Caleb Hawley
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About
Caleb Hawley is a multifaceted singer and songwriter, currently residing in Harlem of New York City. Citing his two greatest influences as Randy Newman and Prince, he leaves a lot of room for possibility in the genre spectrum.
Raised in Minneapolis by a family of preachers and therapists, Hawley’s family fueled his on-stage charisma and perceptive, witty lyrics. “Growing up in an a capella church, we weren’t allowed to use instruments. It forced everyone to learn how to sing harmony,” Hawley says. “We mostly sang old hymns, which is probably what drew me to gospel and eventually soul music.”
Hawley spent his early 20’s touring the country with only an acoustic guitar and his dog Fargo. In those years, Hawley racked up hundreds of gigs, along with multiple songwriting awards for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Telluride Troubadour Competition, SongCircle Contest and more.
Nowadays, a full band heightens the energy of the live show across the country. “I used to love playing solo, in listening rooms,” Hawley admits, “but as of late I prefer to get people thinking on their feet, rather than in a chair.” Music Without Labels agrees, calling the stocked setup “a fantastic show, full of danceable riffs and singalong choruses all held together by Hawley’s tremendous charisma.” The Chicagoist says, “The New York-based musician has a flair for soulful songwriting and a voice that will blow your hair back.”
2014 marked the release of a pair of EPs: Side 1 and Side 2. Hawley says “They are a bit different stylistically, but each share my own voice artistically and literally”. Both EPs were co-produced by Lucius drummer and producer Dan Molad.
Since releasing the EPs, Hawley has released three singles. It is apparent that his sound has began to shift, using more electronic influences and early 90’s production. He is currently releasing a song a month, paired with a video.