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It started with an invitation from DJ Nic Harcourt at premier L.A. Americana radio station 88.5 FM: collaborate on a coronavirus themed song with your musical friends, healing music for these upended times.

I See Hawks In L.A. and fellow Los Angeles folkies Great Willow have a longstanding mutual admiration society, and when James Combs of Great Willow invited the Hawks to collaborate, they jumped on it.

Writing and recording by email has been interesting.

James and Hawks guitarist/songwriter Paul Lacques traded song ideas and came up with two very different sketches based on Paul’s chorus hook. Interesting. Now we had two songs. Hawks singer/songwriter Rob Waller climbed aboard on a glitchy Facetime session with Paul, wrestling the two versions into verses and bridges, came up with a few more lines, and voila: “Radio Keeps Me On The Ground.”

James recorded acoustic guitars and lead vocals, cut to a click. Paul cut his electric and steel, and Hawks drummer Victoria added drums, in their Highland Park studio. Rob and bassist Paul Marshall cut and emailed their tracks, with some sweet organ added by GW's Ed Barguiarena. Four time Grammy winner Alfonso Rodenas mixed and mastered. A classic country rock sound resulted, emerging with soul from its digital realm.

This is a two song digital single. The flipside (Datura version) is all acoustic.

"Radio Keeps Me On The Ground" addresses the crisis as viewed from our windows and screens, contrasting the limitations of today with the freedom of the road of just yesterday. But no matter how bombarded we are by the reality of the streets or the info overload of the web we all live by, there's always radio. In our backyards or kitchens, it keeps us real. On the ground.

lyrics

RADIO KEEPS ME ON THE GROUND Lacques/Combs/Waller

It's never been easier
To lose your mind
Rabbit holes in the cloud
You don't even have to try
You don't have to cry
Or walk on by

Radio keeps me on the ground
Radio keeps me on the ground

There's never been a lonelier time
To learn to breathe in a way
That you won't have to fly
Be fertile in this empty time
This will pass
By and by

Radio keeps me on the ground
Radio keeps me on the ground

A stranger's voice
An invisible wind
Your almost friend
He's almost you
You're almost him

But it's different
On the road unsigned
Unknown frequencies
A twist of the dial
Unknown frequencies
A twist of the dial

Radio keeps me on the ground
Radio keeps me on the ground

credits

from Radio Keeps Me On The Ground, released April 28, 2020
Rob Waller acoustic guitar, lead & harmony vocals
James Combs acoustic guitar, lead & harmony vocals
Paul Lacques acoustic & electric guitars, lap steel, harmony vocals
Paul Marshall bass, lead & harmony vocals
Victoria Jacobs drums, lead vocals
Ed Barguiarena organ

Mixed and mastered by Alfonso Rodenas
Produced by Paul Lacques and James Combs
Art by John Curry

song by Combs/Lacques/Waller

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I See Hawks in L.A. Los Angeles, California

I SEE HAWKS IN L.A. formed in the first year of the 21st century on a desert journey that has led to ten releases, UK/Europe and U.S. tours, and way too much fun. Alt country folk rock with rich harmonies and a way outsider approach to Americana. See them live! Top Ten Americana Releases, MOJO ... more

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