Huck Hastings is a frequently reviewed and beloved artist here at Backseat Mafia both through his solo work, collaborations with other artists (see his gorgeous collaboration with Charlie Gradon last year) and as part of the trio Hollow States along with Joel & Hayden Woolf. The reason? His is an eloquent and velvet voice that crafts and delivers the most expressive songs: personal and raw at times but always cloaked in indelible melodies. Hastings is back with Hollow States and singer/songwriter/producer Andy Bull with the new single ‘Who Knows What A Man Is?’ – a track that is gentle and ethereal, a sparkling and gentle journey filled with deep yearning.
The topic is personal – a treatise on masculinity and identity:
I could be a fake man
If I tried, If I tried
But I know I would hate that
It’s a lie, it’s a lie
Hastings says of the track:
I’ve always found it a really confusing thing navigating my own masculinity and what it means to me. Working on this song with the the Woolf brothers was a great experiment that prompted me to think about my own ideas around it through singing Hayden’s lyrics.
The crisp production is the result of Bull’s engagement. He says of the song:
In the studio it always felt like we were making something special. It‘s very heartfelt without being overplayed; it’s very charming, and Huck’s voice has the makings of something quite iconic. The whole thing is quite beautiful, really. Can’t wait for people to hear it.
There is mutual admiration. The band says:
Getting to work with Andy Bull was a dream – he is an incredible producer who was able to bring all of the emotion in the song up to the surface.
The result is something quite magnificent:
‘Who Knows What A Man Is?’ is out now and available to stream through the link above.
