NINE MILE STATION Featuring WILL HAWKINS & FERNANDO PERDOMO To Release New Self-Titled Album July 21, 2023
Spirit of Unicorn Music are delighted to announce the release of a brand new album from Nine Mile Station, featuring Will Hawkins (WILL HAWKINS solo) and Fernando Perdomo (ECHO IN THE CANYON, FERN & CELLI, MARSHALL CRENSHAW).
The self-titled album features 11 original cuts of modern Americana, with influences as diverse as Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Nick Cave, Neil Young and Bob Dylan.
Hawkins, who released two solo albums in the 2000’s, first came up with the concept for the band in 2019 whilst nursing his gravely ill mother, seeing the therapeutic effects his music had on her. After her passing, Hawkins began writing songs of hope and optimism and vowed to make his Nine Mile Station concept a reality.
Hawkins first came across Perdomo whilst watching the documentary Echo In The Canyon. Hawkins comments “Fernando just jumped off the screen. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. His sheer joy of playing was so apparent.” Through a mutual friend, the two connected and a few weeks later Perdomo joined the band.
Mid-January 2020 saw the new Nine Mile Station already writing together. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early Spring of that year, the next 18 months saw Hawkins and Perdomo locked in the studio carefully crafting new material which would eventually become this brand new album.
Perdomo adds, “I always wanted to be in a band like this. It’s a real band, with real membership, real teamwork. Will represented everything I wanted in a musical partner – he’s honest and committed and determined.” He continues, “Nine Mile Station feels like a perfect outlet for my Americana side. Will gives me the space to be who I am and throw in some elements which might not necessarily be considered Americana and so we can create a sound that’s all our own.”
The album has been described as having a lot of heart and warmth. Something which resonated with legendary multi grammy award-winning producer and sound engineer AL SCHMITT (Duke Ellington, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, Madonna). Hawkins had previously worked alongside Schmitt as a studio assistant. Sending him copies of the Nile Mile Station recordings simply for comment, the band were amazed when Schmitt responded with such resounding positivity, he insisted on mixing the album. As it turned out, it was to be the very last project Schmitt would work on as he passed away on April 26th, 2021. Hawkins continues “As this was Al’s last project, it gives us an incredible responsibility to make sure that this record is heard. Even in the Winter of his life, he was producing amazing work. So this album is an important part of Al’s legacy.”
Al introduced the band to Grammy award winning mixer and engineer NIKO BOLAS (Toto, Prince, Melissa Etheridge). Hawkins comments, “Niko was a Godsend. He really set the bar high for us and we welcomed the challenge and did everything we could to meet his expectations”.
A hard-working live band, Perdomo describes their work as “music designed to be played live”. Indeed, Coachella Valley Weekly recently described the band as delivering the best heartland rock music since Tom Petty’s Hard Promises, Steve Earl’s Guitar Town and Bruce Springsteen’s The River.
NINE MILE STATION are:
Will Hawkins – Lead vocals and guitar
Fernando Perdomo – Lead Guitar
Nick Moran – Drums
Brendan Vasquez – Bass
Produced and Engineered by Will Hawkins and Fernando Perdomo
Mixed by Al Schmitt, Niko Bolas, Will Hawkins and Fernando Perdomo
TRACK LISTING:
1. California
2. Caught In The Rain
3. Fall Into The Sea
4. Who You Love
5. Santa Ana winds
6. Open Highways
7. Theme From Nine Mile Station
8. Hit The Ground
9. Breathe
10. She Walks
11. California Moon
To pre-order: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/nine-mile-station-california-vinyl-edition/
