NYC Vocalist / Producer River Hooks Drops New Single “Mountains”; Debut EP, ’11:11′, Available October 16

“Fans of Billie Eilish, Chelsea Cutler, and Jessie Reyez will find elements of the familiar here, but River Hooks proves herself as an artist with her own voice working in a well-honored tradition.” – POPMATTERS

NYC-based vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, River Hooks learned at an early age that music was an undying passion. The versatile performer and musician taught herself piano at the ripe age of 11, and by 16, started producing and posting impressive covers of some of her favorite artists’ – including Billie Eilish, Gabrielle Aplin, Jessie Reyez and Chelsea Cutler – to SoundCloud. On October 16, River Hooks will drop her highly-anticipated debut, ‘11:11‘ via Harlem’s Internet & Weed Records.

“This first EP is more or less an open diary into my life, thoughts and feelings,” shares Hooks. “I’m trying to beat the odds. I didn’t move up to New York City to not be working towards everything that’s in front of me right now. What I want people to take from my music is that if you have a dream, then fight for it.”

The first single from Hooks‘ ‘11:11‘ is the memorable track, “Mountains“, which made its debut via Popmatters, who proclaimed, “On her new single “Mountains”, Hooks proves herself a remarkable vocalist, who quickly finds the emotional truths of the songs, then reveals them to the listener with ease and an impeccable understatement that bodes well for the rest of her debut.” Stream River Hooks‘ “Mountains” below.

River Hooks · MOUNTAINS

Growing up in Washington, D.C., River Hooks was always attracted to music, especially live shows, and living in a major market allowed her to take in performances from a wide array of made talent at legendary venues such as the 9:30 club, Black Cat, U Street Music Hall, and the Fillmore. “I was a kid who went to shows in D.C. a lot, starting from age 9 (accompanied by mum until maybe 8th grade), she offers. “I would study artists and the way they performed and these venues were basically my second home(s). It got the point when I turned 16 that every security guard knew me and I was able to meet my favorite artists like Jack White, The Killers and Santigold and talk with them. I was just lucky to be born into an awesome family who supported my dreams from a really young age, and was able to see that a career in music was something that I always seriously wanted to pursue.”

River Hooks ’11:11′ track listing:

1.) Someday
2.) Mountains
3.) Local Train
4.) First Love
5.) Self Doubt
6.) Trouble Sleepin’
7.) Where Do You Find Happiness?

“I play guitar and piano,” she continues. “When I was maybe 16 is when I started producing cover songs, which I would post on Soundcloud. I would produce all my music in my bedroom. Started off with GarageBand and leveled up to Logic Pro X. So I’m holding the titles of producer, songwriter, recorder, mixer and engineer. I can basically do it all.”

To prove her mettle, Hooks wrote and released her debut single, “Worth It”, in 2018. The hazy, memorable track demanded attention and quickly garnered her a following that would lead to collaborative appearances with artists such as Kate Brunotts (on the 2018 track “Hugsrgrugs”), Villain (including guest spots on the tracks “Latch off of Me” and “7”) and Lucian.

“Almost everyone I have collaborated with has discovered me over the internet,” Hooks explains. “Lucian found me on Hype Machine when I did press for “Worth It” and reached out to me over Soundcloud. VIIIAIN, who’s from Romania, found me through a hashtag on Instagram. Kate Brunotts, who has become a close friend of mine and now neighbor, met me through BUMBLE’s Network app. I’ve got several collabs under my belt from the internet. Gen Z life.” These guest spots helped springboard Hooks to sign with fast-rising Harlem record label Internet & Weed and begin work on her debut EP, which drops October 16.

“I have always been a person who believes that the universe guides us through signs,” Hooks continues. “For me, numbers have been deeply rooted within my journey of life. I’ve been haunted by several, but mostly the numbers seven, nine and most recently 11:11. What’s also interesting is that as all the release dates are getting closer, I’ve been seeing 11:11 almost everyday and other angel numbers just as much. I believe that I’m right where I’m supposed to be at this time in my life.”

For more on River Hooks, including her Spotify, Instagram, Facebook and more, visit: https://riverhooks.fanlink.to/linkupwithme

You can hear Internet & Weed Records‘ latest releases via the label‘s Bandcamp page. For all other news and info, visit their webpage.