Hawksley Workman

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Hawksley Workman

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Img_capt = Hawksley Workman performing in Toronto, Ontario, 2007
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Ryan Corrigan
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1975|3|4
Huntsville, Ontario
Died =
Origin = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Instrument =
Genre = Cabaret, pop rock, glam rock
Occupation = Singer-songwriter
Years_active =
Label =
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.hawksleyworkman.com/ www.hawksleyworkman.com]

Hawksley Workman (born March 4, 1975) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his quirky yet accessible blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released ten full length albums throughout his career. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, drums, bass, keyboards and singing on his records and often switching between those instruments when playing live.

Workman is a prolific artist, usually writing, recording, mastering and releasing entire albums in the span of a few weeks. He explains, "A lot of artists I know they get a year and a half away from a record they've just made it's like... 'Oh... it's terrible I hate that thing,' ya know? When I record [a] record, I never take more than a day per song... so by the time the record is mixed, finished, complete, done... I'm still in a honeymoon with the record..." [ [http://www.toazted.com/interview/294/Workman,-Hawksley.html Workman, Hawksley interviews (audio, mp3, video) ] ]

His music has been featured on the television shows "Scrubs" ("Stop Joking Around" featured in "My Cake" Season 4/Episode 6), "Falcon Beach", "Queer as Folk" and "Whistler".

Workman produces and engineers much of his own recording, and has produced albums for many other artists as well.

Beginnings (1998)

Corrigan was born in Huntsville in the Muskoka region of Ontario, attending Almaguin Highlands Secondary School and later Huntsville High School. He later moved south, to Toronto, to pursue his musical career.

In 1998 Workman says he was, "just beginning to find my voice." He recorded first in the front entrance of a friends studio, then moved his studio "to the basement of a friend's recently deceased grandmother on Hillsdale Avenue" [ Before We Were Security Guards liner notes ] - this basement is where he recorded his early albums, "For Him And The Girls" and "(Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves" as well as material that was released several years later on "Before We Were Security Guards" and "Puppy (A Boy's Truly Rough)".

In that studio, Hawksley Workman engineered and produced albums for many artists. He charged very low rates so had to work with a lot of different musicians in order to make ends meet. This is where he developed his productions sklls early in his career.

For Him And The Girls (1999-2000)

Hawksley Workman released his first album in 1999 on his own label, Isadora Records. This album, titled, "For Him and the Girls", earned him comparisons to the likes of Tom Waits, Rheostatics and Harry Nilsson.

Workman has been known for his unusual and creative promotional materials as well as his music. Around the time of his debut release, he published a number of letters to "Isadora", a fictional lover, in the classified section of Toronto's "NOW". (These letters were later published as the book "Hawksley Burns for Isadora".)

In 2000, Workman collaborated on an album called "Chrome Reflection", credited to a band named Bird which also featured fellow Canadians Jason Collett and Andrew Cash. The album also featured performances by most of Workman's then current live band.

(Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves(2001-2002)

Workman's second album was released in 2001 through Isadora Records/Universal Music Canada. The album, titled "(Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves", became Workman's breakthrough record both in Canada and Europe, spawning the hit singles "Striptease" and "Jealous of Your Cigarette".

His record company press kit for "The Delicious Wolves" included such fanciful biographical details as sailing through the air on a kite, and learning music while working as a janitor at a tap dance academy.

At the end of 2001, he also released an EP of self-penned Christmas-themed songs, "Almost a Full Moon".

In 2002, Workman was awarded the Juno Award for Best New Solo Artist and also received the award for Best Video for "Jealous of Your Cigarette".

Lover/Fighter (2003-2005)

"Lover/Fighter" followed in 2003; the album included the hits "We Will Still Need a Song", "Anger as Beauty", "Even an Ugly Man" and "No Reason to Cry Out Your Eyes (On the Highway Tonight)". The album was recorded in an old schoolhouse in Muskoka, which Workman converted into a recording studio. [ Ocal, Arda [http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/legacy/story.php?f=2&t=3539&i=&v=f&story=3539& Hawksley Workman: conflicted and unclassifiable] ]

The same year Workman was featured, with recording artists Jully Black and Sam Roberts, in a multi- award-winning MuchMusic social-issue documentary "Inside Your Threads", by Tania Natscheff and Liz Marshall. Workman and Black travelled to Bangladesh to witness the living and working conditions of garment workers making clothes for the North American market.

"Live in Lille", released in 2004, is a DVD of a live performance performed in Lille, France, showcases his live musicianship.

In 2004 Workman also released "Before We Were Security Guards", an album he originally recorded in 1998 [Before We Were Security Guards liner notes] . The album was originally only available at live shows, but is now available to order through his website. [ [http://www.hawksleyworkman.com/store/category.aspx?id=albums Albums | HawksleyWorkman.com Store ] ]

After his Lover/Fighter tour, Hawksley Workman recorded "My Little Toothless Beauties", but it wasn't released until 2006, and then, it was only sold at shows. Like "Before We Were Security Guards", it has available for order online, and is no longer so hard to find.

Additionally, in 2005 Workman released Serena Ryder's album, "Unlikely Emergency" through his label, Isadora Records.

Treeful of Starling (2006)

"Treeful of Starling" was released on February 28, 2006, a quiet retreat compared to the more high energy "Lover/Fighter".

In later 2006 "Puppy (a boy's truly rough)" and "My Little Toothless Beauties" (which displays a picture of a rotting carcass on the front), were completed but never released to the general public.

In late 2006, Workman released two tour albums. "Puppy", which was recorded between "For Him And The Girls" and "(Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves" [ Puppy liner notes ] and "My Little Toothless Beauties", recorded shortly after "Lover/Fighter" in 2004. They are only available for purchase at live shows, through the band's website [ [http://www.hawksleyworkman.com/store/category.aspx?id=albums Albums | HawksleyWorkman.com Store ] ] , or on the internet as MP3 albums.

Between The Beautifuls (2008)

Workman's second most recent album, "Between the Beautifuls", was released in early 2008, and soon followed by a single titled "Piano Blink".

In May of 2008 Hawksley Workman contributed a track to Cartier's Cartier LOVE campaign, which has collected songs by many musicians from around the world. Workman's contribution is called "The Ground That We Stand On". In addition to that song, Workman also wrote and produced a duet performed by himself and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard. That song is called "The Strong Ones".

Los Manlicious (2008)

Following on the heels of "Between the Beautifuls" is an initially Europe exclusive release titled "Los Manlicious", which was released in May 2008, and in Canada on August 26, 2008.

The record was recorded in the same sessions as 'Between the Beautifuls' and Workman intended to release it first, but Universal Music preferred to release the mellower album first. "Los Manlicious" is a return to Hawksley's heavier rock roots, resembling his major label debut, '(Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves' more than his two previous albums, 'Treeful of Starling' and 'Between the Beautifuls'. As well as Workman himself (credited as HW), several producers were enlisted for this album: Doc, Andre Wahl, Bob Ezrin, John Southworth, Ken Friesen, Matt DeMatteo, James Paul. [ Los Manlicious liner notes]

The first single from this album is 'When You Gonna Flower?'.

Los Manlicious' final track, "Fatty Wants to Dance" has been remixed by the Paronomasiac (Nik 7 from Shout Out Out Out Out).

While on tour in Europe supporting the record, Workman recorded videos for 8 of it's 13 tracks. These videos were shot on location in various cities on the tour and can be watched on youtube or on Hawksley Workman's facebook page.

Hawksley's band

Workman has played live in many configurations. His minimal setup consists of a duo, with Todd Lumley ("Mr. Lonely") playing piano and keyboards alongside Hawksley Workman on the guitar and vocals. During his 2008 tour in support of "Between the Beautifuls" Workman played with a larger band and sang while switching between drums and guitar.

Workman's recent configuration for more traditional rock songs consists of the following:

* Hawksley Workman – vocals, guitar
* Todd Lumley ("Mr. Lonely") – piano, organ, keyboards
* Derrick Brady – bass guitar
* Wyatt Burton – guitar
* Brad Kilpatrick – drums

Guitar equipment

Hawksley revealed his choices for guitars and equipment in an interview with Australian Guitar Magazine in January 2006. [http://www.hawksleyworkman.com/press/20060101ag.html]

Guitars

* Squier 1952 Telecaster reissue – early 1980s model, JV series, made in Japan
* Gibson Les Paul Standard – early 1970s model, ebony finish, Bigsby vibrato tailpiece
* Gibson Les Paul Standard – early 1970s model, wine red finish, Bigsby vibrato tailpiece

Amplifiers

Hawksley uses two amps on tour. The first amp is either a Fender Blues Deville, Fender Hot Rod Deville, or a Vox AC-30. Using an A/B/Y footswitch, he switches between this first amp and a Fender Pro Junior which he uses for guitar solos. He has stated that he uses no pedals with the exception of an MXR "Micro Amp" pedal used with the Vox AC-30.

Discography

* Only available at live shows or through the band's website. Digital copies are available from Zunior.com.

Production work:

Albums that Workman has produced for other artists include:

John Southworth - Sedona Arizona - 1999

Paul McLeod - Close and Play - 2000

Cash Brothers - Phonebooth Tornado - 2000

Tegan and Sara - This Business of Art - 2000

Cash Brothers - How Was Tomorrow - 2001

Skydiggers - Bittersweet Harmony Ltd - 2002 - (produced 3 songs)

Sarah Slean - Night Bugs - 2002

Serena Ryder - Unlikely Emergency - 2003

Jeremy Fisher - Goodbye Blue Monday - 2006

Great Big Sea - Fortune's Favour - June 24th, 2008

Hey Rosetta! - Into Your Lungs - 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.hawksleyworkman.com/ Hawksley Workman] The official website of Hawksley Workman
* [http://musicbrainz.org/artist/8427ea7b-717e-4834-97f1-57a4c29351c3.html Hawksley Workman] at MusicBrainz
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Hawksley+Workman Hawksley Workman] at Last.fm
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* [http://www.jesuswillsaverockstarstoo.com/photos/concerts/of/Hawksley_Workman High quality pictures of Hawksley Workman in concert] at [http://www.JesusWillSaveRockstarsToo.com JesusWillSaveRockstarsToo.com]
* [http://www.papershoes.com/board/ Hawksley Workman fan message board]