Girl with a Hawk embraces a collective euphoria with ‘Share It All’
Boston band led by Linda Viens looks out at the world through a lens of oneness on new single out Friday, October 25 via Rum Bar Records
Election Day single ‘#VOTE (Rock The Boat)’: Listen on Spotify + Watch on YouTube
SPOTIFY . BANDCAMP . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK . TWITTER . LINKTREE . RUM BAR RECORDS
Photo Credit: Kelly Davidson
BOSTON, Mass. [October 25, 2024] -- Girl with a Hawk knows that it takes a village. And when that village comes together, anything can happen – even in the most desperate of times.
Fresh off the release of call-to-action folk song “#VOTE (Rock The Boat)”, the Boston rock band led by Linda Viens is set to release new single “Share It All” on Friday, October 25 via Rum Bar Records, with the colorful and engaging Joan Hathaway-directed lyric video to follow a few days later. The Americana-leaning “Share It All” was produced and engineered by Pete Weiss, and the single artwork was created and designed by Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative.
Those are just some of the names – Hathaway, Weiss, Anguish, and Rum Bar’s Lou Mansdorf – that are part of Girl with a Hawk’s expansive creative orbit. And as “Share It All” revels in a common sense of joy and euphoria by looking at ourselves as one collective unit, acknowledging the successes and triumphs of others to aid a shared cause, it’s a sentiment worth exploring as our country heads to further division on the eve of November’s historic presidential election.
“‘Share it All’ is about a way of looking at the world through the lens of our oneness, not our differences,” says Viens. “It draws from the Stoic concept of Sympatheia; that we must look after one another because we are all one, part of an interconnected cosmos. We are cut from the same human cloth, and breathe and think and live the same, no matter what superficial differences may appear to exist.”
It’s an important reminder as Americans get set to head to the polls in November. And while “Share It All” is not a political song, it’s one of compassion, kindness, and selflessness – as evidenced in Viens’ weathered and weary but ultimately hopeful delivery. Those three attributes are ones we all could use a little bit more of in our lives.
“We see this when disaster strikes; a devastating accident, hurricane, earthquake, or in the case of this song, the Covid epidemic. There is very little we can do to control tragic events, but we can help our fellow citizens and fellow human beings in the midst of one if we recognize in them that we are one and the same in our humanness and pain.
Viens first penned “Share It All” during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and, as she often does, took philosophical inspiration from Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who between 171–175 CE wrote: “Meditate often on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the universe.” At a time when family, friends, and colleagues were separated, forced to socially distance and isolate to curb the spread of the viral disease, the Boston music scene veteran was drawn to Aurelius’ idea that “understanding how we are all connected and dependent on each other encourages us to see past our differences, and help one another, even in small daily kindnesses. Seeing each other as ‘other’ emboldens alienation.”
At the time, she was feeling that type of alienation, spending four months delivering meals in Roxbury and Dorchester straight out of a local food kitchen to local residents. Her experiences helping to feed those in need – from all walks of life, from race to social status to whatever other arbitrary lines prevent us from coming together – were in stark contrast to the messages the world was sending to the masses.
“People of color were dying by the thousands because they had to keep working; in hospitals, grocery stores, picking up our trash, repairing roads, driving buses, etc.,” Viens recalls. “All the ‘essential workers’. Everywhere I looked I saw the same shared pain and fear in everyone’s faces. But many, many people stepped up to help during that time, and our recognition of who is actually an ‘essential worker’ really shifted. We also experienced an expansion of awareness with the murder of George Floyd and the rise of the #metoo and #blacklivesmatter movements.”
Viens adds: “The worldwide epidemic of Covid raised a tremendous amount of awareness because it affected every country and every social class in the world. It certainly shifted my own perspective. There are so many things I will never take for granted again. ‘Share it All’ was born of a newfound appreciation for my brave fellow humans!”
And for Girl with a Hawk, her fellow humans that helped bring “Share It All” to vibrant life are those she calls her bandmates, all of which contribute backing vocals in addition to their instruments: Keyboardist Richard Lamphear; guitarist Daniel Coughlin; drummer Nancy Delaney; and bassist and relative new recruit Dan Bernfeld.
In addition to the names cited up top, “Share It All” features tambourine by Weiss, who also mixed and mastered the track at Jade Cow Music, Somerville MA. It was recorded at Mad Oak Studio in Allston MA with assistant engineer Mia Govoni, with overdubs recorded at Bluetone Studio in Somerville, MA, with assistant engineer David Grabowski.
For “Share It All,” the sharing has already been widespread, with many combining to form a creative ecosystem around the Girl with a Hawk sound. And like the preceding “#VOTE (Rock The Boat)”, “Share It All” has a newfound twang in its sound, expanding Girl with a Hawk’s rock and roll template with a varied spectrum of styles that can be adapted to now include Americana, alt-country, and roots rock. And Viens credits Bernfeld for that.
“There is no question that the deeply melodic playing of Dan B. has subtly moved our sound in a more American roots direction,” Viens admits with pride. “He is young, but an old soul musically, and loves all the same artists who influenced us growing up: The Band, The Faces, The Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, etc. Playing with him has edged us away from harder contemporary rock in a certain way, and added a soulfulness that fits well with the spirit of deep grooves, pop, and shared joy that we are often going for in our songs.”
That will further manifest itself in 2025, when Girl with a Hawk takes “Share It All” and “Way With Words,” as well as new music just recorded with Weiss of Jade Cow Music at the Panoramic Studio in Northern California, and begin to put together a debut full-length album.
Some of the new stuff may even be heard across the band’s healthy slate of shows to close out this year: an acoustic set at the Square Root for the International Pop Festival with Sal Baglio and Kelly Knapp on October 30; a highlight gig at The Burren in Somerville with The Cynz and SpeedFossil on November 15; another acoustic show the Worthen Attic in Lowell on December 10; and a final 2024 performance at Sally O’Brien’s with Crow Follow and Evelyn Pope on December 13.
Much is happening in the world of Girl with a Hawk. And the band is well aware of their position.
“Share It All’ is an invocation of the idea that there is enough to go around, enough money, enough opportunity, enough of everything,” Viens concludes. “Hoarding, hiding, denying others what we have plenty of, only hurts us in the end. If you are lucky enough to be well, help those who are unwell, and that means emotionally, as well as physically. Pay it forward every time, if you can, if you can find a way. Giving and receiving are a continuous circle; that’s the heart of this song.”
Media Contact: Please direct all press inquiries to Michael Marotta at michael@knyvet.com,
radio inquiries to Lou Mansdorf at malibuloupr@gmail.com,
and reach Girl with a Hawk directly at viens.linda@gmail.com.
***
Girl with a Hawk is:
Linda Viens: Lead vocals, guitars
Richard Lamphear: Keys, backing vocals
Daniel Coughlin: Guitars, backing vocals
Dan Bernfeld: Bass, backing vocals
Nancy Delaney: Drums, backing vocals
***
‘Share It All’ production credits:
All songs written by Linda S. Viens and performed by Girl with a Hawk
Produced, engineered and tambourined by Pete Weiss
Mixed and mastered by Pete at Jade Cow Music, Somerville MA
Recorded at Mad Oak Studio in Allston, MA with assistant engineer: Mia Govoni
Overdubs recorded at Bluetone Studio in Somerville, MA with assistant engineer: David Grabowski
Cover design by Nicole Anguish
Lyric video by Joan Hathaway
(c) 2024 Girl with a Hawk. All Rights Reserved
A Rum Bar Records release: 10.25.24
***
‘Share It All’ artwork:
Cover design by Nicole Anguish
***
‘Share It All’ lyrics:
I took too much for granted
All of my life
I didn’t understand it, I hadn’t seen the light
Was I only playin’ at, getting free
I’ve opened up the history books, and
Now I’m down on my knees
When I’m walking down the street
What do I see
A thousand different faces
And every one of them is me
We are bent but not broken
Like trees in the wind
That which does not break us,
Is what breaks us in
Could it be more clear
Why we are here
To share it all, to share it all, to share it all
To share it all, to share it all, to share it all
You can turn your eyes away
Pretend that you don’t see
How much everybody else
Is just like you and me
Love could rule the world
And all people could be free
If those who are strong
Would carry the weak
Could it be more clear
Why we are here…
To share it all, to share it all, to share it all
To share it all, to share it all, to share it all
To share it all, to share it all, to share it all
Could it be more clear…
***
Girl with a Hawk bio:
Linda Viens began playing music with the gift of a classical Mexican guitar from her Dad for her 12th birthday. In college she got into punk rock. She played drums and sang in the punk band, Children of Paradise, went on to lead local roots rockers, Witch Doctor, sang cabaret with collaborator Catherine Coleman in Les Chanteuse Sorcieres, and formed the notorious funk orchestra Crown Electric Company with her former husband Wayne Viens in the mid-nineties. Linda was a founding member of Boston Rock Opera and has performed in many musical theater productions, including Sgt. Pepper, Jesus Christ Superstar, Abbey Road, Preservation, and Billion Dollar Babies vs. Aqualung. Linda has produced and recorded with some of Boston's finest including Mark Sandman (Morphine), Richie Parsons (Unnatural Axe), Asa Brebner (Modern Lovers), Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses), Jon Macey (Fox Pass), Adam Sherman (Private Lightening, Nervous Eaters) and released the album Powdered Pearls with Emily Grogan and their band together, Angeline in 2006. Linda went on to form Kingdom of Love, a studio project with producer and musical partner Richard Lamphear and released their EP Ghosts in 2017. Linda continues to work with Richard in her new band, Girl with a Hawk, formed during the Pandemic in 2021.
Richard Lamphear is a songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. His former bands include alt- punk band Amoebas in Chaos and Kingdom of Love. Daniel Coughlin is a guitar player and arranger. His former bands include Children of Paradise, Witch Doctor, Lazy Susan, and The Illyrians. Nancy Delaney plays drums. Her former bands include Willard Grant Conspiracy, Boston Rock Opera and Cold Expectations. Daniel Bernfeld is a bassist and singer-songwriter. He is also a member of Sour Parade.
***
Media praise for Girl with a Hawk:
“Stunning” _The Whole Kameese
“Girl with a Hawk have finally arrived.” _Guitar Girl Magazine
“powerful and well-crafted…” _WBUR, Boston’s NPR
“With their debut EP, Keep ‘Er Lit, Boston’s Girl With A Hawk have crammed an impressive amount of promise into just five songs. You can’t help but think of Chrissie Hynde when you listen to the smoky, hypnotic vocals of Linda S. Viens. And The Pretenders are an apt starting point for the band as Girl with a Hawk play a similar brand of punk influenced, melody-heavy, pretension-free rock ‘n’ roll.” _New Noise Magazine
“Girl with a Hawk, rockers at heart, turned the encouraging tune into a jaunty country folk pop gem you can hum, sing and whistle along all day long. Here in Europe, we are also waiting with anticipation for the election results. Whoever wins the White House, it’ll have an impact on the rest of the world. Europe wants democracy to prevail, it takes care of humanity in all aspects. While waiting, let’s rock the boat, and vote for GWAH today.” _Turn Up The Volume
“20 minutes of enervating pop-rock, in which guitars bite viciously at times, but the strong vocals keep everything together – music for which you would turn up the radio.” _Add To Want List
“The five-song EP is a fun mix of modern rock and Americana with engaging storytelling. Girl with a Hawk’s keep ‘er lit mix of modern rock, new wave, and early 90’s rock influences is engaging, and the band’s musical career will be a fun one to keep listening to.” _I’m Music Magazine
“Step into the mesmerizing realm of “Girl with a Hawk” [which] weaves not just melodies but enchanting tapestries of sound and emotion. Their story is a captivating odyssey, an exploration of music’s very soul.” _The Up & Up
“‘Way with Words’ is a song that eloquently captures the constantly evolving sound of this genre-bending quintet as they deliver another soon-to-be live favorite. If you’re new to the Hawk Rawk then ‘Way with Words’ might be your best starting point as it fuses a lot of what’s to love from last year’s keep ‘er lit release.” _Rock And Roll Fables
“‘Feel Me’ is a searing message about connection, love…and love lost. The brilliance of this song is reflective of the incredible catalog of GWAH: infectious melody, alluring lyrics and an unforgettable message!” _Rock Never Rusts
“‘Feel Me’ is a song that is well balanced, including a rough edge besides an 80s pop side in the keyboard. Kim Wilde on a rock guitar, something like that. It all ends with a guitar solo that simply sets the world ablaze for a short while. ‘Feel Me’ deserves to be heard far and wide.” _WoNo Magazine
“Songs filled with muscle and melody!” _Boston Groupie News
“‘Feel Me’ is a garage rock meets New Wave song that is much darker than you’d normally expect with a blending of those two genres. Viens is just pouring her heart into this one, and, as much pain as there is in the song, it’s also a rock song. So far all of the tributes to Justine Covault that we’ve covered have been sad and mournful, but they’ve also rocked, which is the perfect tribute to one of the biggest champions of the Boston music scene.” _If It’s Too Loud
“It is a song [‘The Romantic’] that in its rock 'n' roll melodies channels influences from Tom Petty, The Pretenders, Wilco... and that its composer defines as an ode to true love.” _Exile SH Magazine
“... ‘Same Stars’ became one with my soul. More than a song to me, it’s become an anthem of hope. Hope through the turbulent times and seemingly insurmountable odds we may face in our lives. A reminder to ‘never give up the day before a miracle happens’. When I reach the end of my days, those who truly know me, know of three songs that I want played in my memory. I think my list just got longer.” _“Boris” Boden, The Secret Weapon on Woody Radio
***
Press Contact: Michael Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Radio Contact: Lou Mansdorf at malibuloupr@gmail.com
Band Contact: Linda Viens at viens.linda@gmail.com
***
SPOTIFY . BANDCAMP . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK . TWITTER . LINKTREE . RUM BAR RECORDS
