The Hawkins Release “Aftermath” Mini Album

Swedish garage rock outfit The Hawkins have released their new mini-album, Aftermath. Following the release of 2020’s Silence is A Bomb and its affiliated live album, Live in the Woods, The Hawkins decided to make something different. The result is Aftermath, a conceptual mini-album, dealing with the destructive aftermath of past relationships. On Aftermath, The Hawkins‘ rock n roll-wittiness is presented in slightly darkened nuances. The band’s highly dynamic and quirky take on garage rock is performed with an underlying sense of held-back anger, angst and apprehension. Bolder and more experimental than before, Aftermath offers six tracks moving from explosive outbursts of energy to calmer, acoustic parts, with manic episodes in between.

Each track on Aftermath tells a story connected to the aftermath of a tattered relationship. The Hawkins‘ lead vocalist and guitarist Johannes Carlsson comments: “The theme of Aftermath is kind of like the five stages of grief, but in the context of a relationship falling apart. There is denial in ignoring the signals of destructive relationships. There is anger toward self profiteering martyrdom and recurring self-hatred from constantly fucking things up. Bargaining and begging for someone else to help you out of misery. Depression as an outcome in almost everything and acceptance in letting go.”

Despite its lyrical theme, The Hawkins‘ signature mix of entertaining songwriting and easy going energy is present throughout Aftermath, adding up to a highly ambivalent mixture of dead seriousness and fun. Aftermath is now available via streaming platforms and on CD with vinyl will follow on October 29th via The Sign Records.