Hawk and Dove make their New Hampshire debut on Sept. 20. We caught up with them and asked them all the tough questions one must ask a rock band.
You must get asked this a lot, but which one of you is Hawk and which one is Dove? If that isn’t a thing, then which of you is more hawklike and which is more dovely?
ELIJAH: This does come up often, and in 5 years we’ve never really answered it seriously, but the truth is there’s often a distinction that breaks down along these lines with us in the band – though it’s not always consistent as to who fills each role. More often, this project is about the juxtaposition between aggressive and tender, loud and quiet, grating and serene, you get the idea. . . and we will often play the opposite to the other’s presentation. If one of us is playing one role, the other will try to present a different perspective of the same idea. In reality though, John probably plays the hawk more often than I do, but we both take on our fair share of each.
Brooklyn is obviously a hotbed of indie rock. What sets you apart from every other band coming out of Williamsburg these days?
ELIJAH: This is a hard one, if only because we are so engrossed with our own work, that I don’t think we have a very good grasp on what everyone else is doing here. Mostly, we just have an amazingly talented group of friends that are playing somewhere around the city most nights of the week, and I love going to see them play whenever I’m not obliged to work or play music myself.
JOHN: I think that what sets us apart is that everyone has been playing for many years with countless projects in myriad genres. As a result, we have really honed our musical identities. I think that since everyone knows their voice, their contribution really ensures that Hawk and Dove’s sonic palette is unique and sounds inspired.
Tell us about your latest record This Yesterday Will Never End.
JOHN: This record is the culmination of a few years of constant work for us. It was a real joy to make, though it was not easy. We definitely set out to record the album with a very specific idea in mind, but through the process, our ideas changed profoundly and wonderfully. After the first couple of recording sessions, we realized that we had a lot less of an idea of where we were going musically than we thought. It was as if we dug up a bunch of bones and suddenly had to reconstruct the whole living animal from the remains.
In the following months, we found ourselves discovering our sound; what Hawk and Dove really was. We learned how to think about the big picture, how to utilize space and complexity, and how to make the music support Elijah’s lyrics. I think that the album is really special and challenging and darkly beautiful. This Yesterday Will Never End, like many of the records that influenced everyone in the band, takes repeat listens to fully absorb and appreciate.
Fill in the blank: If not for ________, you would not be where you are today.
ELIJAH: My mother, and her mother, are amazing musicians. My grandmother has a few children’s records recorded (and had me onstage at the Philly FolkFestival at the age of 5) and my mother was singing and playing songs around the house every single day growing up. Without them, I’d be a frog.
JOHN:I have thought about this a lot over the years – and I always think that there might be some big inspirational thing I can say in response to this question – but I keep coming back to the same thing: practice and a deep love for the process; that’s what got me here and what will always keep me moving.
If you could share the stage with one musician or band, who would it be?
ELIJAH: Hmmm, the first crowd of folks that come to mind are those that I would really just like to see perform up close. . . But if I must choose one? Leonard Cohen. He’s a hero of mine that I would also like to sing for, as well as listen to.
JOHN: Bonnie “Prince” Billy.
What is your ultimate goal, musically/career-wise?
ELIJAH: I know all I want is to be able to tour and make music all the time. I think it is that simple for me.
JOHN: I want to tour for a living, perform on all the late shows, be on the cover of Guitar Player magazine, and have a custom hand-built amplifier company on the side.
What should Concordians know before coming to your Sept. 20 show and why should they come out to the show?
ELIJAH: We have never played in New Hampshire before and we are super excited to be coming. I like to think we will offer Concordians a pretty unique musical experience, with six people, laying everything they have down for presentation. And when we’re all firing together, with extreme forcefullness, or restraint. . . I’ve been told many times, it is a sight and sound unlike any other.
