HAWA Is “The ONE”

March 05, 2020

At an early age, HAWA traded in her coveted spot as New York’s youngest composer in the Philharmonic Orchestra to pursue other artistic avenues. Aside from modeling in Telfar’s Pitti Uomo fashion show in Florence, performing atop an ornate table above Solange, Kelela and Juliana Huxtable, and grabbing Vogue’s attention at the Gap x Telfar’s event in Paris, the 19-year-old prodigy lets the world know that she has not even begun to scratch the surface of her prowess with her debut EP, The ONE.

On the latest record, her stirring vocals are molded by hip-hop infused beats, while her lyrics ring true for broken hearts. Luckily for her ever-growing fanbase, when making the genre shift, she made sure to sprinkle in her multicultural roots and classical background on her newest project. The subtle nods to her beginnings can be heard woven into tracks like "IPHONE," which lyrically tackles the ominous side of relationships, while sonically creating a landscape of soothing melodies over a hip-hop production.

Interview by Tiana Randall
Photo Courtesy of Castle

In addition to releasing The ONE on Thursday, March 5th, the artist also just dropped a sultry music video—and it’s safe to say that it’s an expressive statement on raw emotions and queer love. Watch the video for “FRICK” here, and read the exclusive interview below.

Directed by Keenan MacWilliam

You clearly have lived many lives. Having modeled for Telfar to being the youngest-ever composer for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, what made you want to break out of those molds and venture into the world of making music independently?

I’ve always wanted to be a musician. I’ve always wanted to perform in front of millions of people while they're screaming my name. With the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, it was really a once in a lifetime chance, and I knew that it could help me build structure. But at the same time, I didn’t want to feel as if I was confined to one type of music. Also, my passion for it was dwindling. So one day, I said, “Fuck it, I’m gonna make the music that I want to make,” and that was that.

Your background is definitely different than most, born in Berlin to West African parents but raised in New York. How, if at all, does this shape your sound?

It shaped my sound in many ways, like New York influenced my flow in my music and Africa influenced the melodies. I could honestly keep going on and on, but these are like the top things that really make my music sound the way that it does. These are also one of the top things I try to master when it comes to making music.

Being 19, so many things are happening. Fresh off of high school graduation, finding love, and discovering who you are—what does this EP say about this current chapter of your life?

It says a lot, but the most important one is the fact that I’m starting to establish my placement in the music industry and proving that I can really accomplish my dreams.

With everything moving so fast, how are you taking your newfound success, and how are you defining it?

I’m taking it well to be honest. I thank Allah every day, but then at the same time, I’m still staying focused and not letting the success distract me, because I know that this is just the beginning. I’m not at the point of success that I want to be at yet, and so I’m very happy and grateful but staying focused.

Unrequited love is a bitch, and your newest single “IPHONE” reflects that. Tell us how you have navigated this feeling?

Through my sound choice, I wanted it to feel dark but not too dark. I believe that as a musician you should be able to sing or rap about anything. It could be the most bullshit, but believe every word, and then you can get any emotion across. I am not saying I was singing about bullshit; I’m just saying that I believed every word and felt every word so that my listeners did too.

The ONE is the first EP to be released from B4, a music label known for its genre-smashing landscape. Why this route?

I mean, why not? If you have a hard-working and dedicated team that not only cares about your vision, your music, and also the artist themselves? And I can also make my music freely... Sounds like paradise to me.

With this release, you’re also premiering the “FRICK” video. It seems like queer love is the main theme. What was the inspiration behind this? And why Aya Brown and Ama Elsesser as your accomplice and love interest?

I feel like the theme is just about love in general and about how far it can push a person. The gay part was simply, because I love and adore womxn—that’s just me as a person. When it comes to inspiration, my creative director Keenan and I built the concept out of personal life experiences and a desire to make more content that we want to see in the world. We randomly talk and text at all hours of the day. I’ll tell her what the message is in the music, and then we'll go from there. This time, I used myself and past love experiences. I thought about all the lust I have for that person and how head over heels I was. It was to a point where I would do anything for them, like murdering their husband on their wedding day. Aya fit the role perfectly. She just honestly has so much swag about her, like not saying I would, but if I was gonna kill a nigga for someone I was in love with, I’d dead hit her jack. So she was perfect. And Ama is honestly a gorgeous person. Their energy is so captivating, and they just knew how to play that wifey role. I would be a madman not to have them.

How nervous were you for your first on-screen kiss?

I wasn’t nervous. I’m never nervous, especially when I’m kissing a beautiful person.

In the video, you have a lot of backing from Telfar as he has supplied most of the wardrobe. How important is it for you to have this kind of support from brands or people you’ve previously worked with?

I mean, it's very important, because it also shows that they believe in my vision as much as I do.

Music can be such a compelling force. What is it about your music that you believe is different?

The way I build on my sound. Nowadays, I structure my music the way I would if I were writing a classical piece. I make sure that the sound and melodies are always building and evolving.

To an unfamiliar audience, what are some messages you want them to take from this EP?

That love is something you should appreciate in the moment, because no matter what we do in life, love will always end. That end could be a break-up, death, etc., but at one point, it always ends.

What else can we expect from you after this EP has planted its feet?

I will definitely be putting out some more shit after, but I'm gonna start working on an album soon, so be on the look out.

Music

9lives' Latest Single Continues to Push Sigilkore

April 19, 2024

The versatile artist, producer, and pioneer of the sigilkore genre, 9lives, has recently unveiled his latest single "CANADA" featuring jnhygs. In less than two years since his emergence onto the music scene, 9lives has carved out an impressive niche for himself as a prominent figure within the digitally-driven sigilkore movement. "CANADA" sees him teaming up once again with experimental dance artist jnhygs, following their successful collaboration on "XTAYALIVE".

With aspirations to establish himself within the mainstream arena of experimental music production and artistry, 9lives is blending his distinct dark production style with collaborations with a diverse array of influential artists who trust him to create innovative sonic landscapes. "CANADA" marks his second release of 2024, as 9lives continues to champion the burgeoning sigilkore movement, pushing the boundaries of genre, evolving into a multifaceted artist, and solidifying his status as a rising star with an expanding audience.

Image by Connor Pritchard

Reflecting on their latest project, 9lives shares, “In early 2023 jnhygs found my music and we started chatting through TikTok, releasing our first song together called "XTAYALIVE"." He adds, We’ve been friends since this song had a viral moment, and fans have been heavily requesting for us to work together again all over our videos.” Describing their creative process, he explains, “I sent a bunch of new ideas to jnhygs via Discord and she sent back vocals to “CANADA”, which I then used to create melodic layers and extra percussion to complete the song.

Music

Jesse Jo Stark Is in a Genre of Her Own

April 19, 2024

In the midst of a total solar eclipse, I got the chance to talk about music and style with Jesse Jo Stark.

As I’m on the phone with her from New York, Stark is on a tour bus with The Veronicas, driving through the mountains of Colorado to enjoy some time off in between shows. The Veronicas have just started their Gothic Summer North American Tour, and Stark is opening the show. What’s special about this tour for the lifelong music obsessive is the sense of powerful feminine energy encapsulating the tour. “We just started [tour], but it’s been really lovely. I’m obsessed with the fact that we’re all women — it feels like a very powerful crew. The Veronicas are lovely, the crowds have been so fun, and the venues are beautiful. It’s gonna be a good month.”

Photography Sophia-Liv Maguire
Styling Marc Eram
Interview Angelina Hazzouri
Talent Jesse Jo Stark
Hair Antoine Martinez with PARADIS using Roz Hair
Makeup Sydney Szramowski
Photo Assistants Mia O’Neal, Rashaun Richardson
BTS Josephine
Creative Producer Olivia Roper-Caldbeck

This is Stark’s second time touring since the release of her full-length debut album DOOMED in late 2022, which was very well received and led to Stark’s first sold-out international headlining tour on behalf of the album. Previous to her solo tour, she’s opened for various notable acts, such as Guns N’ Roses and Jane’s Addiction. I asked Stark, who’s been writing and playing music since age 11, what it was like to prepare for her first sold-out headlining tour. Unsurprisingly, before any tour, Stark goes into what she describes as “bootcamp mode” — dancing every day, vocal training, rehearsing with her band, and of course, working on her outfits. “That’s the sort of homework I love,” she says, smiling. (Even though we’re on the phone, I can tell she’s smiling when she talks about the outfit part. I’d smile too if I had her tour closet.)

What’s unique about Stark as a musician is that she has ultimately created her own universe by embracing every aspect of her creative upbringing, her raw talent, her fascinating influences, and her unwavering beliefs in not needing to fit into a certain box when it comes to her art. She creative-directs and styles all her own looks, referencing an ever-evolving list of influences that range from Vegas showgirls to Halloween to old films to her parents in the 90s. “I think when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from,” she tells me, “but now it’s just my blood. I constantly reflect on my childhood and everything I was taught and everything I saw. My brother and sister and I are constantly pulling influences from our parents from the past. I think, more than ever, I’m heavily influenced by them.” Stark, the daughter of founders and owners of the self-made American fashion brand Chrome Hearts, and now its creative director, is someone who always knew what she liked, but as she describes it, had to ‘go through the motions’ that come with growing up and knowing one’s identity. Today, her self-efficacy is palpable — and it’s inspiring.

When she’s on tour, Stark is growing with herself and with her art — she’s not afraid to take life as it comes and learn through the process. With every show, regardless of whether it was on her DOOMED tour or this tour with the Veronicas, Stark understands the importance of human connection through music. Seeing faces of music lovers like herself, meeting those who have traveled to see her, and visiting familiar and unfamiliar cities has reminded her that she loves being on the road. “The growth that happens on tour is so important to me as an artist.” Sometimes we have to leave behind what’s familiar in order to rediscover what’s important, and Stark is a proponent of this growth mindset.

If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time.

Growth doesn’t just happen on tour with Stark — this evolution of herself happens within genre as well, and for Stark there’s no such thing. Since her first release Driftwood in 2017, the artist’s sound has shifted year after year, but in a harmonious way that still feels central to her gothic Americana roots. When asked if she’ll experiment with genre in the future, Stark confidently answers, “I think I’ve only experimented with genre. I don’t think anyone knows what genre I am.” (She calls herself a “horrific hillbilly” — a perfect descriptor.) Steadfast in her belief that we as humans can constantly evolve in our work, Stark thinks it’s antiquated to fit yourself into a certain box and focus on one specific trade in order to succeed. “If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time. I want to experience different things.” Since Driftwood, a two-song EP rooted in rock and country, Stark has experimented with more robust beats and 808s on DOOMED, and her most recent single “skeleton” features a softer, grungier punk sound. Without fitting into a specific genre, Stark’s music is undoubtedly and wholeheartedly her own, transcending the boundaries of what many artists struggle with when finding their sound. “I don’t think we should have to label ourselves in any way, shape, or form; so I’m not going to. I will continue to make all types of different music.” Fuck yeah.

This goes beyond just music — in terms of her personal style, the same mentality applies. We discuss the idea that clothing and dressing is a sort of playground, and personal style comes from within. Stark isn’t about following trends, but rather, she thinks it’s important to tap into different stylistic elements that amplify who we are at our cores. On her DOOMED tour, Stark wore a lot of leather and stuck to a fairly dark color palette. Right now, she’s into more bourgeois satin and lace, experimenting with different textures and wearing things that feel slightly daintier and more delicate. On this current tour with the Veronicas, Stark is making it more of a point to take everything in — absorbing inspiration from every city, writing songs on the road, recording video on a friend’s super 8 camera, styling and wearing new outfits, learning and performing new covers — ultimately growing through the whole experience.

It’s endearing and inspiring how well Stark knows herself. A Los Angeles native, she proudly tells me that the tour finishes on May 5 in her hometown, a show that she’s especially excited for. While we can’t predict what thoughtfully-curated outfit she’ll wear or what songs will be performed, with new music already underway, one thing is clear: Jesse Jo Stark is just getting started.

Music

Eclipsed at Vampire Weekend

April 16, 2024

It had been about a week since the goosebump-inducing communal howls at the moon, as it covered the sun through a cloudy Austin, Texas sky, left me needing to take a seat—suspended in awe of the totality of the event and the synergistic break from routine. I overheard someone say, “I mean, it feels like we’re all going to die, but in a way that’s okay, you know?" under the shadow of the eclipse's peak, ceremoniously brought in as the band performed “Jonathan Low,” (in Vampire Weekend's familiar ironic hue) a track they wrote for the third movie in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

It had been five years since the band had released an album. In celebration of their latest album, "Only God Was Above Us," ticket holders wrapped the streets in blocks outside the venue for the band’s first Stateside show in about two years. Event managers searched to replenish the venue’s stock of eclipse glasses, while the band prepped a show reminiscent of 'getting the boys back together again'.

Words and photography by Rianne Akindele

In between newly released songs like “Classical” and “Capricorn”, the boys filled the almost two-hour-long show with old favorites like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Diane Young” and a genre evolved rendition of “Sunflower” as the crowd danced barefoot feeling the Earth’s energy intertwined with their own and the vibrations from the amps on stage. People stole glances at the imminently darkening sky, artists doodled, friends grabbed onto each other to scream the lyrics in each other’s faces, and onlookers from the highest level of the parking garage across the street cheered on in a symphony of nostalgia and anticipation.

Adding to the layers of the celestial afternoon, the band invited to the stage the likes of Thomas Mars from Phoenix, Dave 1 from Chromeo, and guitarist Brian Robert Jones, inducing further levels of indie revival euphoria.

As the show drew to its close, and the zydeco/country-rock “Cocaine Cowboys” medley fiddled through the air, a conversation could be picked up between two sisters in search of their Lyft driver through closed-off streets,

“I wish this happened more often.”
“Eclipses or shows like this?”
“Both.”

It’s moments like these that remind us of our shared humanity and the power of collective experiences; a gathering of souls under the same sky, sharing the joy of music and a wonder of the stars above. Perhaps it’s the rarity that allowed such transcendence, reverence, and gratitude to be felt. Either way, what a beautiful moment in time it was.

Here are a few shots from the Monday afternoon: