After leading her band, The Hawthorne Roots, for six years, singer-songwriter Madeline Hawthorne is ready to reintroduce herself—on her own terms and in her own words. Today, she officially makes her mark as a solo artist with Boots, an honest, introspective, 10-track collection that seamlessly blends roots, country and soul.
Listen to Boots, in full, available everywhere now: distrokid.com/madelinehawthorne/boots
Co-produced by Brad Parsons and Fruition’s Tyler Thompson, the raw collection is a defiant declaration of independence where Hawthorne dives deeply into self-reflection, embraces vulnerability and ultimately sees the singer transform doubt into hope as she learns to trust herself.
The album's upbeat titular track calls for an at home dance party, as seen in the previously-shared playful visual. Follow-up single, "Strange Familiar," explores the hardships that come with a lack of routine and sense of normalcy as an artist on the road. This week, The Bluegrass Situation shared "Riverbank" featuring Fruition's Mimi Naja on the mandolin, where the singer discovers beauty in simplicity.
As the COVID-19 pandemic swiftly shut down the music industry, Hawthorne found herself at a crossroads in her career, but knew she wasn't done with music. Unsure of what to do next, she walked to her backyard shed and began to write what would become her first solo album. Hawthorne recalls every step of the process, "from sitting in the little shed in my backyard with a pen and paper, to flying across the country to deep dive into the most intense and influential recording experience of my life; the apprehension of taking such a big step for my career and breaking away from everything I knew."
The album, above all, aims to bring listeners joy in such uncertain, turbulent times. "These songs are a reflection of my life as a songwriter, performer, woman, wife, sister, daughter and as a genuinely flawed human being. I'm excited and relieved to finally set them free and see where they land. I'm hopeful that listeners can find themselves in my words and experiences and take away something meaningful. Or hell, just enjoy the music."
Stream Boots in its entirety, out everywhere now: distrokid.com/madelinehawthorne/boots.
Hear the new tracks and more as Hawthorne hits the stage live in Denver, CO with Kendall Street Company on October 15th, as well as in Portland, OR on October 22nd. Tickets and more information are available now at madelinehawthorne.com.
This is just the start of Madeline Hawthorne. Keep up with the singer on Instagram and Facebook.
