G.E. Smith’s PORTRAITS with Sophie B. Hawkins and Trevor Hall

Legendary songstress, Sophie B Hawkins has been tugging at heartstrings for decades with her powerful storytelling, crafting dizzying tunes that idle between the potently forlorn and the strangely comforting. Now, Hawkins is ready to make her return, armed with a new collection of songs that are set to once again become the soundtrack to your first-date or your break-up. After a stretch in Los Angeles the iconic singer-songwriter and New York native is back on the East Coast with a new album- a rich compilation of beautiful tunes, each telling its own powerful story through soaring melodies and evocative lyrics. In conjunction with the album release, Hawkins will make a special appearance at NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall. The new album carries Sophie’s signature style, painting beautiful scenes of love, heartbreak, self-awareness, and everything in between. “I’m Better Off Without You” is an empowering tale about betrayal and the strength that comes from it. She explains, “The worst thing that can happen, the thing I most feared, actually set me free.” “Love Yourself” is a wonderful lesson of self-acceptance, in which Sophie learns to enjoy the peace of just being herself. “Consume Me In Your Fire” is a raw poem about being drawn to the fire and letting yourself burn, not worrying about anything else, because it’s all transitional. Born and raised in New York City, Sophie has always been an artist at heart. After attending Manhattan School of Music as a percussionist for nearly a year, Sophie left to pursue a professional music career. She got her big break playing percussion for Bryan Ferry, and after he fired her she was inspired to write the hit single “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover”. She released her critically acclaimed debut album Tongues and Tails in 1992, which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Sophie has since proven herself a resonant and enduring artist, earning six New York Music awards as well as an ASCAP award for longest running single, “As I Lay Me Down”. She has performed with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Chris Isaak, Melissa Etheridge, and Sting. Over twenty years and six albums later, Sophie has come home to New York and is ready to enchant once more with her eloquent lyrics and breathtaking vocals. With this new collection of gorgeously crafted songs, Sophie will further solidify her place as a storytelling legend, and her return is well worth the wait.