us to today. We have an exclusive premiere of Mad Hawkes new single, “FACE PNCH.” The track — produced by Jimmy Messer (Kelly Clarkson, AWOLNATION, Kygo) — is one that dives into such emotions and situations that we have all felt growing up, going through heartbreak and morphing into our own person. “FACE PNCH” features visceral vocals from Mad Hawkes, a relentless baseline, all put together to craft a low-fi sing-along.
“‘FACE PNCH’ is an expression of self-loathing and acknowledging sides of myself that are often in combat with one another. ‘I feel like a phony when you’re by my side’ is referring to faces I put on so I may slide under the radar unscathed, but I’m fed up with that behavior. I want to be me, even if that shit’s messy,” Mad Hawkes explains. “It’s about acknowledging who you really are and figuring out how to except it. It’s hard.”
“FACE PNCH” by Mad Hawkes can be heard at the top of this post, and if you like what you hear, you can keep up with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
