Everyone's favorite pop punk disruptor, Ray Hawthorne, is barely keeping it together, but in the best way possible. Following the woozy late-night spiral of "Somewhere Else" and his sophomore album, "Ray Hawthorne Isn't Real" the Los Angeles-based firebrand returns with "Overwhelmed," a chest-tightening, full-speed anthem about the terror of falling apart and not knowing if anyone will notice. Fans can listen to the new single Below.
At its core, "Overwhelmed", is about the cruel irony of needing people most when you're least able to let them in. Ray Hawthorne writes from inside that contradiction, watching himself push away the people who show up, unable to stop, and unsure if he deserves to be caught anyway. It's Ray Hawthorne's greatest trick, taking his worst moments and making them into songs that are impossible to not sing along to.
Ever the philosopher, Ray Hawthorne dives deep into how fans should listen to his music and who is to blame if they don't:
"I think Jeff Probst might be a vampire and not enough people are talking about it. There’s all these conspiracies on the internet about people not aging, or faking their deaths and turning into different celebrities. Like people are saying Jim Carrey is now Walton Goggins, or Kurt Cobain is actually Rivers Cuomo (shoutout Pete for turning me on to that one). But nobody talks about Jeff Probst. I’ve been watching Survivor like my whole life and this dude has NEVER aged. Some call it hair dye, but I think it’s something more sinister than that. How many of us have actually auditioned for Survivor? Not many. I’d be willing to bet that the fine print of the contract says something like “In exchange for a chance at winning one million dollars you are agreeing to let Jeff Probst steal your life force”. And nobody’s actually reading it. They’re just happy to compete. I’m certain this information is dangerous, but someone has to take a stand. If you never hear from me again just know that it was most likely Jeff Probst (or his personal assistant) that eliminated me. Listen to my new song in protest. Use it as a way to stand against this system of Hollywood elite vampires. Play it as loud as you can to let them know that you know the truth.”
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 20 million streams across all streaming platforms for his magnetic charm and razor-sharp wit.
Blending heartbreak, sarcasm, and just the right amount of emotional stability, Ray Hawthorne leads with a messy kind of hope, turning emotional freefall into something you can scream along to. Where debut album and his firstborn, "Ray Hawthorne Sucks", leaned into an earnest DIY vulnerability, his latest record, "Ray Hawthorne Isn't Real", took a turn and tapped into the restless defiance of a secondborn. The 15 tracks helped embrace the chaos, laugh at the pain, and maybe, just maybe, allow us all to find a little redemption along the way.
Starting from the very real possibility that Ray Hawthorne is just a guy screaming into the ether (and somehow making it sound catchy), his catalog has become a refuge for anyone who's ever felt too loud, too sensitive, or too much. Loud, petty, and deeply cathartic, Ray Hawthorne is proudly one of the most unapologetically honest voices modern pop-punk.
Be sure to stay tuned for more Ray Hawthorne news coming very soon.
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?