iDA HAWK – Start Again
“She’s [iDA HAWK] like Wonder Girl, man!” said GRiZ. “I tell you what. She’s so absolutely positive. She makes me believe in the soul of the music.”
Songstress iDA HAWK is best known for her tantalizing vocals and co-writing abilities on GRiZ‘s ‘Stop Trippin’ and Big Wild’s ‘invincible.’ Gracefully combining funk, soul and alt-pop has landed iDA HAWK’s Jessie Arlen an invitation to the nation’s most illustrious music festivals (e.g., Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands). Call Arlen dance music’s Adele with a dash of Sarah McLachlan, minus the cringeworthy ASPCA commercial. In the single ‘Start Again,‘ iDA HAWK unwaveringly belts out lyrics over classical piano chord progressions. ‘Start Again’ succeeds Arlen’s LADYGUNN premiere ‘Out of Focus.’ iDA HAWK’s February 2018 debut album features both tunes.
“I have always been obsessed with music from the 1960s & 70s,” proclaimed Arlen. “My dad is a jazz saxophonist, and exposed my ears to ‘The Greats’ of the golden era from a very early age. As a kid, I would lock myself in my room for hours and listen to the likes of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell… memorizing every melody line, mimicking each vocal run, absorbing the sounds like a sponge.
As I begin introducing my solo material, I’ve decided to showcase my ‘golden era’ roots with a contemporary twist… I want to establish a soulful sonic foundation, built around the influences that were most instrumental in shaping my voice and my love for music. From here, I plan on experimenting and moving into realms that may be surprising. As a song-writer, the freedom to explore is key. I want to live outside of the box and allow myself to make music from a completely intuitive place. No matter where I travel sonically, listeners will always be guaranteed iDA songs straight from the soul… and a whole lot of groove.”
iDA HAWK – Start Again
