Chip Away at the Stone and Other Songs
Story by Michael Seguin
Photography by Heike Delmore
“Forty-seven years old seems like a strange time to leave the nest,” William Hawksworth admits.
For Windsor-born Musician William Hawksworth, everything he’s done can be traced back to those long summer nights. He recalls starlight evenings crouched around a fire, with his Dad strumming at an acoustic guitar. The fireflies flickering over the lake. The owls hooting in the trees. And the music echoing out far into the distance.
“It was a genuine love of music that first got my fingers itching,” William explains. “It was never about making money. It was never about fame. It was always about recapturing those nights by the campfire.”
William has spent the past 30 years lending his talents to a variety of local bands—including Urban Disciples, 8ight Past Nine, King Misfit and Nine Kinds of Crazy. And in doing so, he’s rubbed elbows with a number of local musicians.
“I’ve always been inspired by learning an artform, whether that’s songwriting, graphic design or building websites,” William states. “Music appeals to me in that sense. And I loved working with other people. I loved taking someone else’s ideas and elaborating upon them. The synergy can be addicting.”
However, after countless songs and countless bands, William has decided to embark on an entirely new project: a solo album.
“As with anything, there are upsides and downsides to every project,” William explains. “Writing songs and playing with bands is incredibly rewarding. But once the dust settles and the music is completed, that’s when the real test begins. Egos can sometimes get in the way. I loved working with all those different musicians, but I felt it was time to do something on my own for the first time.”
Developing what would eventually become his debut solo album was a laborious, but an incredibly inspiring task. And once all the songs were written and demoed, William spent the bulk of his time recording the tracks at SLR Studios.
“We dug in, one song at a time,” William explains. “It was just me and the people who helped me engineer it. They provided some of the instrumentation. I’m not a drummer or a bass player, but I wrote some of the bass lines. It was all about serving the songs.”
And as for working on his own for the first time in almost 50 years? William found it to be a bittersweet experience.
“You do miss having someone’s ear to bend,” William states. “And it can be challenging tackling all those tasks on your own. But in general, it’s also so, so liberating. I remember saying: ‘I love this. It’s done. There’s no clearing the process with anyone else.’ All I had to do was focus on recording the songs as best I could.’”
In the end, what surprised William the most about embarking on such an ambitious project on his own was not how difficult it was, but how prepared he was for every challenge he encountered.
“I think I’ve been ready for this for a long time,” William admits. “Longer than I even realized. I’ve already made three full albums in the studio. And I’ve been on dozens of other demos. Really, the only mystery was how the songs would shape out. But that’s also the most exciting part!”
William’s debut solo album, Chip Away at the Stone, was digitally released earlier this year. And thus far, the new music has been enthusiastically received. Many of the songs have an energetic melody—one that uplifts and (perhaps not coincidentally!) conjures images of blissful summer nights. In contrast, several others have a heavier, more somber tone.
“With a lot of collaborative projects, you sometimes get forced into a sound,” William explains. “I think the closest point of comparison from my past projects to my current sound would be my older band, 8ight Past Nine. It’s very contemporary. Very easy to listen to. I always find it entertaining when I hear other people tell me what they think my music sounds like!”
William is especially proud of his new album. According to him, almost half of a century of his skill and knowledge of the craft is distilled into the 10 songs.
“There is a storyline operating behind the music,” William states. “It’s not an explicitly linear narrative, but there is a narrative in there. All the songs are very personal. They’re all tales from my own life. There’s nothing fictional in it. And in the process of cobbling this album together, I learned a few things about myself. Certain songs even became more meaningful to me over time.”
Compiling Chip Away at the Stone was almost like rearranging an old photo album. In the process of writing and recording those songs, William caught whispers of dozens of different versions of his old self communicating with him through the music.
“I poured my heart and soul into it, honestly,” William explains. “And I’m comfortable admitting that. In the old days, I used to get nervous releasing music. I’d say, ‘I hope they like it!’ But now, I realize that this is the best I can do. If people like it, then that’s awesome. If they don’t, then that’s also perfectly fine.”
And in the end, what motivates William is that genuine love of music.
“At present, I don’t have any concrete plans to perform this album live,” William states. “However, I have been considering a full live band post-release show sometime next year. It’s funny how people will try to impose their own values on you. They’ll always say: ‘When are you going to perform? How are you going to monetize this?’ And I always have to remind them that I just made art! That in and of itself is a beautiful thing!”
The album is now available on all major streaming platforms. It was recorded at SLR Studios in Windsor, produced, mixed, and mastered by Martin Bak, and engineered and co-produced by Sébastien Laviolette and Justin Dow. Guest musicians include Jim O’Neil, Dale Rivard, and Brandon Lefrançois. More information about William Hawksworth and his music is available at williamhawksworth.com.
Published in the Autumn 2025 Edition.
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