James Hawken

Born and raised in the clay villages of Cornwall. I was lucky enough that my parents had a piano and I first sat at a piano stool aged 7. I was taught classical by my aunt Muriel MBE and can still feel the whack of the ruler across my knuckles! At 12 or 13 I started teaching myself to play modern rock/pop piano and by age 14 became a semi-pro in a rock 'n' roll band called Grand Prix, bootlace tie and all. Several bands followed including Density 1150, The Blue Grid and Alcohol. I was lucky enough to play with some great guys and we remain good friends today. It was in Alcohol that I met Jim Ryan and after the band stopped we joined up as a duo. Thirty years later we're still going strong! Along the way I've worked with artists using the Cornish language, notably Graham Sandercock. I still have a passion for music, still feel creative and now creating and releasing solo material.