A rocker from California, Hawkeye Pierce sings barn-busting country rock and twangy Americana punk with the conviction and intensity of his gospel and soul upbringing. Once described by Brian Lord (Merch Manager, Deerhunter) as possessing “a pretty voice that makes you want to do bad things,” Hawkeye Pierce paints sketches of the fast living, hard drinking of the outlaw country tradition and the subsequent heartbreak that comes the with the solitary lifestyle. Justin Sias (founder, Little Five Fest) calls Hawkeye Pierce a “satisfying mix of blues and americana...with [James Pierce's] punk rock background always bubbling underneath the surface, there are often unexpected twists and turns.”
 
Career highlights include an EP release, performances at Festivals, Fairs, Radio,  and on bills in Portland as well as Denver, Atlanta, Nashville, and Asheville.

“It's like Hank Williams meets Jimi Hendrix” came from a voice in the crowd after the first song that James performed as Hawkeye Pierce. The southpaw was a last-minute substitute for an ailing bandleader for a bluegrass band's gig at a barbecue joint on the fringes of Atlanta's urban sprawl.

A little over a decade ago, James found himself a college dropout exiled in unincorporated Atlanta working a dead end minimum wage job.  He found solace and redemption in the stories of hard luck and hard times he heard in the high lonesome of  Americana and country music.  Inspired, he penned his first country song and played it for a co-worker who drums for the now well-known road warriors of "flower punk", the Black Lips. Hearing the potential, his co-worker encouraged him to start playing out at open mics and from there the open mics even turned into an opening slot for the aforementioned flowers punks at the now-defunct "CBGB's of 90's/00's Atlanta", Lenny's.  From open mics to opening act to headliner with a move across the country to Portland with a stop in Denver, Hawkeye Pierce has evolved into a room packing force that inspires raised glasses and shaking asses. 

The EP "Late Bloomers" is an opening salvo of the project's intent and an arrow aimed straight at what's to come for the project.  The  6-song EP is available for purchase and download under the "Music" tab, Bandcamp, and soon to be on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and more streaming services. Be sure to stay up to date with new shows, videos, blog posts, and more right here and by joining our mailing list. Hold on for the ride,  folks!

The new year will bring the "Outlaw Soul" sound, even further refined in the Pacific NW, back full circle as Hawkeye Pierce will embark on their first east coast tour and continue to extend their presence across the great, expansive West.