HATFIELD – AN ARTIST SHOWCASE AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW
By Ralph Beauchamp
Hatfield is a singer/songwriter whose music has a fair share of mystery. He mixes rock, folk and country in order to create something that is totally singular and original. His songs have extremely vivid imagery that feel cloaked yet are still grounded in life. Hatfield‘s songs deal with reflection and an astute awareness of our romantic and social upheavals. His persona is the same. You can’t get a read. Like Toulouse-Lautrec, he is shaded, reflective and the perfect image of the trouble artist. All traits that make up a brilliant creative.
“This Dragon Heart” is Hatfield‘s newest single dropping March 20th via Bigger Beast Records. The song spotlights Hatfield‘s strong songwriting. His vocals shine with a dynamic intensity while his arrangement is flawless. The song carries a tension-filled atmospheric tone and Hatfield‘s instrumentation is superb. The guitars glisten with a menacing soundscape while the orchestration has embolden kinetic textures. The keys add a ominous essence that is utterly addictive. “This Dragon Heart” is an immensely powerful addition to Hatfield’s repertoire.
Hatfield will be having a record release performance on Saturday March 21st at Cantean Coffee & Tea in Hamden
Hatfield was kind enough to sit for this in-depth interview.
Listen to “This Dragon Heart“
AMP: Do your songs tend to come from personal experience, observation, or imagination?
HATFIELD: My most intimate songs always seem to come from direct experiences, but growing up I loved writing and creating stories. I think a lot of my songs are just my way of bringing my imagination to life, like a script writer would. Since I was a kid, music has been a way of translating my thoughts. I have this tune “Rabbit Holes” about this fabricated crime boss who just learned his closest people are plotting to ambush him. He’s standing in the desert before sunrise deciding what to do, looking back at his life and decisions, deciding if he deserves this fate after all.
I have another one about a hypothetical ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ couple, on the run and exchanging their goodbyes while hiding out in an abandoned building, knowing that they won’t get a chance when the final shootout comes. They’re kind of mini films that I play out with notes and verses.
AMP: Are there any artists, past or present, who’ve shaped your songwriting approach
HATFIELD: It’s definitely changed over time. Early on it was the Seattle guys, Vedder, Staley, Cornell. Maynard James Keenan and Dave Grohl were big influences. For the more modern stuff, Ben Harper, John Butler, Dallas Green for sure had an impact. But I’m always finding influence and artists that amaze me, whether they pop up on Spotify or a live performance in a club somewhere.
AMP: Has your sound evolved since you started releasing music? And how?
HATFIELD: I started as a drummer, and eventually learned to sing by imitating my favorite singers. So when I started, I didn’t know what my voice was. It was the years of gigging that let me find that. That was a big part of the journey, and probably where I’ve grown and changed the most.
AMP: Which song in your catalogue feels the most vulnerable or personal?
HATFIELD: I’ve written a lot about my family, so those would probably be the most personal. But as far as vulnerable, my song “Fate Comes Easy” is sort of a reflection of a time where I didn’t know what the future held or even what I wanted my future to look like, and just that claustrophobic feeling of wondering where I was headed. The name is kind of my way of saying what will be will be, and sometimes overthinking or grasping onto control too hard can prevent us from taking those unexpected opportunities that might be best for us.
AMP: Your new single is “This Dragon Heart” on Bigger Beast Records. Can you give us a little insight into the track?
HATFIELD: I wrote this one with Frank Viele, and it’s my first co-written release. I’ve always been used to writing alone, so being able to bounce ideas as a team and create a song I’m so proud of was an eye-opening experience, and something I can’t wait to do more of.
AMP: Do you prefer the intimacy of studio recording or the energy of live performance?
HATFIELD: It’s always the live performance for me. I like the focus of the studio, being able to dial in without distraction, but nothing really duplicates the energy of a live stage. I was that 9 year old kid putting on shows in my living room, it’s probably the reason I picked up my first drum stick. It seems I always had the stage in mind.
AMP: What’s been the biggest challenge in your career so far?
HATFIELD: Probably just wearing so many hats, like any artist today. You have to be the promoter, marketer, graphic designer, and five other things aside from just writing and performing. I can’t complain, but it’s not easy knowing which hat to put on and when, and at times I’ve let it get in the way of creating, which was the goal in the first place. That’s part of what’s been so great about joining Bigger Beast. The support from everyone on the team is something I’ve never had as a solo artist, and it’s made so many things possible already that I wouldn’t have put together on my own.
AMP: Is there a direction or sound you’re excited to explore?
HATFIELD: I’m loving the ideas we have in store, and there’s a lot more music planned behind “This Dragon Heart”. Since joining the label I’ve focused back in on the solo artist component, where I was doing more full-band arrangements in recent years. I’m loving that stripped down approach.
A cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” from a few years back.
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