B-Side Guys

Sometimes artistic evolution requires subtraction rather than addition. On “Water and the Wine,” London’s self-described “dark rock poet” Domi Hawken demonstrates this principle through calculated restraint, delivering what she calls “a straight up video for a straight up rock song” that marks a decisive pivot from her previous aesthetic tendencies.

As the title track and focus single from her sophomore EP, “Water and the Wine” represents both musical and visual transformation. Where her debut ‘Sociable Pariah’ established Hawken’s penchant for distortion and VHS-filtered visuals, this offering embraces stark clarity. The accompanying black and white music video deliberately abandons her signature analog distortion for minimalist close-ups, creating an unmediated connection between performer and audience.

This visual stripped-back approach mirrors the track’s musical directness. Described as a “classic 60s-70s style rock song,” it stands as “the most fun to play live” according to Hawken herself. What makes this evolution particularly compelling is how it emerged from reimagined creative processes. Moving beyond her previous approach where she maintained rigid control, Hawken embraced true collaboration with bandmates Matt Robson, Cyprien Jacquet, and Kobi Pham. When drummer Jacquet returned a transformed demo that exceeded her expectations, it catalyzed a creative surrender: “I was a lot more relaxed with letting the guys put their ideas and their stamp on the songs.”

The result balances gritty authenticity with sophisticated musicality. While critics draw comparisons to Arctic Monkeys’ urban angularity, The Doors’ expansive psychedelia, and Lana Del Rey’s noir narratives, these influences coalesce into something distinctively Hawken’s own. This musical diversity reflects her upbringing under a father whose tastes spanned “from Black Sabbath to Beethoven and nearly everything in between,” creating an encyclopedic musical education where “being his daughter meant you really had to know music.”

What distinguishes Hawken from London’s crowded indie rock landscape is her commitment to artistic integrity across multiple dimensions. Her DIY approach to visuals creates authentic complementary elements to her guitar-driven compositions and evocative storytelling. With “Water and the Wine” marking the first of two promised EPs in 2025, this pivotal track suggests that Hawken’s creative development occurs not through radical reinvention but through thoughtful recalibration—finding new clarity by removing unnecessary filters between her artistic vision and its expression.