Freedom Hawk Premiere “Liftoff”; New LP Due This Summer
Posted in audiObelisk on March 25th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Virginia Beach heavy rockers Freedom Hawk will release their new single ‘Liftoff’ on April 2. At nine minutes long, reportedly completely improvised and captured on the first take, it’s about as raw as the four-piece have ever presented themselves. Their reputation, at least as far as I’m concerned, is for being a songwriting-minded band. They’re never too flashy on a technical level, and even when they jam out, they do so in a structural context. Well, like so many of the rules by which the world has previously been governed, all that goes out the window here. Do I think Freedom Hawk are turning into a heavy jam band and that their next album is going to be just like this? Nope. But as a one-off, it’s a pretty killer look at the basic dynamic of what happens when these guys get together and just let sound flow.
You might recall last summer when Freedom Hawk — guitarist/vocalist T.R. Morton, guitarist Brendan O’Neill, bassist Mark Cave and drummer Lenny Hines — got together and did a rehearsal-space livestream (review here) that, among other tunes culled from their catalog, featured a few new songs. “Liftoff” might have been born in the same room, but it’s a different intent, and in terms of sound it goes more to showing how the band start sculpting their material rather than how they refine it once the
structure is set. In another context, in another time, parts of “Liftoff” might become something else — they still might for all I know — or end up on the backburner like any number of other jams any number of other bands tool around with along the way in their respective practice spots.
What makes “Liftoff” different? Well, it works well on its own terms, but frankly, if it didn’t the band probably wouldn’t bother to put it out at all. The airy, lead-soaked progression is mellow but held together by the drums such that when it bursts out it doesn’t do so out of nowhere, and I mean, not for nothing, but Freedom Hawk do this kind of spaciousness pretty well. I know their thing is usually more locked down, but they’ve had psychedelia in their playbook for a long time. “Liftoff” proves they’re able to pull it off in a way to which they haven’t treated their listeners before.
The video below is found footage that seems largely geared toward enhancing the atmosphere and giving you something to watch while you float along with the band. It does what it needs to do in that regard, and as always, I hope you enjoy.
Info on the single release follows, as well as confirmation of Freedom Hawk‘s next LP’s hopeful arrival in August.
Dig:
Freedom Hawk, “Liftoff” official track premiere
April 2nd – Single Release – “Liftoff”
Despite the pandemic wave cancelling our tour mid-run and cancelled future tours we channeled all our creative energy into setting up our own recording/rehearsal space and writing a new 9 song album. We are right now recording these 9 songs for an Aug release via Ripple Music!
Part of this journey allowed us to record every rehearsal and spontaneous jam. This is one of them – a 9-minute spontaneous live jam single. This is a first take. This jam was captured on Sept, 30, 2020.
This will be a digital only release through our 2008 imprint Magic Lady Records in partnership with Ripple Music.
Killer cover artwork from the aerosol master – Mark Fussell
If you sign up on our email list at www.freedomhawk.net you can get it early.
Lyrics: You tell us…. we can’t remember.
Live Recording from Freedom Hawk’s Rehearsal Space
Mixing Engineer: Ian Watts
The Magic Closet South, Portland, OR
Mastering Engineer: Chris Goosman
Baseline Audio Labs, Ann Arbor, MI
www.baselineaudio.com
Get ready for – Liftoff!
