Hotel Americana: Paul Givant + Will Hawkins

Will Hawkins brings his Americana Hotel music series to Collage for a show with Paul Givant, leader of the famed LA roots band Rose’s Pawn Shop. A pair of powerful and emotional songwriter-guitarists will tell the stories behind the lyrics, play some tunes you haven’t heard before, and show the enduring charm that happens when tradition and inspiration combine.  

Will Hawkins was born in New York but brings a western sensibility to his songs, intense, personal narratives that have tinges of country, rock, and folk. Will is perhaps most famous as the lead songwriter and vocalist for the Americana rock band Nine Mile Station, but has toured internationally as a solo act. His vivid storytelling, powerful voice, and magnetic stage presence have made him a popular performer on the Los Angeles scene.

Will recently released a new album called Cartes No Enviadas that has received great early reviews. The Coachella Valley Weekly raved, “This album adds some new colors and textures to his sonic palette. Intimate and contemplative, the record is an epistolary gem that is more about the journey than the destination.” Americana Highways agreed, saying, “Will found that cookbook and unlike others, he’s a musical chef with the spirit of the music, its tradition & innovation despite some colorful language. There are commercial tunes and that’s fine. Will avoids the basic approach that many artists believe they understand rock n’ roll to be. He explores topics such as adversity, resilience and redemption. Heavy duty, on point and rock n’ roll personified.” 

Paul Givant, born on the fringes of Los Angeles, draws from the Laurel Canyon and Bakersfield sounds to create a style blending folk, Americana, country, punk, and psychedelia. Since founding the Americana folk-rock band Rose’s Pawn Shop in 2006, he has served as lead singer and songwriter, releasing four albums, including Punch-Drunk Life (2023), and touring internationally.

Beyond the band, Givant released a solo debut, Fashion District Adjacent (2018), and co-founded folk-grunge duo The Contraptionists with bassist Stephen Andrews, releasing Working Man’s Dread (2020). His latest solo album, Marigold, inspired by 1970s folk rock, is a personal chronicle of growth, awakening, and lasting love.