Riley Hawke – I Still Do

Each month we shine the spotlight on one SoundGym member by reviewing one of their tracks for our Music Spot feature. This month we focus on 'I Still Do' by Riley Hawke.

Hawke has been playing guitar, singing and writing songs since she was eighteen years old – more than ten years ago. She now has more than sixty complete songs in her catalogue, and since 2016 has begun to focus much more heavily on the production of her tracks, alongside the continued development of her songwriting craft. 

The result of this work she has been putting in is obvious in tracks such as 'I Still Do'. The song was released as part of her Fragile Reality EP, and showcases a clear-eyed songwriting style coupled with crisp production.

She says that she writes songs so that listeners can 'feel the feelings that are hard to admit to, because I know how healing it can be to do so', and the lyric here backs that up; it is open, honest and heartbroken. A deceptively simple arrangement centers around an acoustic guitar and Hawke's crystal-clear voice, but new elements are gradually and subtly introduced. The song builds almost imperceptibly towards its climax; the musical resources are managed beautifully.

If you want to hear more from Riley Hawke, a good place to start is her website. You can also listen to lots more of her music, and follow her on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Soundcloud.