Los Angeles artist Mad Hawkes unleashed her firestorm of a debut EP today titled, Undone, via Parts & Labor Records and it’s not one to sleep on!
A captivating reflective of what it feels like to be a woman in your early to mid-twenties, Undone captures the uncomfortable and perplexing narrative we all fall prey to, giving all of those insecurities we were told we’d be rid of a voice, making it impossible to turn away. In other words, it’s relatable as f&*$!
We asked the singer to give us a breakdown of each track off of Undone in this exclusive track-by-track commentary. Enjoy and don’t forget to pick up Undone now here!
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“Face Punch”
Jimmy Messer sent me this guitar part he came up with and asked if I wanted to write to it. It was the first time I wrote to a track rather than sitting down with my guitar. I wasn’t totally sure which bit was supposed to be the chorus, it was an interesting lay out. So one day I was in my room looping the track, pacing in circles…ha. And I got so frustrated because I couldn’t find the words, so I sang, ‘I love myself say it everyday, I hate myself punch me in the face.’ And then I thought, ‘well, that might work.’
“Fantasy”
“Fantasy” went through a lot of changes from the moment I sat down with my guitar to where it is now. I wrote it from a place of self-loathing and frustration. I was making decisions that were counter productive to what I really wanted. When I took it to the studio to work with Jimmy he helped me find the words to elevate “Fantasy” and to really get my point across. It’s so impressive the way he can hear a song and basically know exactly what it needs to turn it into something great. I really liked how we took a song with the lyrical depth that it has and turned into an upbeat, move your body jam. I love that contrast.
“Bleeding Out”
I wrote “Bleeding Out” a few years back when I was interning at Parts + Labor Records. I was going through my first heartbreak and was sooo devastated. I grabbed one of the guitars in the studio and started whisper writing because I didn’t want to disturb Jimmy and whoever he was working with. This is one of those songs that sort of writes itself. I was able to finish the whole thing in one sitting, which neverrr happens. But it felt so good, it was so raw and real. It took me a minute to play it for anyone because I was too emotional about it. When I showed it to Jimmy a couple years later he loved it. He helped make it the song it is now. It is still one of the most heartfelt songs I have ever written, it’s a very special one to me.
“Mistress”
“Mistress” is the product of a short encounter I had with some asshole. I was 21 probably. It was one of those moments in life when you are fresh in the world as an adult and realize that some people just suck. I was so taken aback that this dude had been lying to me and to his significant other. So grossed out and bummed out. So naturally, I wrote a song about it. Initially it was more of a punk song, very guitar driven. Very angry. So when I went to work on it with Jimmy it was super interesting to see how he was able to manipulate it into this rad, slowed down, more beat driven tune. It’s my favorite song to perform at the moment.
“Used To Be Mine”
This is one of the first songs that I started writing on the piano. I was broken up with by a man who I truly loved very deeply and was fully taken by surprise when he ended it. I was angry and hurt and decided to write it down rather than make crazy ex-girlfriend phone calls. It was only half a song when I showed it to Joe (the synth master of the group). He and Jimmy both helped me articulate what I was going through, which is a very vulnerable place to be in. Tears were definitely shed in the writing process for “Used To Be Mine.” But it was also very healing to have them be that deeply involved. I am surrounded by very talented, loving people which is what makes writing these songs so special. It’s a safe space to be honest because we all want the same things. We want to make great music that connects with as many people as possible.
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