Envision and believe in your own universe, and it will eventually form around you. The HawtThorns are reimagining their universe in their latest recording adventures. The sun-kissed songwriting, deft guitar work, and lush vocal harmonies that have been at the core of their sound are exponentially magnified through the lens of their upcoming record, Zero Gravity. This 3rd album from the Nashville-based duo includes 11 songs recorded at The Studio Nashville owned by The Wood Brothers and was performed by some of Nashville’s most accomplished musicians.
Zero Gravity is a sonic trip into deeply felt personal experiences, abstract storytelling, and adventurous, genre-bending productions. The HawtThorns love for guitars is apparent on this record, as the layers of variously toned and textured electric and acoustic instruments are as much a part of the songwriting as are the lyrics. The interplay between far-out keyboard tracks and Johnny Hawthorn’s syncopated guitar hooks and riffs deliberately creates a unique appeal for each of the tracks. The music beds enhance KP’s fearless, wistfully honeyed lead vocals - recorded live, with the band directly to 2-inch tape.
Musical director and bass player Ted Pecchio (Doyle Bramhall II, Oliver Wood) assembled the band for the sessions, which included Jano Rix (Wood Brothers) on all keys and Nick Buda (Kenny Chesney) on drums. Lastly, singer-songwriter Alice Wallace also contributed harmonies on The Everly Brothers song, “When Will I Be Loved”.
The title track, “Zero Gravity”, embodies the venturesome spirit of the record. A “power ballad”, the song begins with a stripped-down production that includes spacey keyboard sounds and acoustic guitar with a demure, wispy vocal. It continues to build in intensity and volume, with the peak being the guitar solo, akin to a Ziggy Stardust-era Mick Ronson performance. The entire song is played over a salsa clave beat that never quits, while lyrically, it is a story of coming to terms with losing a soul mate.
