Hawk‘s forthcoming EP, She Knows, released on the 17th of March 2017, see’s the band delve into darker territory with five tracks that flow continuously as one powerful and dreamlike soundscape, infused with Julie’s memorable swoop their sound is as influenced by post-punk as it is by meticulous enveloping pop soundscapes.
She Knows covers a range of themes including inequality, exclusion and preconceptions and generalisations faced by different social groups every day. Hawk’s acute social awareness is a trait that the band hold dear but instead of unravelling these ideas into brash political punk songs, they convey their message with beauty and grace. They’re not a ‘political band’ but instead a group of friends using their creative talents to mirror the inequalities they witness in everyday life. Julie from Hawk tells us all about the track Mirror Maze and how it relates to the themes of feminity and body image and what society expects from us from a female perspective:
“Mirror Maze is about feeling trapped between the different ideals we have about body image and femininity. While there is a huge movement towards ‘body positivity’ these days, this in itself can be problematic, oversimplified and not inclusive of all women and body types. Beyond the physical, there are other taboos that we are encouraged not to break. Online, we see hundreds of memes encouraging women to break the glass ceiling, but in everyday life, my experience is that we are not always rewarded for speaking up and trying to play an equal role as the men in our lives. I’ve often felt like there’s a huge difference between the slogans we spout about women’s rights and the reality of how we live them in day-to-day life, and for me, this can be a source of confusion and damage.
This was the inspiration for Mirror Maze. There are so many conflicting messages out there about how women should behave. What starts as praising one woman for being strong can quickly turn into shaming other women for coming across as domestic or docile. (Or dressing like Baby Spice, whom I freaking adore!) Mirror Maze references some of my own experiences with microaggressions. I remember being baffled by my ex who told me I smiled too easily; like some kind of Austenian parody! They seem like tiny instances, but these exhausting little battles can add up when you have to confront them every day. And after a particularly challenging day, turning on Facebook only to be met with a barrage of #blessed ‘wellness’ memes can feel a little too sickly to offer any real solution. I would love if each of us could turn a blind eye to these influences and just love being ourselves in our own amazing bodies, but in reality, these voices can sometimes find a way through. And if I’m finding this confusing, it makes me wonder what kind of message it sending to younger generations who are growing up with such a reliance on social media.
Mirror Maze feels to me like one of the poppiest tracks we’ve written, and when we’re on stage it’s the point in the set where I feel I’m most out of my comfort zone. Not necessarily in a bad way. I want to capture the lyrics and give them their moment, but I also want to dance and use the stage as a chance to feel good in my own body. There’s a point in the outro where the guys start playing on their own and I’m left with no choice but to jump around the stage, trying to emulate Lauren Mayberry. For me, that’s the point of the song where it becomes a celebration of overcoming body issues rather than a lament. I think there’s a lovely irony to singing a pop song, which can get a bad rep for having pretty for showing women in a pretty one-dimensional light, which is honest about the fluidity of body image. Yes, one day I can feel pressured and uncomfortable in my own skin, and another day I can celebrate it.”
