INTERVIEW WITH PROPTER HAWK

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Andrew: My father is in a rock band and got me into music as a toddler, but Marty Mcfly made me want to play music. Around the time that I decided that I wanted to play guitar, my other aspiration was to be a Zamboni driver. Something to fall back on, I suppose.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Andrew: I like to build little electronics like guitar pedals and little amps. My next project is going to be a little mellotron-type instrument. It doesn’t have a huge influence on the actual songwriting process, but I think that the process is similar; creating something unique and then coming up with ideas to expand and refine what you’ve made. Some of the effects that I have made can be heard on the recordings.

How long has your band been around?

Andrew: We started rehearsing in 2020 during the pandemic, our yet-to-be-released album was recorded in May 2022, and we started playing live in June 2022.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

Andrew: We are generally based out of Toronto and most of what we do is filtered through the lens of Toronto culture – our artistic voice has a Southern Ontario accent.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Andrew: Propter Hawk is a play on “Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc” which is an informal fallacy meaning “After this, therefore because of this”. I thought it sounded cool, but every time I tell someone what the band is called, they say “What? Doctor Hawk? Proctor Hawk? Proper Hawk?” Then they ask what it means. Then they ask what an informal fallacy is.
It makes for an awkward conversation, but I still like it.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Malorie: Horseshoe Tavern, of course. Legendary! We played at a place called The Sauce in July – that show was great because it was outdoors and we played right on a busy Toronto street. Our beautiful little nephew Henry (Andrew and I) was also born during our set! A very exciting day, indeed.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Andrew: The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto was an absolute thrill to play. I’ve seen so many incredible shows there and finally getting up on stage was amazing. I have a feeling that playing Massey Hall would be unforgettable.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Andrew: NME had a concert in 1965 with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Them, The Kinks, Donovan, The Animals, etc. We would love to have been crowbarred into that lineup.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Malorie: Practice lots, reach for the stars and don’t worry what anyone else thinks.  

Andrew: Be honest with yourself about your limitations and work around them. If you can’t sing, learn an instrument. If you can’t solo, find someone who can. Find your strengths and work with them.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Andrew: Start now. Whenever now is, just start.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Malorie: Sleeper Creeper! Andy and I had been trying all night to write something and we were getting nowhere. Sleeper Creeper was a fluke recording in the basement at 4 a.m., right before I went to bed, that I just instantly fell in love with.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Andrew: Devotion is such a great part of the set. It has a whole different feel than the rest of the songs and it’s always a thrill to watch Alec destroy in his solo. Our most requested song is definitely Clean Old Fashioned Hate.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Malorie: Everyone contributes their own ideas and we work them out as a group. For the ones that Andy and I write, we like to lock ourselves in the basement and just riff until we come up with something. Once we have that, Andy writes all of the lyrics – he is amazing at that. Seriously brilliant.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Andrew: I like to write more about themes and settings than stories. A lot of it is just venting frustration and writing about places and things that most people would rather turn a blind eye to.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Andrew: We use a voting system which works for the most part. When that fails, we normally just go with whatever Jimmy (drummer) thinks. Nobody has the nerve to disagree with Jim.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We are hoping to get our album out as soon as possible followed by some kind of tour.

Right now, we are promoting our latest single “Theatre Of The Whole World” (Available on all major streaming platforms) and we have some shows that we are really excited about coming up…
Oct 21 – The Cameron House
Nov 19 – The Dakota Tavern
Jan 5 – The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?

We are pretty active on our Instagram and we always keep our website up to date. You can find us here:

Website: www.propterhawk.ca 

Instagram: @propterhawkband

Facebook: officialpropterhawk

Twitter: @PropterHawkBand

TikTok: @propterhawkband