Night Hawk’s “Before We Begin” Proves Indie Rock is Thriving

Washington D.C.-based band Night Hawk released their debut full-length album, Before We Begin, on Aug. 7 – a carefully curated mix of folk and indie rock that hooks you in at first listen and makes you stay with its earnest lyrics, captivating vocals, and impressive wide range of instrumentation.

Night Hawk began in Brunswick, Maine “as a songwriting experiment between Colter Adams and Peyton Semjen to compose songs inspired by the painter Edward Hopper … With Before We Begin, Adams and Semjen expand the scope of their music beyond Hopper’s world, but remain fixated on his aesthetics: thresholds, isolation, and the interplay between illuminating light and clouded intention set against iconic New England landscapes.” The majority of Before We Begin was written after band members Adams and Semjen graduated college in Maine and moved to D.C. “Leaving the Northeast stirred up a lot of emotions for Semjen, whose lyrics detail the memories that still tug at her as she attempts to start a new life.” Both the lyrics and sonics of this album take you on a coming-of-age journey.

“Those Lights” is a grounding, raw opening to the album with violin accompaniment by Emma Chun. This song leads into “Rest”, which establishes their rock sound reminiscent of artists like Momma and Indigo de Souza, yet still distinct. The album creatively plays with tempo, whether it's an upbeat song like “Alone in the Summer”, or where they’re not afraid to acoustically strip down in “Pale Blue”.

The music is also almost haunting at times, like in “Scary Movie” and “Watching the World Through Windows” – Before We Begin takes you through tonal shifts that flow together naturally. “On ‘Skyward’, ‘Roadkill', and ‘Scary Movie’, Adams and Semjen encounter signs and omens from the universe that they are destined for stasis and that their old anxieties and relationships are intractable. In each case, by a hair’s breadth, the duo perseveres.” “This is an album about getting unstuck. Not just from places, but from indecisiveness and acquiescence to bad circumstances,” said Adams. “Something On My Mind” is the perfect album closer, making you feel like you get a peek directly into Night Hawk’s heads. How much more honest can they get? “We give up before we begin” are the words they leave their audience with.

Before We Begin is the perfect summer album, yet its creative composition is timeless. It’s apparent that Night Hawk put tons of time and care into this new piece.

Catch Night Hawk at Songbyrd this Thursday, Aug. 21 on their “Before We Begin Tour”! Listen to Before We Begin here.