Letters from Dave Hawkins

A giant ant hill

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:04:26 +0000

appeared in our backyard a few weeks ago

Not a hill, a castle.

With multiple stacked mounds; vast underground networks connecting; secret entrances popping up throughout the yard, one a foot this way, another that.

And so every day we saw the ants scurrying under the cool morning air. The kind of air you breathe in slow and grateful gulps, before the heat creeps in and makes heavy labor unbearable, even for those enclosed in tiny, shiny, exoskeletons.

Yesterday, something magic happened.
The kids noticed it first.

An Ant Party.

A giant ant party!

Hundred of insects swarming on the surface:
Tiny black ants
Tiny black ants with wings

but also… Giant Winged Ones!

Their abdomens striped like bees, wings their length again, folded neatly on their backs. None of them flying - all of them marching - to the tops of the tallest blades of grass.

I’d never seen anything like it.
Was an attacker overtaking the colony?
It didn’t look like carnage.

We watched in curious awe as different shaped and abled insects hurried randomly and aimlessly (to us humans, at least).

After puzzling long enough over the insect ritual, we began ours - I took my littlest up to bed.

After a diaper was changed and pjs were snug, big brother and sister burst into the bedroom “daddy - come back they’re FLYING!!”

Bedtime be damned!

Stepping outside as tiny carapaces took flight, wings glistening like rising confetti in the golden hour. Every second another half dozen departures into the cool (and uncharacteristically humid) northeast evening air.

My wife had done her research in the meantime:

These were queen ants!

Hundreds of queens, each leaving her colony in search of a new home, a nuptial flight into an enormous unknown.

This morning - I stand out here alone, again in the cool morning air. I take a deep breath as I crouch.

The hill is empty and void of movement and life. A lone Yellowjacket buzzes by, unaware to the generational migration that took place hours before.

Farewell & Godspeed little ants.

Do you still have your old CDs?

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:00:35 +0000

Hey everybody,

This is just a quick update to let you know that I’ve made my Half Alive EP available for purchase on both vinyl and compact disc through Elastic Stage:

Half Alive - elasticStage

songs about the loops we get stuck in and the moments that break us out

I recently received and reviewed the proofs and they look & sound great!

A look at the vinyl layout

I want to be super transparent; because I cannot justify a bulk order of either, these are not cheap! :/ After tax and shipping (from the UK) are included, the CDs are $28 and vinyl comes close to $50.

And to be entirely clear about where the money goes. With the on-demand cutting, I get about a ~20% royalty, which nets out to about $10-15 per vinyl. The margins are tight!! If you just want to support the music financially, Bandcamp is still the best (I keep 85% normally, and 100% on Bandcamp Fridays!)

The physical proof arrived!

I don’t expect anybody to consider this a Good Deal, but I think it’s really cool that artists even have the opportunity in this day and age to offer one-off, on-demand vinyl. So I went ahead and designed all the artwork anyway. BUT… if you’d like to own a physical piece of media containing my music, this is the best opportunity I can provide at the moment.

Hawk vinyl spinning

where have i been?

A month or so ago I deactivated all my social media accounts. I think it’s been net-good for my mental health. I also lost all my known avenues for promoting my music. ha.

More thoughts on this to come.

what’s next?

I recorded an entire instrumental album (!!!) using 95% one instrument (my Roland S-1 synthesizer) a few field recordings, and some “percussion” I had laying around my house. (literally a hardened piece of air dry clay inside its plastic container, thank you daughter)

It’s something to listen to while your eyes are closed and you are floating through space. I hope you’ll actually do that. I’m currently reviewing the final mixes. I will let you know when I have something to listen to, something completely different!

And yes, I have songs in development. I really want to release an album but still have a ways to go on that.

Thanks for following along with me on this old-fashioned medium. Where once a month or so I can write you a letter.

With Love,

-Dave

this made me cry

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:44:46 +0000

Sometime last year I started keeping a list of songs that made me cry.

I tend to be a music first, lyrics second kind of listener. But it’s nearly always the lyrics that bring the waterworks.

So it’s always with headphones or.

At a show.

In a quiet car.

It doesn’t happen that often.

The other day on my way home from a doctor appointment, I pulled up my Release Radar Spotify playlist. While skipping through the AI slop [wtf] and children’s music that platform and my algorithm have become plagued with, this became the 5th song to make the list. (and it’s a reminder why I still try to go through Release Radar once a week, even though spotify and I are no longer allies; finding new music is important)

“Will I Be the Sun” - Eleri Ward

Through thumping chords on an upright piano, Eleri’s jazzy vocals emerge exploring all the different timbre’s a mouth can make. She starts exploring her upper range in a beautiful, still, falsetto. (I have a current fascination with singers who play around intentionally with and without vibrato like this) And just when you realize you already have everything you’d ever need from this song, a shimmering chorus fills the space around your head.

There’s something to the cosmological, bigger-than-all-of-us, lyrics that just went right through me.

Lighting up the world beneath me

Knowing everybody sees me

What will I see?

Here’s the rest of the songs that have got me if your curious. Of course I made a dedicated web page just for that.

https://mademecry.iamdavehawkins.com

“But dave I don’t care, what are you doing?”

I’ll be honest I haven’t felt much like *writing songs* for several months now. I haven’t introspected it much, and I don’t care to. I don’t feel driven to be productive with music. It comes and goes, I’ll figure out how to provide it a way out when it’s back.

That said, a close friend recently sent me this beautiful 80s instrumental music by Haruomi Hosono and I felt immediately inspired! That same morning I cranked out 3 ambient instrumental tracks using only my Roland S-1, and since then I’ve recorded 4 more! I’ll build this out to a full length album and release it independently, off-platform.

You all will be the first to know.

thanks again and as always for supporting independent music.

Has a song made you cry recently? Is there a song that always does it? What’s on your list? Tell me, I’d love to find out if it doe the same for me.

With Love,

-Dave

you don't have to stream my EP from billionaires anymore

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:56:40 +0000

hi,

I completed my EP in October 2025 and released it on Bandcamp with a very fun live listening party!

Today it’s available in its entirety everywhere else. That said - I’ve decided to do something more meaningful with this release by hosting a full streaming experience; directly and independently on my own website. You can even download the full-quality master .wav files. For free if you want. 😎 Send ‘em to a friend. Burn them on a cd. Let them thrive in your Downloads folder.

I’d rather you just own the music.

Click for the Half Alive EP

(you’ll find links there to the big streaming platforms as well if that’s what you prefer, but why?)

if you’ve been keeping up with the singles, you rock.

Tracklist

With Love - 4:02
A Loop - 4:38
Flicker - 4:37
Good Behavior - 3:12
Half Alive - 3:15

As far as the next thing, I have a long list of themes, lines, and recording techniques for a new ✨album✨. I’ve built a recording template to keep things cohesive; a palette of the specific mics, instruments, and plug-ins I’m currently drawn to. I also have a reference playlist for the aesthetic and a mountain of voice memos to sift through.

It’s the beginning all over again & it’s exciting 🚲

Thanks for being here 💙

-Dave

Good Behavior

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 17:52:44 +0000

In 1981, a mother named Marianne Bachmeier walked into a crowded courtroom, pulled a Beretta .22 from her purse, and fired seven shots.

Klaus Grabowski, the man on trial for the rape and murder of her seven-year-old daughter, Anna, died immediately.

The case sparked a global debate on vigilante justice. Marianne was eventually convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six years but released after three for Good Behavior

i'm pretty pissed off

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 13:25:02 +0000

3rd single off the EP landed on streaming platforms this past Friday; I’ll try to keep it short.

The song is about raising hopeful kids in a world where power keeps consolidating into the hands of a tiny, unimaginably wealthy few.

One of those billionaire families successfully lobbied the city of denver and managed to roll back a safe street design - that was planned right in front of my kid’s school - SO THAT THEY COULD TURN OUT OF THEIR GATED NEIGHBORHOOD MORE EASILY.

They hit us high, they hit us low, they hit us right in our backyard. I’m tired of watching them chip away at our future.

“Flicker” can be streamed everywhere or purchased on Bandcamp.

3, 2, 1.

flicker.iamdavehawkins.com

Thanks for listening,

-Dave

the fastest song i ever wrote?

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:13:10 +0000

Almost exactly 48 hours ago i was feeling some pretty powerful gratitude… I get to be a dad to three little kids i can still scoop up into my arms, I can hug my wife and snuggle our dog, visit my parents, my brothers, my in-laws, and even my grandma (98 years old!)

despite *everything else* - it’s hard not to feel really really really lucky to have so much of what really matters

and well… i guess along with these feelings of gratitude come recurring realizations of impermanence. when people say “enjoy it while it lasts” - like, what do they really mean?

Put down the screens?

Take some deep breaths?

I spent 8 years in a cubicle...

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:19:25 +0000

at a government agency at the start of my career, manipulating spreadsheets and sitting in meetings about optimizing data flows. And… I barely have any memories of it! None of the vivid, technicolor ones you get from vacations, or celebrations, or moments where you feel Fully Alive.

Not because it was traumatic, (I believed in the work I was doing), but just because every day was the same. Wake up, bike to work, sit, type, bike home, dinner, bed, repeat. I formed a few real friendships, but the rest is just… blank?

It was just - the same day, looping. Over and over.
The hours changed, but somehow nothing did, a weird dissociative fog of “is this my life?”

Introducing “A Loop”, the second single from my Half Alive EP.

🎞️ Watch the animated music video

If you’ve ever lived a year that felt like one long day, I think this one will land..

I also had a few amazing collabs on this with Doe Denim, a local friend and incredible musician who contributed the drum programming and beat boxing. As well as Kid Lightbulbs who contributed some really cool synth ideas. And the video was animated by Rnotte, who I’ve collaborated with a bunch in the past, I think they absolutely nailed it with this one.

And if you’d like to add it to purchase the EP, add this song to your playlists, or simply jam out on streaming services, links are here.

🎞️ A Loop - links to all streaming locations
→ aloop.iamdavehawkins.com

Thanks for being here. More soon.
-Dave

it sounds like my grampa's lullaby

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:10:36 +0000

Hey everyone,

^{[housekeeping: if this landed in your gmail promotions tab, and you’d like it in your primary inbox, please move this there and/or add dave@iamdavehawkins.com to your contacts. Otherwise if promotions feels right, just leave it here!]}

My new single “With Love”, the first song from my upcoming Half Alive EP, is out now on all streaming platforms. If you’ve already listened (or purchased the EP 😱), thank you so much for your support!!

Check here for a little dedicated webpage just for the song:
👉 withlove.iamdavehawkins.com

With Love can probably be interpreted a few different ways depending on how close you’re listening. As one tiktok comment put it:

Which I love for actually kinda nailing it? _{If grampa is a corporate exec clutching onto power trying to woo you, the unassuming consumer, to spend more money on things and needs (thneeds indeed) that will absolutely definitely for sure make you happier and better and more attractive and healthier, mhmm.}

The music video digs into that idea a bit more. It’s shot on an old DV camcorder from the mid-2000s (yes, there’s an actual tape in there, and I needed like 4 adapters to get it onto my computer for editing), so it’s got that nostalgic 4:3 look and grainy texture I love. And features me spinning in circles for nearly a full minute (had to sit down)

Music Vid Link

Plus there’s a bunch of found footage at the end from Australian tv adverts that I spent a good deal of time laughing alone at while editing this.

The DV Cam

Hope you’re doing well as fall sets in, if you live somewhere you can see the aurora, check it out. Was able to see it pretty faintly from my backyard last night.

Coming up

I’ve been working on a stripped-down piano version of With Love, though my little drum machine keeps trying to sneak in, so we’ll see what happens.

Also - stay tuned because the next single from the EP “A Loop” drops on streaming services This Friday!! It has some incredible drum programming from a buddy of mine here in Denver, Doe Denim (AJ Capuano) and the bridge contains just about every word of corporate jargon I could summon.

With love <3
Dave

Bones hit 100,000 streams (and Spotify pays me $334)

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 22:07:37 +0000

Hey friends,

A little milestone to share: Bones just hit 100k streams on Spotify. People have hit play 100,000 times on a song I wrote in my basement! I’m genuinely really proud of it and it feels like a monumental number that took so much effort to achieve.

Here’s the catch though. after a year, those 100,000 streams paid out $334. That’s a few dinners out or barely a week of daycare.

if it had 10x the streams - 1,000,000! - it’d be $3,334

And if somehow bones hit 10,000,000 streams (like a MAJOR pop-hit!!), that song would have earned $33,340 in a year

big steraming numbers can make you feel “famous”, but still not come close to making music into a sustainable income

Meanwhile, on Bandcamp, my new Half Alive EP has already earned $70 in a week from just seven fans!! It’s the difference between direct fan support and chasing an algorithm.

I’ll still promote the hell out of this EP on streaming platforms (because that’s where most of us listen), but to be honest I don’t know how much more of that I have left in me.

And if this all sounds a little jaded and ungrateful- well, it’s just because I really care about this stuff.

If you’ve personally streamed, shared, or picked up the EP, thank you. You’ve all helped this tiny song travel way farther than I ever expected. ❤️

-Dave

Half Alive EP Listening Party!!

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:43:52 +0000

It's done!!!

I'll be hosting a listening party on Bandcamp to celebrate the EP release on Friday, October 17th. 20 minutes of music starting promptly at:

11:00am Pacific
12:00pm Mountain
01:00pm Central
02:00pm Eastern

07:00pm London
08:00pm Amsterdam

NOTE: these things start RIGHT on time; downbeat will be on the hour!

Follow me on bandcamp, if you’ve got the app, you’ll get a notification when it starts.

The entire EP will be available for sale and streaming on Bandcamp. It will not be available on streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc) yet. Instead I’ll be trickling out singles every few weeks, starting October 24th, with the final release landing around December or January.

This is known as the Waterfall Strategy and basically it's a way to goose the AlGoRiThMs. (But mostly, gives me time to make a video and other promo for each song)

a waterfall I much prefer

There's a live chat during the release, would love to see you there. Here's a google cal link

🫡🫡🫡 🎧🎧🎧

-Dave

AI music + two live releases + EP done

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:06:17 +0000

Hey everyone,

Over the past couple weeks I’ve re-released two of my songs to streaming services as stripped down live piano-only versions.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the propagation of AI-generated music and fraudulent streaming (Over 30,000 AI-generated songs are published to streaming platforms every day and 70% of the streaming activity is coming from bots) and honestly, it’s put me into a weird sort of depression.

I’m not all that surprised that the major streaming platforms haven’t locked down on AI-generated content and fraudulent bot streams, because I assume that as long as there is some money to be made, it shall be allowed. Meanwhile, independent artists continue to suffer as targets of bot streams, and have their music pulled from streaming sites (e.g. R.I.P. “It’s a Long Drive To Christmas” 2024-2025 👼)

Support Local Music - The Original Gyro King

Despite this, I really don’t feel a long-term threat from AI-generated music. I do a combination of things that it will never be able to do; pump blood, show up in a room, play the piano, sing songs, and someday, die.

I also continue to be a whole person outside of the music, who is raising kids, working a job, riding bikes, etc.

I don’t think you should feel bad if you’ve listened to AI-generated music, or even found yourself enjoying it. After all, one could make a convincing argument that mainstream commercial pop music has been following a “generative” recipe for decades now.

I think there’s a timeline where we see AI-generated music essentially cannibalize the pop music industry. Pop music will be generated because it’s relatively easy to replicate, has a fine-tuned recipe for success, and most importantly, has the biggest market.

AI-generator music people (???) will learn firsthand how impossibly difficult it is to promote music, and either a) give up or b) give in to shady practices like bot-streaming.

_{I don’t believe most people using AI to generate music can persist long-term; deep conviction is what keeps artists going, despite the uphill battle.}

I think we’ll continue to persevere as independent musicians who create imperfect music, full of heart, hurt, authentic lived experience, and that has something to say. And market trends show that independent musicians are taking an increasing piece of the overall music market share.

How is this impacting me? As much fun as I’ve had the last few years making a lot of sounds from within my computer, I can already feel myself leaning back out to pick up and play my instruments more; plugging in microphones to record the resultant air vibrations.

So with that I’ll leave you the live piano versions of “Colors of the Leaves” and “Bones”. I do hope you’ll enjoy these single-take manifestations of my songs.

colorsoftheleaves.iamdavehawkins.com

bones.iamdavehawkins.com

oh - and yes the EP is done. I just received the final mix of the final track from Sean (mix engineer here in Denver) and it’s sounding great. A quick master and I will have this 5-track album ready to share with you all!! Appreciate ya hanging with me this year while I spent 2025 producing this record that I’m incredibly proud of.

With love,

-Dave

Northern Michigan, a $25 Camera, and New Music

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 23:25:12 +0000

Hi friends,

Recently got back from two weeks in northern Michigan. We spent our days dipping in lakes, eating way too much ice cream, and pretending we could keep the sand out of the cabin (we could not).

Somewhere in the middle of it, I fell into a new hobby, shooting film on a $25 point-and-shoot camera from the 1980s I found on eBay. The photos are grainy, imperfect, and full of little surprises... plus I will say getting your images back from the film shop feels a bit like christmas every time. (Shout out Denver Digital Imaging Center)

So what about the music... back home, I’m diving back into the final stretch of my upcoming EP. Four of the five songs are basically ready to be mixed, with the fifth needing some real drums and bass recorded. The songs wrestle with anti-capitalist undercurrents, fleeting moments of connection, and trying to stay human in the middle of all the noise. Can’t wait to share them with you.

Thanks for sticking around, it means more than I can put in an email.

Talk soon, Dave

P.S. If you shoot on film, hit reply and tell me your tips. I’m learning as I go.

EP // STICKERS // SUMMER PLAYLIST

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Hi everybody 👋

Quick update today

🎛️ The EP will contain 5 tracks. One may be a stylistic oddball amongst the others, but will fit nicely into Dave Hawkins canon. Gosh it feels good to have bounds on this project.

🎨 I had some stickers made. And you can buy them.

🎹 My daughter learned how to play Happy Birthday in her piano class.

🚀 I built and launched TrackTunes, a project I’d been thinking about for years. If you use Strava & Spotify together, check it out.

🚲 Our e-bike fleet recently rolled past 8,000 miles (that’s a lot of daycare trips! And how we remain a one car family of five)

🖼️ Stickers

Perfect size for water bottles, coffee cups, laptops, pets, etc. Get them before my kids claim them all.

Go to the shop

I’ve been working with an animator to bring some of my lyrics to life. Here’s a playlist of the four we’ve done so far:

Youtube Playlist

☀️ Summer Playlist

If you liked my Spring Bike ride playlist, here’s a fresh one for summer

Summer Bike Ride

Thanks for being here 💙

-Dave

P.S. Added some fun stuff to my link-in-bio page. Enjoy.

links.iamdavehawkins.com

I would have released this song...

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 02:19:47 +0000

but.. I’m making an EP!

For the first time since I started releasing music (again) a couple years ago, I’m working on more than one song at once. I’ve got a handful in the oven, not quite enough to be a full length album (unless you want to wait another year or two) but at least three and maybe five.

Some production things I’ve been into lately:

- shakers
- sub bass
- square waves
- saturation (tape)
- stopping oligarchy
- soundtoys crystallizer

Here’s some proof of work and hey, ease off on zooming in on the track names, we listen and we don’t judge, they’ll get cleaned up before it’s time to be mixed. Promise.

Proof of work

So while I’m down in the studio tinkering, I made a playlist to enjoy this spring with. It’s called “Spring Bike Ride” A mix of indie, synthy, folky, slightly dreamy, mostly hopeful songs that feel like coasting downhill.

🎧 Save it here

(You might hear something familiar 😉)

Talk soon

-Dave

My first time...

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 23:00:00 +0000

The first time I played piano and sang in front of an audience was at an open mic, held in the basement of South Quad at the University of Michigan. The memory is so hazy now that I’m only 50% sure that it’s not a dream that I’m blurring as reality. I remember rehearsing Elton John’s “Your Song” for weeks, I remember the mic being a little bit too “hot,” and I remember there being a second song I had prepared but decided not to perform in the moment.

There is no record of this event, and I don’t think I told any of my friends about it, because I just wanted to perform anonymously.

The second time was less than a year later at a charity concert at the Michigan League with my buddy Joel on drums (yes the Joel - future drummer of The Finer Things.) I remember hastily scribbling the complete lyrics to all the songs on 3×5 cards right before going on stage because I was so worried I’d forget a verse.

Oh glorious blur and graininess of DV footage

This time, my brother pointed a shaky DV camcorder at us, so I actually have this performance on YouTube (albeit unlisted) but you can watch it if you have the links 🤫

Well one thing leads to another and soon enough I was lead singer in a band (as aforementioned - The Finer Things)

I sang at my Aunt’s wedding

And my friend’s wedding

and then my own wedding! (Still my most viewed YT video 🚨🚨🚨)

omgosh am i…?

Anyway, this is all an entirely long and documentarian way of saying “Playing Piano & Singing Is Important To Me” and perhaps always will be. Which is why, even though I’m having a blast producing music at my computer using all manner of instruments, samples, and devices to fully exploit the sonic potential of my songs. At the end of the day it still matters to me that I can sit down at a piano and play.

“Bones” for solo piano.

❤️❤️❤️

(P.S. if you haven’t checked out my latest single “Wool & Fur”, links here. This is gonna be awesome on solo piano!)

Wool & Fur: Streaming everywhere today!

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:26:37 +0000

Hello everybody,

I’ll keep this brief. “Wool & Fur” landed on all streaming services today, and already received its first write-up from Groove Art Universe!

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend,

-Dave

Listen Now

A Viral(?) Moment + New Release: Wool & Fur

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:21:44 +0000

Hello friends,

January started with “a long drive from Christmas” back to Denver… somehow racked up over a million views on my TikTok videos 😳 … and ends with a brand new wintery release (plus an exclusive instrumental B-side).

A Viral(?) Moment

I threw a few silly videos up to promote Bones, and somehow, they just took off. Normally, I only get a couple hundred views, but the first one hit nearly 30,000. So I kept riffing on the idea, and out of nowhere, one video where I paraded my kid’s clay sculptures around (whatttt) blew up, hitting over 750,000 views in just a couple of days. Even the official accounts for Play-Doh and Crocs commented on it. Crazy.

Notably, a few thousand people have streamed my music since then. It’s been wild seeing folks dig into the back catalog, commenting on posts and songs from months (or even years) ago. That said, a thousand streams only pays out about $3–5, far less than even a single album purchase!

And with perfect timing, I’ve got a new one for you.

Wool & Fur

Wool & Fur is out NOW on Bandcamp, paired with an exclusive B-side, Steel & Ash (which will surely make you feel… something). If you like moody winter songs, I think you’ll love this one.

This song explores the allure of solitude, the peace found in isolation, the self-sufficiency of a life lived away from others. But also the quiet, creeping cost. It reflects on how loneliness can distort perception, turning once-familiar comforts into something unrecognizable. Over time, the line between solitude and emptiness blurs, and what once felt like freedom becomes something harder to escape.

Tennis Racket Vibration Dampener

The production on this one was pretty fun. I recorded my acoustic guitar with a tennis racket vibration dampener on the strings, giving it a really nice muted, rubber bridge-style sound. I also made heavy use of my Chase Bliss Generation Loss and Demedash T60 guitar pedals, along with the Goodhertz Lossy plug-in, to create a beautifully degraded, breaking-down feel.

“Wool & Fur” out 1/31/25

Listen now!

Thank you for being here,

-Dave

Dave Hawkins: 2024, 3 kids, 5 singles

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 01:32:04 +0000

Hi everyone,

As 2025 begins, I want to thank you for being part of my music making in 2024! Your support has meant the world to me, and I’m grateful for every stream, comment, share, and purchase.

As a parent with a full-time job, pursuing any personal hobby often feels impossible. Just keeping up with the daily grind leaves me completely drained once the kids are in bed, an easy minion to the screen.. But I’ve found a few things really helped me keep up momentum with my passion project.

Early Mornings: Singlehandedly - this change has kept music in my life. Going to bed early and waking up around 5AM reserved precious time before my kids wake up (around 6–6:30) and the chaos begins.
Bike Rides and walks: The ease and pace of riding a bike frees up the mind for creative thought. A significant portion of my song ideas, lyrics, and production concepts came to me while on two wheels carting the kids to and from daycares.
Accessible Creativity: I have a piano in our “playroom”, giving me the chance to work up and refine ideas while hanging out with my kids. Combined with the next point, many song arrangements are finalized amidst toy car races and tumbling lego towers.
Capturing Ideas: I’ve forgotten more than I’ve written. Apps like Tape It ensure no idea is lost. When inspiration strikes, I might only have five minutes before breaking up a fight, checking dinner, or changing a diaper. Recording drafts vigilantly has been a lifesaver.
Outsourcing & Collaboration: I stayed focused on what I love most and do best (writing, recording, producing) by delegating some of rest (animation, mixing, session players). These collaborations have been a highlight for me, feeling more like partnerships than transactions.

The “studio”

A bicycle built for four

The Studio

Despite EVERYTHING going on this year, I managed to accomplish several milestones that I’m proud of:

Released 5 singles including “Santa Fe”, which became my most streamed song ever!
Sold $61 of my music this year! Knowing that people value my work enough to spend money on it is deeply validating. I appreciate y’all so, so much for going beyond streaming, you’re amazing.
Released a free VST instrument Using samples of my Grandpa’s Steinway, I built a virtual instrument to preserve its unique sound. It’s been downloaded nearly 2,000 times! Check it out here: Grandpa's Piano.
Mixed an EP for Doe Denim. Doe reached out via a Craigslist ad I posted. After mixing his first song, he asked me to handle the entire EP. It was a blast working with a fellow local musician. Check it out here: Where did the Lightning Bugs Go?
Started Threads Release Radar The threads music community has been a huge part of my life and this year I wrote a script that automatically aggregates new releases from musicians on the platform. It’s been a fun way to stay up-to-date on everybody’s work.
Two video covers on YouTube Both Raffi (two daves version) & Sir Elton John (animated version) got some love on my youtube channel this year.

Looking ahead to 2025, I’ve got a couple of singles coming out early in the year, and I’m excited to record and release my first cohesive EP.

Thank you for being on this journey with me.

Wishing you a joyful and music-filled New Year!

Dave

P.S. Tomorrow I embark on a 1,250 mile drive back to Colorado. Maybe take a belated listen to my Christmas song for good luck 😉✌🏻

Listen now

“It’s a Long Drive to Christmas”

Dave Hawkins December Newsletter

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:41:00 +0000

Happy December!

Hope y’all have had a nice fall as we head into the final days of 2024. This past month I was invited to my kid’s schools for a couple events, “physical education night” at my oldest kid’s kindergarten, and a thanksgiving lunch at my middle kid’s preschool. It’s fun to see them in a different environment where they spend so much time with their friends and teachers. And as excited as the kids were for our feast at home, I think they mainly gobbled up cranberry sauce and maybeeee I saw a few nibbles of stuffing. Anyway, Fitz ate well.

The eyes watch baby handle a piece of turkey

The night before Thanksgiving, my daughter asked to hear Raffi’s “Thanks a Lot.” Listening to it sparked a little creative fire, and shortly after the kids were asleep, I’d recorded my own quick cover of the song.

Listen to “Thanks a lot” here

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how much the music community has meant to me this year. Threads has surprisingly emerged as an incredible place, filling my musician’s heart in ways I hadn’t realized I was missing. I even got to play piano on the Mannequin Shop Band’s Christmas single, “You Put the ‘Jesus Christ’ in Christmas.” (PS: My daughter still requests their song “Dad Bod” on the regular 😂)

My daughter handed this drawing of “you and your piano”

As for my own projects, I’ve been cooking up a reimagined, funky version of “Santa Fe” with some incredible guest musicians I’ve met on Threads, as well as my dad and uncle on trumpet and sax.

But, as it tends, inspiration struck unexpectedly, so I pressed pause on that (just briefly!) to write a Christmas song. “It’s a Long Drive to Christmas” is inspired by the 20-hour trek I made with my son from Colorado to Michigan last year (we’re doing it again this year). The song will arrive on streaming platforms on December 10th, but you can grab it early on Bandcamp now, where you’ll also find an exclusive post-apocalyptic, instrumental, melodica-drive B-side, “Nuclear Winter, Wonderland”! (something completely different)

It’s a Long Drive to Christmas Album Art

Listen to “It’s a Long Drive to Christmas” now!

This season, I’m reminded of how music can be such a gift. A way to celebrate, connect, and share stories. Hope you have a wonderful rest of 2024!

-Dave

"Bones" Music Video out now!

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:46:56 +0000

Hi everybody,

I’ve been working with an animator to produce music videos for my last couple songs. It’s been really great seeing how somebody with a similar style approaches a full song. I’ve learned a lot simply through our interactions and developing the ideas, and I’m super happy with how they’ve turned out.

So what’s next? I’ve got two singles and a Christmas song in the works before I settle in for the winter on a short-form album. Really excited about collaborating with multiple musicians I’ve met on Threads as well as my dad and uncle!

I’ve started collecting reference albums, and if you’re curious, I’ll link them here. (I’m sure you’re familiar with one of them already 🙂)

Nilufer YanyaMy Method Actor

Bon IverFor Emma, Forever Ago

Thanks for your support, camaraderie, attention, and everything.

-Dave

“Bones” Music Video

Fully animated lyric video out now

Watch on YouTube

Colors of the Leaves - Live Acoustic

Listen to “Colors of the Leaves (live)”

Dave Hawkins October Newsletter

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:20:24 +0000

🎃 I just got back home from dropping the kids off this morning. Whew! 32 degrees, ten miles, frost on the ground. Hope y’all are settling into fall.

Our “2nd car”, the Urban Arrow cargo bike

🥇 First, thanks for joining my newsletter. Social media algorithms have really started to let down small, independent, artists by forcing ads and unfollowed mega-influencers into our algorithms, while down-ranking the posts of people we actually follow! I appreciate that you recognize the value of direct, non-biased communication, and know that not all email is spam! (although it sure tries hard, doesn’t it? 🙈)

Biking in Breckenridge, CO

I’m not sure how, but I’ve really gotten back in a steady rhythm of song-writing and production. “Bones” is out today on all streaming platforms, or you can pick it up on Bandcamp for $2.

Fall Festival in Louisville, CO

🦴 I wrote Bones on my Squier Stratocaster electric guitar. The opening lick is something I’d been mindlessly strumming for a few months. On a walk with my dog, the melody and lyrics came to me in the span of about a block (gratitude to voice memos for allowing me to record my thoughts and not forget them! 🙏) The song touches on reconnection, and putting in the work; A topic I find more and more relevant as I get older, and relationships change and drift together & apart..

My Squier Strat

🎹 In throwback fashion, I’ve also released a dave-at-the-piano acoustic version of “Colors of the Leaves”, which is an exclusive Bandcamp release. It reminded me of my songwriting roots, sitting at an acoustic piano, in a dimly lit practice room in the basement of the University of Michigan school of music. If I had to pick a time and place where I “became” a songwriter, it was then.

In the studio, recording a song I wrote in a practice room, circa 2011

⏭️ What’s next? Well I’ve got two more songs in mid-production. A funky, Wurlitzer driven cover of Santa Fe, and a year old (!) song about "an old guy that lives in a cabin and maybe eats mushrooms". (trust me it’s cool, wintry, and slightly weird)

💿 After that, I'm lining up to create a four or five track album during the winter months. My first attempt at doing something more than just a one-off single. I've got some themes and production techniques I really want to explore, and it's going to take more than a single to cover it properly.

Recording for “Santa Fe” with my Dad in the home stu’

👋 Well that’s it for this month. Thanks for your continued support, camaraderie, attention, and everything.

-Dave Hawkins

“BONES”

OUT 10/31

LISTEN NOW

“COLORS OF THE LEAVES (Acoustic Version)”

LISTEN NOW

Letters from Dave Hawkins

A giant ant hill

Do you still have your old CDs?

Half Alive - elasticStage

songs about the loops we get stuck in and the moments that break us out

where have i been?

what’s next?

this made me cry

you don't *have* to stream my EP from billionaires anymore

Good Behavior

i'm pretty pissed off

the fastest song i ever wrote?

I spent 8 years in a cubicle...

it sounds like my grampa's lullaby

Coming up

Bones hit 100,000 streams (and Spotify pays me $334)

Half Alive EP Listening Party!!

AI music + two live releases + EP done

Northern Michigan, a $25 Camera, and New Music

EP // STICKERS // SUMMER PLAYLIST

🖼️ Stickers

☀️ Summer Playlist

I would have released this song...

My first time...

“Bones” for solo piano.

Wool & Fur: Streaming everywhere today!

A Viral(?) Moment + New Release: Wool & Fur

A Viral(?) Moment

Wool & Fur

Dave Hawkins: 2024, 3 kids, 5 singles

Dave Hawkins December Newsletter

"Bones" Music Video out now!

“Bones” Music Video

Colors of the Leaves - Live Acoustic

Dave Hawkins October Newsletter

“BONES”

“COLORS OF THE LEAVES (Acoustic Version)”

you don't have to stream my EP from billionaires anymore