Girl with a Hawk shine on for those we loved and lost with ‘No One Like You’
Boston rock band leans in to the universality of loss with an effervescent new single out Friday, March 7 via Rum Bar Records
Linda Viens penned ‘No One Like You’ as a tribute to the impact and legacy of late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins
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Photo Credit: Kelly Davidson
BOSTON, Mass. [March 7, 2025] – When a famous artist passes away, their fans often mourn in significant ways – not because the adoring audience knew that individual personality, but simply because that person helped them know themselves. The most impactful types of fandom have a reflective nature to them; the ones we admire can bring out the best in ourselves, and continue to influence us in death as they did in life.
When Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters died unexpectedly while on tour in 2022, the news sent shockwaves through the music community. Many took to social media to pay tribute, others took to the stage to play his songs. Linda Viens did what she does best – she wrote a song, and a few years later, that reflective instinct comes through in “No One Like You,” the new Girl with a Hawk single set for release on Friday, March 7 on Rum Bar Records.
And while Hawkins’ death was the impetus for “No One Like You,” its themes extend outward towards the universality of loss, and how losing a person who inspired can shine a light on our need for empathy.
“It was one of those ‘gifts from the gods’ songs – it flowed into the heart and mind in one tearful piece,” Viens admits. “The song came through the ether as a whole entity, and was written subconsciously from Dave Grohl’s point of view, but also from the point of view of speaking through the veil to my own lost ones who died suddenly and shockingly – whether from health struggles or untimely overdoses or, most torturously, from the tragedy of suicide.”
“No One Like You,” arriving fresh off Viens’ induction into the New England Music Hall of Fame, is Girl with a Hawk’s first new music since a pair of fall 2024 singles, and sets up a new record from the Boston quintet due out later this year. And it continues Girl with a Hawk’s penchant for weary, weathered, heart-on-sleeve storytelling; something Viens and the band have developed over time as rock and roll lifers.
“Reflecting on the lyrics now, I can see that they were most influenced by the decades of experience of being in bands; the camaraderie and the conflicts, the constant stream of shared experiences: gigging and driving and hanging and waiting; keeping each other close, but also at a necessary distance sometimes; the exhilaration of performance and the lonely let downs when the shows are over,” Viens adds. “The lyrics are also a reflection on the poignant truth that we all hold secrets and that we don’t always know what is going on internally with even our closest friends and family members.”
“No One Like You” was produced and engineered by Pete Weiss and recorded with Weiss at Panoramic House Studio in Stinson Beach, California, part of three new tunes that will eventually help compose the band’s debut full-length record. It was mixed and mastered by Weiss a little closer to home, at Jade Cow Music in Somerville, Massachusetts, with vocal overdubs recorded at Somerville’s Bluetone Studio and assistant engineering done by David Grabowski.
Where the aforementioned singles – “#Vote (Rock The Boat)” and “Share It All” – leaned into Americana territory, exposing a new side of the band and revealing them to new audiences, this new single “No One Like You” rekindles that classic Girl with a Hawk alt-rock sound, sparkling with a gritty effervescence first heard on 2023’s keep ‘er lit EP.
Viens says there was no concerted effort to steer the new material’s sound in any certain direction, at least consciously.
“But it does make me laugh that this song has the most ‘90’s rock vibe and drive and sound of anything I have written for this band,” she admits with a laugh. “I didn’t really notice until the song was mixed and mastered and in my hands. ‘No One Like You’ kicks the year off with a harder feel and sound than the songs we put out in 2024, perhaps because the tender hopes we held for our country and our community have been seriously shaken in these early days of the new presidency. Leaning into vulnerability has always been my personal M.O. but something fiercer, tougher and more protective of each other is what is needed right now.”
Viens understands that while everyone is feeling the pressure of the chaos of modern life, where social contracts are broken and neighbors are lashing out at neighbors, musicians and all types of artists are especially vulnerable – from the physical labor of writing, recording, and performing to doing all that for relatively small wages and compensation to a lack of health insurance and rise of mental illness to the heavy alcohol and drug use that has taken so many musical heroes.
“We barely have the time or the brain capacity to absorb and process the amount of pain we take in from the world,” she notes. “But art, beauty, music, film, books, all help to bridge these chasms of despair, bringing us moments of understanding, emotional release, solace, peace and genuine joy.”
When Viens sings “Shine on, my brother / In the history of the world, there is no other” in the chorus of “No One Like You,” its sentiment rings out like a beacon of hope with the band supplying harmony vocals. And as Girl with a Hawk once again come together in unison – Viens joined in the solidified and now-familiar lineup of Richard Lamphear (keyboards, backing vocals), Daniel Coughlin (guitar), Dan Bernfeld (bass), and Nancy Delaney (drums) – it proves that music has a bonding quality that starts with those who first create it, and is then passed on to those who absorb it. In the end, we are one.
“Making songs that pack a punch and give people strength to face what is to come is what’s on my own mind right now,” Viens concludes. “There’s no goal but to make some music that we feel good about and if the music we make touches people – that is just immensely satisfying.
Perhaps Taylor Hawkins would agree.
Media Contact: Please direct radio inquiries to Lou Mansdorf at malibuloupr@gmail.com,
and reach Girl with a Hawk directly at viens.linda@gmail.com.
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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
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‘No One Like You’ artwork:
Cover design by Linda Viens
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‘No One Like You’ production credits:
Written by Linda S. Viens and performed by Girl with a Hawk
Produced and engineered by Pete Weiss
Mixed and mastered by Weiss at Jade Cow Music in Somerville, MA
Recorded at Panoramic House Studio in Stinson Beach, CA
Vocal Overdubs recorded at Bluetone Studio in Somerville MA. Assistant engineer: David Grabowski
Cover design by Linda Viens
(c) 2025 Girl with a Hawk. All Rights Reserved
A Rum Bar Records release: 03.07.25
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‘No One Like You’ lyrics:
Nothing to say, only a world that is burning
Just another day, but it's you that it's missing
I see the sun, but I cannot feel its warming
I looked at the clouds, but I did not heed their warning
All of the places, that we have seen together
All of the gigs, in all kinds of weather
We didn't know, that we held it all, in our hands
Everything that matters, our families and our friends
Shine on, my brother
In the history of the world, there is no other
What could we have done, did I ever turn a blind eye
The way that you smiled, was there something you were hiding
What I would not give, just to hear you say, ‘man I love you’
Just one more time, to pull you close and hug you
Shine on, my brother
In the history of the world, there is no other
I wish I had said, give me your pain, turn it over
Pour it into my hands, and I'll take it down to the river
And when you wake up, you'll feel light as a feather
For all was released in the mighty waters of the Mother
Shine on, my brother
In the history of the world, there is no other
Like you, no one like you, no one like you, no one like you.
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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.
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Media praise for Girl with a Hawk:
“powerful and well-crafted…” _WBUR, Boston’s NPR
“Stunning.” _The Whole Kameese
“Girl with a Hawk have finally arrived.” _Guitar Girl Magazine
“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
“The overall theme of [‘Share It All’] is one of compassion, kindness, and selflessness – as evidenced in Viens’ weathered and weary but ultimately hopeful delivery. And she reflects that those three attributes are ones we all could use a little bit more of in our lives, especially when faced by something larger than the individual, something that requires collective action. _Americana UK
“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
Girl With a Hawk have quietly become a favorite here at If It's Too Loud... The Boston band has this great roots based rock sound that is one of the sounds we've possibly covered the most. Their latest single, ‘Share It All,’ is one of the band's more Americana leaning songs. It's rock, but in a quieter, almost country sort of way. The song is laid back but upbeat, and is oddly infectious the longer you listen. To me it sounds like a cross between The Pretenders and Lucinda Williams.” _If It’s Too Loud
“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
“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
“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
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Press and Radio Contact: Lou Mansdorf at malibuloupr@gmail.com
Band Contact: Linda Viens at viens.linda@gmail.com
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You the best sister angel ♥️
Thank you for capturing the inneffable time and time again Michael - so grateful for the beauty, shimmer, and mastery you bring to Knyvet which rubs off on us all. :))