Pop punk disruptor, Ray Hawthorne, has officially released his sophomore record, "Ray Hawthorne Isn't Real" today, paired alongside an epic animated video for one of the album's standout tracks, "The Reel You". Fans can listen to the album HERE and watch the brand new video below.
In the brand new video for "The Reel You", Ray Hawthorne and his real-life dog, Oliver, trade guitars for capes, transforming into animated superheroes locked in a battle against a towering, Godzilla-sized Elmo. It's absurd, action-packed, and exactly the kind of chaotic fun that fans have come to expect from Hawthorne.
Blending heartbreak, sarcasm, and just the right amount of emotional stability, this record marks a new chapter for Ray Hawthorne. Where debut album and his firstborn, "Ray Hawthorne Sucks", leaned into earnest DIY vulnerability, his latest record, "Ray Hawthorne Isn't Real", takes a turn and taps into the restless defiance of a secondborn. Across 15 brand new tracks, Hawthorne delivers emotional candor that perfectly captures what it feels like to scream into the void, only to realize the void is singing back.
Fresh off singles that blurred the lines between self-deprecation and self-destruction, including the biting, "And the Horse You Rode in On", the pop-punk firebrand doubles down on identity crises, burned bridges, late night regrets, and the very real possibility that Ray Hawthorne is just a guy screaming into the ether (and somehow making it sound catchy). Loud, petty, and deeply cathartic, "Ray Hawthorne Isn't Real" cements Hawthorne's place as one of the most unapologetically honest voices modern pop-punk.
Somewhere between saving the city from a Godzilla-sized Elmo and making sure Oliver's cape stayed on straight, Ray Hawthorne took a breather to share:
"You know what? Sometimes I just wanna be messy. I wanna lay out all of my biggest regrets in overly distorted ways that make my throat hurt. I wanna be so fucking real about what I’m feeling that it’s almost off putting. Like “Trauma Dump - The Album”. But I also just wanna play Yu-Gi-Oh and hang out with my dog. So I’m trying to find a middle ground. I’m sure the next album will be cleaner and prettier, maybe a little less chaotic. But this shit is messy, distorted, chaos, and I think I really needed it to be that way.”
Renowned for his work in North Kingsley, the acclaimed project alongside Shavo Odadjian of System of a Down, Hawthorne initially captured hearts as the Heartbreak Hero with his inaugural solo release "Heartbreak Feels Good in a Place Like This". Building on his solo work, his debut record "Ray Hawthorne Sucks" further cemented his status as a bold new voice in pop punk, quickly amassing a devoted following and over 15 million streams across all streaming platforms for his magnetic charm and razor-sharp wit.
Picking up where his debut record, "Ray Hawthorne Sucks", left off, his sophomore record captures the raw energy of late-night confessionals and the polished punch of modern pop punk. "Ray Hawthorne Isn't Real" is an invitation to embrace the chaos, laugh at the pain, and maybe, just maybe, find a little redemption along the way.
Be sure to stay tuned for more Ray Hawthorne news coming very soon.
"RAY HAWTHORNE ISN'T REAL"
RELEASE SHOW / DEBUT SHOW
August 15th - The Shed - Los Angeles, CA
Don't miss out on catching Ray Hawthorne's debut live performance for his "Ray Hawthorne Isn't Real" release show at none other than everyone's favorite local venue, The Shed!
Support for the "Ray Hawthorne Isn't Real" release show comes from Tayden, bren., and Kiss The Scientist.
Tickets can be purchased HERE.
ABOUT RAY HAWTHORNE
Do you remember that episode of Degrassi where Ashley really wants Craig to tell her he loves her, but Craig gets all panicked and can’t tell her that he does? It causes so much drama in their relationship. She begins to question her feelings for him and because of that, he becomes seemingly unsure of his feelings for her. So, in an effort to quell the bad vibes, Craig writes a song that includes lyrics IMPLICITLY AND EXPLICITLY stating that he loves her. (Total banger by the way, the only song of his I like better is the one he sings at the battle of the bands after the two inevitably break up, it’s also about Ashley. I believe it’s called ‘What I Know’) Anyway, Craig was only able to admit he loved Ashley in song form, but you as the viewer are left wondering ‘Does he really love her, or was this just his solution to end the drama?’ Or, ’Is this truly the only way he can express himself because he’s kind of nervous about speaking his true feelings outside of the structured environment of a song?’. I tend to believe it’s a mixture of both. So what I’m trying to say is, this collection of songs is kind of like that. I always feel like I have so much to say but often feel a bit too vulnerable when discussing my actual feelings. So for the majority of my life, I’ve just written them into songs instead. These songs can be quite vulnerable even if they seem silly at times. So now you’re left to wonder... am I telling the truth or just trying to get rid of Ashley’s bad vibes?