Robotic Hawks told us about their songwriting process and their music. That’s cool! Let’s see what they have to say!
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
Tyler Pollard: The first name we tried on for size was The Don Muraco’s, but it lost its luster within a few days. I think it’s a great name, but we wanted something that would hint at our sound a little more. We ended up in a wormhole of combination word hell, but then it hit me, ‘Hudson Hawks’. Brian the drummer and I live in Hudson, New Hampshire, and I am also a not so closeted fan of the Bruce Willis turkey of the same name. Unfortunately, it was taken. We all liked the Hawk part so we went back to combination land. We ended up on ‘Robotic’ and we didn’t hate it. We like to think our band has some sort of resemblance to a machine anyway. Plus, it also lends itself to artwork opportunities, ala Judas Priest, Screaming for Vengeance, etc. Let me just dispel any talk of double entendre and the name. In all honesty, I assure you, it is simply happenstance.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
I had been playing with original bands in Boston since 1995. I stopped playing music in 2008 after my two boys were born. My wife and I moved from Lowell to Hudson, NH. Things started to mellow out at home and I posted a Craigslist ad for drummers. I ended up meeting Brian Sturk who lives about five minutes away from me in Hudson. Brian writes and records his own music, but he had only really played out in cover bands. Shawn Doherty the guitarist came in a few weeks later. Shawn had a similar background, mostly cover bands too. This was such a cool opportunity for all of us from the get go. We just clicked. We spent a whole year writing our first album, Rock N’ Roll Relapse, which was released in 2020.
How would you describe your sound?
Our mission plan is to make sweaty rock n’ roll. We’re playing pop songs, aggressively. I think we are best described as extremely punctuated rock/pop.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
We are all across the board for influences. Let’s just say that two of us like The Beach Boys and one of us doesn’t. The Venn diagram of Hawks music would probably be The Jam, Rush, The Replacements and Van Halen.
What’s the last song you listened to?
“Watermelon in Easter Hay” by Frank Zappa
What’s your source for hearing new music?
I buy old records…
Who is your dream producer?
D. Sardy
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
We can’t collaborate with anyone. [laughs]
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
My first glimmer was Van Halen and then in actuality it was The Replacements on SNL. Rock n’ Roll is an energy. To me it’s much more than just the songs. It’s also very much about the delivery. Our songs feel great to us when we’re playing them. We just have to make sure to keep that going.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
Everything we write is done together in our space from the ground up. We play until we like something. Riffs are plucked out and then worked into templates. We all have to see the potential in a part for it to move forward. We all have equal veto power. Once we build up the structures, I develop the melodies and hammer out the lyrics.
How do you connect with your audience?
By day we plug our usual stuff — new music, press, shows, etc. — on social media, like every band. But it’s on the stage where we really feel comfortable, and we give everything we have when we’re out there performing live. It’s great to connect with audiences through Instagram and Facebook, but we really try to connect through our live show. That’s where we feel most at home.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robotichawks/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4L2GNBMlRRptsp53VsHIsj?si=CsRZaPj5TBS8Ta2jK9LVsg
Bandcamp: https://robotichawks.bandcamp.com/
What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
We out here. We’re also on Instagram and Facebook, @RoboticHawks.
What’s next for you?
We just had a show on March 31 at The Square Root in Roslindale, a part of Boston, the same night as the release of our three-song EP Minnesota Fats. We played with Phantom Ocean, Bad Idea USA and Ash from Sorry, MA. Next we have a show close to home at Nashua Garden on April 15 with Phantom Ocean, Burp and Neglected Witches. Then we’re going back to the bench. We spent all of last year playing shows, which didn’t leave much time for writing… at least not how we do it. So, we’re very excited to just start again from scratch and come back with a whole new batch of knockout material in the fall.
BIO: Founded on pub rock energy and teeming with pop hooks, Robotic Hawks are a three-piece out of New Hampshire specializing in full-throttle rock n’ roll. Robotic Hawks aim to get you moving and leave you thoroughly exhausted! ROCK ‘N ROLL FOREVER!
