Categories
GUEST EDITOR

Richard Hawley’s Notes From Sheffield: My Dog

HawleylogoA deep-voiced, working-class songwriter with an affinity for ’50s-era crooners, American country music and grand orchestration, Richard Hawley has paid tribute to his hometown of Sheffield, England, through songwriting that serves as a sepia-toned photograph of timeless places and love-troubled lives. While it may seem as if nothing changes in Hawley’s stylishly retro work, sixth album Truelove’s Gutter (Mute) is a deceptively tranquil sea change of sonics—employing glass harmonica, waterphone and other ethereal sounds—and themes, with the album delving into lyrical topics of dashed hopes, drug addiction and, of course, love gone wrong. Befitting its title, Truelove’s Gutter finds Hawley trawling Sheffield’s shadows and back alleys on his most spacious, soul-baring album to date. Hawley is guest editing magnetmagazine.com this week. Read our Q&A with him.

Border_Collie550Hawley: Talking of changing everything, my dog Fred changed everything for me. I walk miles with him. I have changed for the better. Man’s best friend? Could be. I suppose I am not writing a lot in words but maybe saying a fair bit in thought. [Hawley didn’t have access to a usable photo of his dog, so the image above is of a collie that resembles Fred.]