Philadelphia-based musician Mallory Hawk releases her debut album Chinook.
Hawk’s hometown roots lie in Fayetteville, NC, a military town where her father would call out helicopter names without even looking up. Among them was the Chinook CH-47, a helicopter he once described as “the only helicopter in the world that can collide with itself.” Its unique double-propeller construction creates the possibility of the machine tearing itself apart, a contradiction that stuck with Hawk: a symbol of both life-saving power and self-destruction. That duality became the foundation for Chinook, as Hawk reflected on her own role as a caretaker for others and the cost of constantly putting herself last.
Rather than self-destructing, Hawk turns to art, using her raw musical talent as a form of rescue.
“Even when I was down to the last bit of fuel in my reserve tank, I’d still give away every last drop to nurture and care for others. Routinely channeling my anger into song made me realize that my self-sacrifice had to stop.”
Mallory Hawk
A range of rock influences implode inside Chinook, shaped by memories of her mother’s music playing in the car, a trip to Lilith Fair, and her father’s guitar playing and influences. Slivers of folk and emo shine through Hawk’s confessional songwriting, alongside post-grunge angst, sludgy basslines, wailing guitars, and Southern grit. Together, these elements create the perfect soundscape for the album.
Chinook is an intense and deeply personal debut, where Hawk’s Southern childhood and Northeastern adulthood whirl around each other throughout the album. Moving unexpectedly between tenderness and rage, the album captures the many roles she shifts into: family member, friend, neighbour, and creator. A double-edged sword of reflection, the album explores the perils of looking back, the youthful trauma that resurfaces, and a future where the potential is so bright it hurts.
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