I See Hawks In LA

Hawks FactsPhotosShowsContact Hawks Facts Formed in 1999 by Rob Waller and brothers Paul and Anthony Lacques during a philosophical discussion and rock throwing session on an East Mojave desert trek, I See Hawks In L.A. wrote their first batch of songs and then sought advice from local country rock guru David Jackson, sideman with John Denver, Dillard and Clark, and Emmy Lou Harris. Jackson set up a few mics and recorded Rob and Paul, adding his own melodic bass lines. Read more on Last.fm …read full bio

Hawks FactsPhotosShowsContact Hawks Facts Formed in 1999 by Rob Waller and brothers Paul and Anthony Lacques during a philosophical discussion and rock throwing session on an East Mojave desert trek, I See Hawks In L.A. wrote their first batch of songs and then sought advice from local country rock guru David Jackson, sideman with John Denver, Dillard and Clark, and Emmy Lou Harris. Jackson set up a few mics and recorded Rob and Paul, adding his own melodic bass lines. This demo turned into featured songs on the Hawks eponymous debut on now-defunct Ethic Records, featuring legendary fiddler Brantley Kearns (Dwight Yoakam, Dave Alvin, Hazel Dickens). The CD established the Hawks signature sound: high lonesome three part harmonies, twang guitar and unadorned acoustic arrangements, with lyrics musing on mortality, whales, and the geography of pre-apocalyptic L.A. I See Hawks In L.A. received rave reviews, made the F.A.R. Alternative Country Chart, and continues to get regular airplay. With its experimental spirit and wide ranging musical influences, the record tweaked some traditionalists. But most agree that the Hawks have broken new ground. The Hawks hadn't planned on much more than back porch songwriting and beer drinking, but the buzz prompted them into live performing, and they quickly rose to the top of heap in the brand new Los Angeles alternative country scene. Bassist/vocalist Paul Marshall (Strawberry Alarm Clock, Hank Thompson, Rose Maddox) threw in with the Hawks after sitting in at Ronnie Mack's Barndance in Burbank, and after brother Anthony left to pursue documentary film making, drummer Shawn Nourse (Dwight Yoakum, James Intveld) signed on for a trip to Texas and SXSW and never left. Shows all over SoCal, from their basement downtown home of Coles Bar, down Sunset to the House of Blues, and across the 405 to the Cinema Bar, garnered the Hawks two L.A. Weekly Best Country Artist awards in 2002 and 2003. The Hawks second CD, "Grapevine," was released on the summer solstice 2004, and immediately went to #1 on the F.A.R. Chart, lingered in the Americana Chart's top 100 for months, and hit #2 on XM Radio's X Country station in January '05. Strong press reviews and a national audience followed the Hawks 28 city Summer '04 tour, from a state prison in Vermont to a Mississippi roadhouse to the Cactus Cafe and KUT's Eklektikos in Austin, to Hempfest in Seattle. Summer of '05 West Coast and Rockies tours brought the Hawks to the woods, and the woods to the Hawks. A strange beer commercial airing in Spain only made the Hawks a Euro presence for 15 minutes. The Hawks released their third CD, "California Country," in June '06, with guest spots from Chris Hillman, Rick Shea, Cody Bryant, Danny McGough, Tommy Funderburk, and other SoCal roots brethren. Tackling subjects like despair in Disney World, blackjack in Jackpot, hippie parenting, donkeys, and Senator Robert Byrd from West Virginia, "California Country" brings more bluegrass, Phase 90 country psychedelia, and steel driven honky tonk to the Hawks sonic empire (See REVIEWS page). That summer the Hawks hit the road with Tony Gilkyson and Kip Boardman for a 57 show tour of the U.S., England, and Scotland. Thirty states, two currencies, many varieties of local whiskey, including highlands single malts and North Carolina moonshine, not a lot of sleep, and too much fun. Highlights include the Belladrum Festival with peat burning teepees near Inverness, a Vermont barn dance, an outdoor festival near Yellowstone, and Joe's Pub in NYC. In March '08 the Hawks' 4th CD "Hallowed Ground," recorded in drummer Shawn Nourse's studio and Paul Lacques's Echo Park flat was mixed by Ethan Allen (Dengue Fever, The 88, Patti Griffin, Daniel Lanois) in January '08, with stellar guest spots from fiddlers Gabe Witcher and Dave Markowitz, pedal steel from Dave Zirbel, acoustic guitar from Rick Shea, and accordionist/pianist Richie Lawrence. Folkier and more experimental than previous Hawks outings, "Hallowed Ground" hits the street May 20, 2008. The Hawks have ended their no video policy with numerous YouTube videos (search "I See Hawks In L.A."), including: MOTORCYCLE MAMA The Hawks can be found in their native habitats: The Echo and outdoor fest Grand Performances in downtown Los Angeles, The Cinema Bar in Culver City, Ronnie Mack's Barn Dance, Pappy and Harriets and Gramfest in the high desert, and Ben Vaughn's Wonder Valley Music Fest at the Palms bar, even further east of nowhere; at acoustic house concerts, and any dive that will take them, from Seattle to San Diego, and all the Sans and Santas in between. In their past musical lives, from Strawberry Alarm Clock to The Bonedaddys, avante garde polkameisters Rotondi, twang noir instrumentalists Double Naught Spy Car, the Aman Folk Ensemble, and many others, the Hawks members have scored a feature film and several documentaries, provided songs, and appeared in countless movies and television shows, including Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, McCabe And Mrs. Miller, Tapeheads, Far Out Man, Condo Painting, Heart of the Sea: Kapolioka’ehukai, numerous HBO movies and documentaries, and NBC's Crime Story. In 2003 The Hawks scored a "Modern Marvels" for the History Channel, a documentary on American cattle ranching, creating soundscapes with old time fiddle, dobro, and jawharp, 1960's country stomp, and some space age (al la "Jetsons") guitar and human beat box. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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…shrink me down again