COMING HOME
In 2007 Hawks released his second album, Coming Home, devoted to the two and three-part harmonies of string and bluegrass music. Greg Hawks pays homage to his Blue Ridge Mountain roots with 14 songs of hard-driving bluegrass and soulful country singing that tell stories of love, loss, faith, and redemption.
While Coming Home has a distinctly modern sound, it’s firmly rooted in Brothers-style mountain harmony (think Louvins, Osbornes, Stanleys, and Jim and Jesse); straight-ahead bluegrass (think Jimmy Martin, Stanley Brothers, and J.D. Crowe); and real country (think Merle, Hank, Lefty, and Jones). Along with 11 originals, Hawks offers a lively version of the fiddle tune “Temperance Reel” and completes the record with a vocal quartet of the gospel “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me” and an original instrumental, “There You Go.”
His songs spring from some serious life changes—the death of his father, the birth of his son, and a return to faith--leading to originals such as “Simple Pleasures,” “What’s Your Hurry,” and the title track, “Coming Home.” Backed by his own bass, guitar, mandolin, and banjo, Hawks balances traditional sounds with modern themes. He also called on the talents of local musicians such as Rick LaFleur, Daniel Aldridge (Constant Change), Steve Watson, and Steve Fraleigh (2005 Galax winner). Coming Home brings Hawks full circle, a return to tradition that he says was “a journey back to my roots.” Hawks dedicated the album to his father, Ronald Hawks, who passed away in 2001.
