Hunter Hawkins revisits one of their most personal songs with the release of “Seeking Release (reimagined by Kenny Loggins),” a sweeping new interpretation of the standout track from the 2021 EP Phase. Produced by Kenny Loggins, the recording expands the emotional scope of the original while preserving its deeply personal message, offering a powerful preview of Hawkins’ forthcoming full-length album. Listen below.
Following a series of difficult conversations with loved ones during a trip to visit extended family, Hunter was looking for space to process the feeling of not being heard or understood. They spent an afternoon alone along the shoreline in La Jolla, where, overlooking the Pacific and surrounded by sunbathing sea lions, they began writing the lyrics and melody for “Seeking Release.” Just days earlier, Hunter had received a scratch guitar track from soon-to-be co-writer Kevin Mahany as an invitation to collaborate. Listening to the recording through their phone, Hunter drafted lyrics in the Notes app and captured melodies in Voice Memos, laying the foundation for what would become one of the album's most personal songs.
Originally released on Phase, “Seeking Release” returns as “Seeking Release (reimagined by Kenny Loggins),” a complete reworking created for Hawkins’ forthcoming full-length album. Instead of simply revisiting the original recording, Hawkins and Loggins rebuilt the song from the ground up with new arrangements, musicians and instrumentation, transforming it into a cinematic centerpiece. String arrangements by Ben Plotnick and Kaitlyn Raitz deepen the song’s emotional impact, carrying it from quiet introspection to an uplifting sense of release.
“‘Seeking Release’ came from a time when I was trying to make sense of feeling unseen and unheard,” says Hawkins. “Writing it helped me realize that the answers I was searching for weren’t going to arrive from somewhere else. They had to come from choosing to let go, trust the process, and allow myself to feel everything instead of fighting it.”
Anchored by lyrics that wrestle with surrender, healing and the desire to be understood, “Seeking Release” asks difficult questions without settling for easy answers. As the song builds from intimate reflection to an expansive orchestral finale, it ultimately reminds listeners that peace often begins when we stop waiting for permission to embrace who we are.
“Seeking Release (reimagined by Kenny Loggins)” stands as one of the defining moments on Hawkins' forthcoming album, reflecting both the vulnerability and artistic growth that continue to shape their music.
