

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hawthorne Oachs.
Hi Hawthorne, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Hi! I’m Hawthorne Oachs! I’m a newcomer on the music scene, but I was raised in a musical family and I’ve been around music my whole life. When I was younger, I loved looking at album covers in the vast collection that exists in my house, and would always want to participate whenever my parents made music together. I had toy instruments and an old upright piano that I would use to make up my songs when I was little and when I was old enough, I took piano and guitar lessons as part of my education.
I didn’t realize how important of a role music played in my life until the pandemic happened, though. It was then that I turned to writing songs as a means of catharsis and solace. Before I knew it, I had written my collection of songs. I never really planned on releasing any of them, until one day I was listening to another artist whose music helped me get through some tough moments and realized that what I was writing, feeling, and channeling might be of help to someone else. If any of my creations can provide that same service to others in the same way music has helped me, then it feels like it’s a small contribution and my way of making the world a better place.
Because of that realization and with a little encouragement from my parents, I started learning music production and released my first single “My Lullaby” when I was 12 years old. To date, I’ve released 6 singles, with my new song “Red Spider Lilies” coming out on July 27th.
I plan to keep learning, growing, and improving as I turbulently make my way through these adolescent voice-changing years, but I truly hope that no matter where life leads me, music will always be by my side walking with me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I definitely wouldn’t say it has been a smooth road. I’ve encountered a plethora of lessons along the way, but on the other side of those lessons came an awareness; I’m willing to do the hard work every time to make this adventure meaningful.
I was around 5 years old when I started taking formal lessons for both piano and guitar, and I immediately wanted to quit because if I didn’t get something right on the first try, I would get discouraged. I’m also headstrong and tenacious, which I’m grateful for because I stuck with those lessons despite those challenges. Now piano and guitar are my favorite songwriting tools.
Music production presented a huge learning curve for me! It has been a whole lot of trial and error, and experimentation. I’m absorbing new information every day, and will probably never stop. I love that I can produce my music and if/when I collaborate with others in the future, whether it be producers or musical artists, I’m confident those skills gained now will also be valuable in those sessions, particularly around articulating my ideas that I want to share.
Defying the notion that “kids should be seen and not heard” has been an endeavor that created another set of challenges because my song lyrics are written from the perspective of a young teenage girl. As you might expect, there have been plenty of dismissive people along the way who don’t even bother to listen once and are completely basing their decision to NOT listen, solely on my age. It’s frustrating that there is an assumption that young people don’t have serious thoughts and mature feelings in their heads and hearts.
Again and again, truly talented people don’t always get the chance to show the world their hard work because their social media presence or streaming numbers don’t invoke dollar signs in the eyes of decision-makers who control performance spaces. As a result, sometimes those talented people aren’t heard or seen and they stay in a perpetual space of obscurity and anonymity. Social media presence and streaming numbers come from being good at the business side of things, which has been another huge learning curve! What goes on behind the music is a separate business that has to be maintained, and with zero knowledge or training on the subject matter, it has been a lot of hands-on learning for me.
At the heart of the matter though, music has been and always will be a comfort to me. My true aspiration is that the music I release will be a comfort to others. If it can get to the ears and hearts of the people who need it the most, then my purpose to share these songs has been met. I want the music I create to be of service to others in the same way that music has been of service to me in my life. Simply put, I want to help people through music if I can. That motivation makes it easier to do the hard stuff.
So while it hasn’t necessarily been a smooth road, it has been a road filled with lessons and growth. I’m old enough to know that life is full of those powerful learning opportunities if you’re open to them. What you do with them is what matters. Every roadblock or disappointment has been just as much of a valuable teachable moment as the successes have been. That growth can be heard by progressing through my small (but mighty) catalog of songs. It’s a musical time capsule that I am super proud of. I can’t wait to look back in a year or two from now!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think my young age is the first thing right now that sets me apart from others. I’ve tried searching for songwriters my age that are releasing music, and I know they are probably out there somewhere, but I haven’t met them yet. If you know anyone, send them my way! I’m sure we’d have a lot in common to connect about!
I’m playing at a festival this summer and honestly, I’m just so happy to have the chance to show people that I’m serious, hardworking, and assuredly going to keep growing. Anyone starting a passion early gives more time to go hard at their craft, and I’m lucky to have found one of my sparks now so I can do just that. I also feel deep gratitude for the venues that have booked me this summer/fall. Because of my age, it reduces the overall number of places I can play, and gosh it’s so cool there are places that invited me. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for them.
I also really love connecting with fans! It genuinely means so much to me every time someone leaves me a comment online, comes up to me at a show, or tells me they told all of their friends about me. Aside from music, I also draw. That’s why I’ve been working on limited edition art cards to gift to fans at my shows, so they know how much I think of and appreciate them.
I’m proud that since I’ve started, I’ve released (soon to be) 7 songs, and have written about a hundred more. I write, record, and produce all of my songs. I also create the cover artwork for each release and make my music videos, including the editing. (Anyone who edits for a living is a saint because out of all the jobs I have to do for music, video editing is my absolute least favorite!).
I’m proud of all I’ve accomplished thus far because when you tally it up, it’s a humongous list of small achievements. A little over a year ago, they were only dreams in my head.
What’s next?
I have quite a few new songs planned for release and have several upcoming shows scheduled this summer/fall. I’m also planning to release some new live performances on my YouTube channel. Everything else is currently ideas churning in my head.
My new single out on July 27th is called “Red Spider Lilies”, which I think delivers a captivating and tragic gut punch. It delves into the darker side of what it means to be human. As an advocate for mental health, I believe there are topics we need to discuss that aren’t always socially acceptable to talk about. “Red Spider Lilies” explores the feeling of when the grief of losing someone is so savage and raw that the gloom-ridden belief takes hold, making life and living seemingly useless and pointless.
I am hoping if anything it makes someone feel less alone, but maybe it will create an awareness that there are more people than you’d realize having these thoughts and feelings every day and needing a safe space to move through them. Instead of shaming, pitying, or chastising them for those thoughts, maybe instead we can consider sitting with them to simply listen. If you’re someone who is struggling, it’s okay to share your feelings. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, please call 988. The Lifeline network is available 24/7 to everyone across the United States, and it’s free.
As I release new content, you’ll be the first to know when you follow along on Spotify, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media! My next live show is at RiverSong Music Festival on July 15th (https://www.riversongfestival.org/), so please say hi if you stop by, and come get your limited edition art card gift!
Thank you for giving me a platform to share my story!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hawthorneoachs.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hawthorneoachs/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/hawthorneoachs
- Other: https://linktr.ee/hawthorneoachs
Image Credits
Juniper Tide, Christi Williams, and Hawthorne Oachs