Cozy Hawks
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Cozy Hawks

Denton, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | SELF

Denton, Texas, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 2015
Band Rock Pop

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"The Best Around. The 12 Best Local Releases of 2012 (So Far)"

Cozy Hawk's power-pop debut is insanely melodic and catchy -- and gritty in all of the right places to boot. Consider it proof that frontman Adam Bertholdi's earlier project, Gazelles, was less the sum of its parts and more the product of his impressive songwriting chops. - Central Track


"Cozy Hawks Come Alive"

Music is like the mob: Just when you think you're out, something pulls you back in. At least that's how it worked for Adam Bertholdi of Denton's Cozy Hawks.
Bertholdi, like many musicians, has always pulled double shifts in numerous local bands, sometimes as a guitarist and background vocalist, other times as a fully invested member. When Bertholdi's former band, Gazelles, broke up a couple years ago, he found the lost investment of time and effort too much to bear.

"We were together for almost five years, and it just abruptly ended and I got a real negative view of doing it again, of starting from the ground up with a new band," he says. "So for a couple of years I didn't do much [musically]."

He did continue to write sporadically, building a short list of songs. Then, one day, a casual conversation with a neighbor sparked something. "I lived next door at the time to Justin Collins (Burnt Sienna Trio, Old Snack), and one day he asked me why I wasn't doing music anymore," he says. "We decided to get together and jam."

The result is an impressive EP called No Blues. While Collins played drums and produced, Bertholdi played everything else. Through its seven tracks, No Blues is a showcase of guitar-based power-pop full of great melodies. Songs like "No Blues" and "Two Hawks" drive with purpose, while others like "Days as a Dog" and "Howl" slow the pace but keep the hooks.

Of course, having a record is only part of the battle. With show offers coming in, Bertholdi needed a full band. Enter Rob Paine and Brack Cantrell. "When I started looking for other players, Brack was with Sundress and Rob was with Matthew and the Arrogant Sea," he says.

Those other commitments ended right about the time Bertholdi needed a drummer and bass player, and months of unfulfilled plans finally came to fruition. When performing live, the band projects a younger, aggressive Neil Finn or an extension of Bandwagonesque-era Teenage Fanclub.

"You don't really see a lot of stripped-down, power-pop stuff around," Cantrell says. "But we don't really shoot for a certain sound."

Now that Bertholdi is back on track with a new band, there are other things to think about, such as finishing school (all three members are close to graduating), planning a tour and recording a new full-length.

"We've all had a taste of this before, but now we want to see if we can make a real go of it," Bertholdi says. "This is what I've wanted to do since I was 13." - The Dallas Observer


"Comfortably Numb"

If there's a dude in town who has a right to hate Neon Indian, it's Adam Bertholdi, who saw his cutesy indie-pop band Gazelles fall apart when Alan Palomo swept in and recruited his drummer and guitar player -- Jason Faries and Ronnie Heart (who we'll have more on in the coming days), respectively -- to hit the road with his then-new chillwave upstart.

Alas, Bertholdi never complained. He simply kept his head up and kept writing new songs -- and really strong stuff at that.

His resulting new project, Cozy Hawks just posted its debut seven-song release, perhaps fittingly entitled No Blues. With assistance from bassist Robert Paine and drummer Brack Cantrell, the new disc's Arcade Fire guitar tones and throwback wall-of-sound influence are refreshing updates to Bertholdi's familiar, pleasing indie pop stylings -- and not just in bits and pieces here and there.

The album, recorded by ubiquitous Denton sound engineer Justin Collins, is strong from start to finish -- perhaps as should be expected given the once-prominent popularity of Bertholdi's bygone Gazelles.

His could have been a tragic story, but, y'know, now that we've heard Cozy Hawks, something tells us that Bertholdi's going to be OK in the long run.

Oh, and thanks to Bertholdi for passing along the new album's lead cut, "Water Wings," along as a free download to Central Track readers. Check it out and download it below. - Central Track


"16 of the Best Local Releases of 2012 1/2"

In a scene seemingly lacking in good ol' power pop, Cozy Hawks are a breath of fresh air. They bring to the stage an aggressive, Teenage Fanclub-infused sound, and their EP No Blues captures the vibe perfectly. Recorded with Justin Collins (who's worked with just about every other band in Denton as a musician or producer), the album is urgent and punchy. It's only available on their Bandcamp page at the moment, but that also means its only $5. Well worth the investment. - The Dallas Observer


Discography

Cozy Hawks - No Blues (2012)
Cozy Hawks - Pan-Pacific (2013)

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Bio

In a scene seemingly lacking in good ol' power pop, Cozy Hawks are a breath of fresh air. They bring to the stage an aggressive, Teenage Fanclub-infused sound, and their EP No Blues captures the vibe perfectly. Recorded with Justin Collins (who's worked with just about every other band in Denton as a musician or producer), the album is urgent and punchy. It's only available on their Bandcamp page at the moment, but that also means its only $5. Well worth the investment.

Written By: Andy Odom for The Dallas Observer

In addition to being on numerous local "best-of" shortlists, No Blues single "Water Wings" has been on consistent rotation on Dallas radio's 102.1 The Edge shows
The Adventure Club, and The Local Edge with Mark.

Their sound has been compared to that of: Crowded House, Teenage Fanclub, Matthew Sweet, and The Get Up Kids.

After a year of playing shows around the metroplex and Austin, Cozy Hawks have finally hit the studio to record their sophomore follow up to No Blues. Unlike their debut, the record will involve live band members this time around, and will be fully done at their home rehearsal space. Pan-Pacific is slated for a release date sometime early in 2013. The band hopes to tour nationally in support of their new self-released record.

Band Members