Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Hawker Roam
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Great question. I can’t pinpoint a certain time that I was the first. I wasn’t really exposed to music in my childhood, and it wasn’t until my family moved to a different part of the state, and I met my friend Jordan that things changed. He introduced me to a lot of artists that changed me.
Maybe early Napster or Winamp are some of my earliest memories. When you could illegally download music. For the first time, I could search and find music I wanted to listen to.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I think once I started to listen to bands, I connected with a lot of music and was in awe of how they could bring multiple musicians together, to create songs that were universally loved. I had played piano as a child, and trumpet in 7th grade, but nothing stuck. Somehow I knew guitar would be different, and it was.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
I was in a band with my childhood friends (Jordan, who I mentioned before was the singer). We grew together as musicians, and found who we were as a band together. At a certain point, I began to realize that what I wanted to play, and what was naturally coming out of the guitar for me, was quite different than what they wanted in the band, or even really what fit. I had finally found who I was as a musician, and it was very different than what they were doing.
I left and went to get a degree in audio engineering, and recorded a whole album myself by the time the program had ended (Hawker Roams – Beneath the Surface). Apart from the drums and a few random parts, I played, and recorded everything on that album. That’s officially when “the band” started, but since it was just me, I essentially was just trying to find people who were down to play the music I had written. The album was recorded in 2016 and it wasnt until covid, that the second album The Storm, began to be developed. At that point we had a full band of musicians, and I would say that was the first time the bad was actually a band, and not a bunch of “hired help”.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Approachable Prog Rock. – If Pink Floyd and Radiohead had a baby. What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
To trust my instincts when writing a song. Oftentimes, the best songs that I have written, were just instinct, in the moment decisions, that turned out to be great songs.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I got a degree in audio engineer, and for a long time was very proficient in Protools. I record and mix most of our music, so it is an essential tool.
I made the mistake on the Beneath the Surface album in using a lot of different tunings. As a result, in live settings, I’d have to have a lot of guitars. It’s kind of become how I write now. “I wonder how this would sound with a different tuning”. Or sometimes I’ll pick up a guitar that is tuned differently to see what comes out. It’s an essential part of songwriting for me personally, and I think has given the band part of its unique sound.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
There is a guy named Jesse Welles that has become famous via TikTok that I have really enjoyed listening to. I think he is beyond indie status now (I think he was just nominated for four grammys), but ive watched him from the beginning, and I love what his messaging is.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
The Storm album is a concept album about learning to live with your demons. It goes through different processes or stages of depression and anxiety, and though it’s not necessarily about me, a lot of the feelings and emotions expressed in those songs are ones I have experienced. Especially the song Nothing.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I want people to feel something. To come away listening to the songs and feel a different emotion than when they started listening. We haven’t (as of yet) written any love songs. We feel that there are more important things to write about (i.e. The Storm album). Love is not a bad thing to sing about, but we just have more things to say besides that.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Honestly, I think it’s how to work together with people. Managing different egos and personalities in a group is hard, but doing it while you’re creating something you’re passionate about, can be very hard. I think learning about how to do that has taught me a lot. Something I could have done better in my previous band.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Coachella honestly. Or really any festival. Would love to show our music to a large group of people in festival with great vibes.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. No other band has made me feel the way that band makes me feel, and no other guitar player has made me feel the way his playing does. Earlier I mentioned that I left the other band when I finally figured out who I was as a guitar player. Without knowing it, and even really before I got heavily into Floyd, I was drawn to that type of playing. Emotional, drawn out bent notes, not always looking to be the fastest in the room. David Gilmour 100%
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XyRxLTPzfi6weEhiiUY0l?si=3MymIy4fSm-E-B7LOXaHN w
instagram.com/hawkerroammusic
tiktok.com/@hawkerroamband
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
We are in the early stages of recording a new album. We have taken a big risk and made it a very political album. Something that will be very polarizing for people. We are all a bit older than a lot of artists, with families etc. We just want to make good music that connects with people. I think all of us would love to see our fan base grow exponentially in 2026.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That we are authentic. We are going to make the music we want to make as we feel it. We feel that that is the best way to connect to fans. We are unapologetically who we are. But also… we want to build a community where all people of any background can come listen, and feel safe, seen, and heard.
