by Jaz Bowens
The tri-state area has really been churning out the talent in recent years and one band in particular that has gained attention, not only for their original music and stage presence, but their determination and drive to share their talent is Gloucester City’s own The Warhawks. That Mag’s first heared what all the buzz was about when they played the Live Session at Voltage Lounge. They had fans coming out in the blistering cold waiting to see them perform and for good reason because they sounded great.
Front man and guitarist Matthew Orlando, drummer Patrick Bilodeau, guitarist John Bilodeau, and bass player Thomas Lipski make up The Warhawks. JB and Pat are brothers and Matt is their cousin. Rounding out the group is Tom, Matt’s high school friend. Their love for music all brought them together and making a band only seemed natural. “We all grew up with similar taste in music, especially me, JB,and Pat,” Matthew says. “ We all grew up playing together and we eventually went from hanging out to playing guitars and drums. Tom and I had similar taste in music as well so when it came time to pick a bass player he joined the band and everything has been going good from there.”
They started back in 2007 and released their debut EP Dawn of the Hawks the same year. Since then they have created six EPs. Their most recent work, Time and Tides, was released in 2012.
Back in their early days in the scene, getting their music out there was essential and The Warhawks used many ways to promote their music. This prompted them to gain notoriety and create a fanbase that were always on the look out for new Warhawks material. “When we first started I was 15 and I guess what really got our music out there was word of mouth,” says Pat. “We had Myspace and Facebook but we really focused on our live shows. We would just tell people to come out to parties and listen to a live show and that definitely spread around, So, I would have to say word of mouth really helped.”
“We would go to shows and pass out CDs” Tom continues. “We went to SXSW and pounded the pavement giving out cards and CDs. We used all outlets to get our music out.” Their passion and dedication has gotten them this far and they’re not holding back now. Their hard work is paying off as they have seen a lot of improvements and exposure in 2013. No doubt, they also see a lot in store for the band in 2014.
“In 2013 we really learned about our craft, like song writing and other elements,” Matt says. “We took a break from shows because we really wanted to figure out how to get a better song out there in terms of getting new music out. We turned a page as far as songwriting. This year is going to be the year the dream is really realized. There is a lot of development as far as our sound and figuring out our style.”
The Warhawks are currently working on new music and will be putting something out pretty soon. “This is the first time we’re taking all the elements from every member and incorporating it into our music,” JB says. “In the beginning it was one or two guys running the whole thing and it was good but we (as a band) weren’t where we needed to be. With our new music we are bringing in more dimensions into it and coming into our own sound. We have better hooks, sound, and we’re more engaged. We’re going in a better direction.”
They are anticipating the future and the direction the band is going in. Their live shows also reflect their new sound and the band’s maturity. “It’s a darker sound we’re looking for, a more defined sound with vocals, the whole feel, and groove of the music,” Matt says. “Time and Tide is our old sound. We don’t play any of our old EPs at our shows. We take different elements from those EPs and combine them into our new music which will be released soon.”
He continues, “Our new music, without a doubt, will be the most collaborative effort we have had because it’s the best music we’ve made.” The Warhawks will be on Gashouseradio.com from 7-8p TONIGHT where they will debut some new songs and demos. You can also see up to date info about the band and their endeavours online.
