Hawk Percival ‘Night Moods’ – video premiere

We’ve been following the music of this young lady from LA for some time now, so here’s the latest from HAWK PERCIVAL, taken from her debut album for Think Like A Key

Shindig!: Hawk Percival: Is it an artist/group name or more of a persona, akin to Ziggy Stardust?

Hawk Percival: Hawk Percival is my persona, The Hawk is based on my shadow side and shadow feelings. It is also the shortened version of my name, Autumn Hawk Percival. I came up with the name when I was 16 years old and have been using it since then.

S!: Can you share your journey in music and songwriting? How long have you been crafting lyrics and melodies?

HP: I started playing piano at seven years old, I had a piano teacher named Vera. That same year, I saw the movie The Yellow Submarine for the first time and decided after watching that I wanted to be a musician like Paul McCartney. I have been writing songs since then but obviously my first compositions were not the best. When I was nine years old, I watched the ‘Start Me Up’ video for the first time and decided that I wanted to be a guitar player. At 12 years old, I started playing viola in music class and was also in choir. I taught myself how to play cello, violin and anything with strings. I started composing songs that I actually enjoyed in my early 20s.

S!: In your opinion, what is it about the music from the ’60s and ’70s that continues to captivate audiences who weren’t even born during that era?

HP: Music from the ’60s and ’70s were written by people who were not imprinted by technology and social media. People back then had more emotional range and depth then the present generation. Love was more authentic and poetic, people actually wrote lyrics that were profound, not vulgar and synthetic. The lyrical content written in the ’60s and ’70s is exponentially better than the lyrical content in music now because people actually read books during that time. Live music was better during that time as well, any Bruce Springsteen live performance during 1978 will blow your mind! \

S!: Some listeners find your songs to have a potentially autobiographical feel. To what extent do your personal experiences influence your songwriting?

HP: My songs are completely autobiographical, I grew up listening to a lot of Bob Dylan, I am heavily influenced by him. One of the many things that I admire about Bob Dylan is that he’s very honest but also poetic when it comes to his lyrics. He’s not afraid to talk about the things that bring him shame and does it in an orphic way. Paul Simon’s music also helped me feel comfortable about singing and writing about my feelings towards my experiences in life. Some people are good at talking about their feelings, I like to sing about them. Music is the most efficient way to express ugly feelings in a beautiful way, if you are doing it right!

S!: Let’s talk about the music video for the title track of your debut album. The green screen effects are impressive, and there’s a lot of cool art happening in the background. Is this something you also worked on yourself?

HP: Thank you! I did all of the graphics myself through editing software. I had a lot of fun making the video, I hope that everyone enjoys it.

Hawk Percival’s debut “Night Moods” is available on CD via Think Like A Key Music here

And streaming digitally as two EPs, Nights Moods Vol. 1 and Night Moods Vol. 2, respectively.