A Hawk and a Hacksaw

A Hawk and a Hacksaw

A Hawk and a Hacksaw is a group from Albuquerque, United States, active since 2002. It centres on percussionist Jeremy Barnes, formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel, and violinist Heather Trost, formerly of Foma. The group’s music is mostly instrumental and is generally built around Barnes’s accordion, with occasional unintelligible vocals, shouts and cheers. Its style is described as contemporary folk, folk and indie folk, with tags that also place it in folk, Balkan, experimental, indie and Gypsy-related territory.

Line-up and live performance

Barnes and Trost make up the main membership of the group. In live performance, Barnes plays several instruments at once, using bells and drumsticks attached to his body so that he can handle percussion while also playing accordion. Trost appears as his musical partner on later touring and live work.

Recording style and notable release

The group is known for largely instrumental material, though some tracks include vocal fragments rather than full sung lyrics. The album The Way The Wind Blows includes a greater number of vocal pieces than the band’s other music mentioned here.

Associated acts

Barnes’s previous work with Neutral Milk Hotel and Trost’s earlier role in Foma are both part of the group’s background, and the band also appears alongside The Olivia Tremor Control in the context of Barnes and Trost’s touring history.