SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: DOMI HAWKEN – WATER AND THE WINE

DOMI HAWKEN – WATER AND THE WINE 

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE ALBUM PREMIERE

Domi Hawken, London’s dark rock poet, is set to release her second EP, Water And The Wine following the success of her debut Sociable Pariah. An emblem of her creative expansion and a testament to the deep well of influences she draws from, the evocative and haunting record will be released April 25th.

Armed with nothing but a VHS camera and an unflinching vision, Hawken has transformed her debut into a launchpad for something far more ambitious. Water and The Wine is a sonic landscape that varies from climactic instrumentation to vulnerable, exposed folk, showcasing Hawken’s growth as an artist and her willingness to try new things artistically. Across three songs, the EP is a tour-de-force that demonstrates true versatility and flexibility from both Hawken and her band.

“With my first EP, we followed a system; I would write the songs, then Matt Robson and I would record it together, with him mostly trying to bring my ideas to fruition,” she recalls. “With this second EP, we approached things differently, getting the other members of the band more involved. I remember recording a demo myself of ‘Water And The Wine’ and sending it to my drummer Cyprien Jacquet to see what he could do with my ideas. When he sent the first version back, he asked me, ‘Is this what you wanted?’ and I replied, ‘No, this is so much better than what I wanted.’ From that moment, I was a lot more relaxed with letting the guys put their ideas and their stamp on the songs.”

Moving beyond her previous approach, Hawken has embraced a more collaborative method with her band members Matt Robson, Cyprien Jacquet, and Kobi Pham. The result is a grittier, more creative sound that benefits from the collective input of the entire band. While Hawken maintains her involvement in production, the process has become more collaborative, with Pham handling the precise mixing before Robson adds his signature rough edges.

From the desperation of unrequited love in ‘The Moment I Need You The Most’ to the Cohen-inspired acoustic lullaby of ‘123’, each track on the EP is imbued with a passionate, dark, and rough-around-the-edges approach that defines Domi Hawken’s sound. Yet it’s the EP’s focus single, ‘Water And The Wine,’ which emerges as a true standout. A classic 60s-70s style rock song that Hawken describes as “the most fun to play live,” the track represents a departure from the rigid vision of her debut. Alongside the single, Domi releases the accompanying music video for the track. Shot in striking black and white, the video presents a stripped-back, minimalist aesthetic that marks a deliberate departure from her signature VHS distortion style. She adds “The most challenging part of ‘Water and The Wine’ was the video for the title track. Where in ‘The Moment I Need You The Most’ everything is distorted, we wanted this video to be the opposite; clear and close up. A straight up video for a straight up rock song”

Drawing comparisons to Arctic Monkeys’ grit, The Doors’ psychedelia, and Lana Del Rey’s noir-pop storytelling, Hawken’s sound is as eclectic as her upbringing. “My Dad played a huge role,” she reflects. “His taste ranged from Black Sabbath to Beethoven and nearly everything in between. Being his daughter meant you had to really know music – he would test us. That variety has seeped into how I write.” Armed with nothing but a VHS camera and an unflinching vision, Hawken has carved out her own niche in London’s indie scene. Her DIY approach to visuals creates a raw authenticity that perfectly complements her guitar-driven sound and evocative storytelling. With Water and The Wine marking the first of two EPs in 2025, Hawken is set to cement her position as one of the capital’s most compelling emerging artists.

Water and The Wine is out on all streaming platforms April 25th.

Domi Hawken
Water And The Wine 
(Independent)
Release Date: April 25, 2025

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