Richard grew up in Bath in England but soon moved on to see what was out there, living in many countries around the world, including Norway, Hawaii, the Middle East, Indonesia, upstate New York, the Philippines, Sydney Australia and New Zealand to name just a few. So it is not surprising that his music has been influenced by this colourful background and its mixture of cultures and peoples.
After a hectic lifestyle in some of the world’s busiest cities, it was time for a change of direction. Gradually there was a realisation of the value of a more genuine and simple lifestyle and the need for a permanent base for the family, and so it was that the bright lights and traffic were left behind, and exchanged for the beauty of a small island on the west coast of Norway. From cities with many millions of inhabitants, home is now an island shared with just 250 others.
And the end result of this new-found calm and peaceful environment? A stunning debut album of self-written songs. The album was recorded in the Margaret’s studio in nearby Giske, Norway and is graced by a talented group of musicians:
Lars Berg (of the Margarets): bass
Klaus Blomvik (of the Margarets, sometimes) : drums
Håvard Sveås : keyboards
Knut Ivar Bøe : accordian on “Last Cowboy in town”.
Ingunn Valldal Linge : violin on “Last Cowboy in town”.
Trude Farstad : harmony vocals
Richard Hawke : Vocals, harmony vocals and guitars
Fredrik Ingebrigtsen was the recording engineer.
Håvard Sveås arranged all of the songs.
The album was mastered at LivingRoom Studios in Oslo.
The music and lyrics of all of the songs are entirely written by Richard Hawke. You will find full lyrics and a chance to listen to the songs on this site (on the "Music" page).