The Awkward Silences – The Awkward Silences

Description

1 Quantum Physics
2 Getting Ready For My Life To Begin
3 There’s Nothing More Obnoxious Than A Self-Made Man
4 Everybody Loves Organised Fun
5 Other People Die
6 Count Each Mistake
7 The Medical Model
8 Everything Will Probably Be Fine
9 Pretending To Be Fine
10 The New World

‘Laden with pure charisma’ NME
‘An ace antifolk superstar’ Time Out
‘I haven’t been able to get Paul Hawkins out of my head for the last 4 days’ Huw Stephens

Anyone that has been with Jezus Factory over the years will know who linked we are with Paul Hawkins, since our first ‘proper’ release was a 7″ split single with Lil’ Lost Lou and we went on to release 2 full length studio albums ‘We Are Not Other People’ (2008) and the double ‘Apologies To The Enlightenment’ (2010) and in total 8 singles, some of which were non album. It was a very prolific, energetic and crazy time in which anything felt possible. We were part of the most exciting scene in London at the time alongside David Cronenberg’s Wife and Extradition Order. Radio One Airplay, including a session, rave reviews and festival appearances pushed the cart up to the top of the hill and eventually we slid back down again for various reasons… The band left us and went to Audio Antihero for an EP and then our friends Blang! for the last album ‘Outsider Pop’; whom they remain with now…

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Inclusive outsider pop mavericks and Antifolk legends The Awkward Silences return with their eponymous 4th
album and their first release in 5 years. Produced by Jon Clayton ( The Monochrome Set , Subway Sect ), The Awkward
Silences is their catchiest, most unusual and most personal work to date.
Led by songwriter, author and disability campaigner Paul Hawkins, The Awkward Silences combine cleverly off-kilter
Daniel Johnston-esque pop songs with energetic and inspired live performances pitched somewhere between Ian
Dury, Iggy Pop and the Flaming Lips.

Having cut their teeth at the infamous Blang nights at the 12 Bar Club back in the late 00’s, The Awkward Silences
built up a dedicated following amongst the UK Antifolk Scene before taking on the mainstream with regular BBC
Radio1 & 6Music airplay, festival slots up and down the country, and a celebrity following including the likes of Mark
Radcliffe , Huw Stephens and Graham Coxon *.

Owing to a combination of mental health issues, bereavements, disability activism and other real life complications,
the band retreated from the public eye following the release of 2015’s Outsider Pop. 2018 saw the bands first foray
back into the spotlight with a triumphant set at Kendal Calling, spurring them back into the studio to record the new
album. The Awkward Silences will also feature on ‘ Scratchcard ’, Blang Records forthcoming 15 year anniversary
compilation (due October 2020).

More recently, Hawkins has been in the music press for his work with disability charity Attitude Is Everything and
their new initiative Beyond The Music , aimed at improving employment opportunities for disabled people in the
music industry. As a disabled musician himself, Hawkins is passionate about improving access for deaf and disabled
performers, gig-goers and professionals. All Awkward Silences self-promoted gigs have captioned lyrics for anyone
who can’t hear them. Paul is very happy to hear from disabled musicians who’d like some advice or a chat.

* Graham Coxon was once mistaken for Chris from the band, and ended up getting punched as a result. We think he is a
fan.