London based Indie band fronted by city woman to play Galway gig
An alternative indie band based in London, which is fronted by young city native Julie Hough (25), are on their way to Galway for a gig at the Roisin Dubh next week.
Hawk feature the powerful vocals of a young woman from Fr Griffin Road who has been based in the British capital for the past two and a half years.
Julie played a home town show at the Roisin Dubh in April of last year and has since formed the band Hawk with the three musicians who accompanied her on an Irish tour last year.
Julie joked this week that she came up with the band name because nobody on the London music scene could pronounce her surname.
Her father, Kevin Hough, is extremely well-known on the Galway traditional music scene and she credits him with introducing her to a wide variety of musical styles from a young age.
Julie was recently described as "a bit of the Bjork side of brilliant bonkers" by Artrocker magazine, and began her musical career in the UK by playing acoustic numbers with guitarist Matt Harris.
The pair joined with Sam Cambell (drums) and Chris Handsley (bass) to develop a full electric live show and Hawk have become regulars on the London live music scene over the past year or so.
Hawk released their debut single ‘Take Off Your Suit’ in July of last year and are coming to Galway on the back of the release of an EP called ‘The Sum of All Things’.
A former student at Colaiste Iognaid, Julie sang with the Cois Cladaigh choir and the NUI Galway Choral Society during her student days in her home city.
Julie gave up her job in London in order to concentrate on music full-time at the end of 2011.
She plays the piano, fiddle, and guitar, as well as possessing a remarkable, haunting voice, which has been compared favourably to Kate Bush and Galway’s own Julie Feeney.
Hawk play the Roisin Dubh on Thursday, March 6.