When it comes to songwriting, New York City-based singer-songwriter Claire Hawkins is always looking for new frontiers to challenge herself. A frequent change of scenery where Hawkins writes has allowed her to gain new perspectives and inspirations. It allowed the songwriter to explore and push the boundaries of genres such as folk, rock, pop and Americana.
For example, songs from her forthcoming fourth EP were conceived during an artist residency in France last year. In early 2023 she participated in the Odyssée Artist-in-Residence Program, which is funded by the French Ministry of Culture and the Association des Centres Culturels de Rencontre. She spent a month in Southern France working on writing original songs and later performed a concert and hosted artist conversation at Le Théâtre Jean Piat. One of the new songs that came from the residency is the EP’s lead single “Oh Daisy,” which we’re premiering today and is officially out on Friday.
“’Oh Daisy’” was one of the first songs I wrote during my time as an artist-in-residence in France, and it really set the tone for how the rest of the residency went. I had a month in the little beach town of Canet-en-Roussillon, where I was mostly on my own, writing,” says Hawkins.
“I found myself thinking about my hometown of New York City and questioning what it means to carry that New Yorker identity with me when I’m away from the city. “Oh Daisy” is a nod to my childhood, and a reflection on how my worldview has expanded as I’ve gotten to travel and explore more corners of the world.”
Stream Claire Hawkins’ “Oh Daisy”
This song was produced in Los Angeles by Hana Elion of the band Overcoats. It’s her first new music since releasing her 2023 EP The Name. The songs for that EP were written across Berlin, Dublin, and New York City.
Hawkins, a graduate of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, has also released two other EPs, 2017’s Even These Words and 2019’s Foreign Voice. She’s also shared her music through travel-centric videos which document her positive cultural experiences traveling the world as an independent musician.
You can follow Claire on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and listen to her music at her Bandcamp page.
Joshua is co-founder of Scummy Water Tower. He’s freelanced for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including: Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Guitar World, MTV News, Grammy.com, Chicago Magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, MKE Lifestyle, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, A.V. Club, SPIN, Alternative Press, Under the Radar, Paste, PopMatters, American Songwriter, and Relix. You can email him at josh@scummywatertower.com.
