An Interview with Chesney Hawkes
By Steve Crabtree, February 2026
After bursting onto the scene in 1991 with the global smash ‘The One and Only’, Chesney Hawkes remains a beloved pop icon. This March, he hits the road for a UK tour, including highly anticipated dates in Leeds and Barnsley. I caught up with him, to discuss life, music, and time on the road…
SC: Well, thanks for spending a few minutes with me for On Yorkshire magazine. I’ll be asking you a few bits and pieces about the new album, the tour—I’ll be coming along to see you in Leeds, actually, or ‘LA’ for short. And the ‘real’ LA was where you were living for ten years until recently. How was life for you out there as a musician and on a personal level?
CH: It was interesting because I’ve been traveling back and forth to LA my whole life, since the early ’90s. I was always going over to do projects, writing stuff, you know. I always thought at some point I might go over there for an extended period. So, when we went, I thought I’d do maybe three years, and I ended up being there for twelve years! So, it was kind of crazy. Musically, it’s quite an eclectic mix of people. I fell into writing and producing for young artists more than anything else. I was kind of mentoring young artists, which was great, actually. There are a lot of really great singer-songwriters and young talent, and I did everything from hip-hop to pop to country. I kind of liked that; it was a learning experience and actually really, really fun. There are obviously so many amazing established writer-producers over there with great studios, and I ended up working in the most amazing studios. It was really fun, a great experience, but I am glad to be back in Blighty, I have to say.
Well, another ‘LA’ is your new album, Living Arrows. Did you record in England, or was that a bit of a mixture across the water? How did the record come together?
It was mainly recorded over here, actually, with my friend Jake Gosling, who is famous for discovering Ed Sheeran, but he’s an A-list producer now. He’s worked with Sam Smith and Harry Styles—you name it, he’s one of those guys. We’ve known each other for years, since we were kids. Our parents knew each other. He’s a couple of years younger than me, but he was kind of around in my heyday. I remember him being there at the party when we found out I was number one, and he was just a kid, really. I think, in a way, him witnessing that whole craziness slightly imprinted on him, and that’s one of the reasons he went into the business. I’m not saying ‘it’s all my fault, I did it,’ but he’s an old mate. We decided we were going to do something for me, because I’d always written with him for other people. So we got together and wrote a song called ‘Nobody Like You’ that just came out in, you know, twenty minutes or something like that. You know they’re the good ones when it happens like that! We just sat there outside with guitars talking about ex-girlfriends, and it was a good laugh. He said, ‘I think we need to do an album, mate,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I think we do.’ So he fit me in between, you know, Paloma Faith and Shania Twain or whatever, and we ended up making this album. It wasn’t a ‘passion project’…it was more just a fun bunch of merry mates. My brother was playing drums for us, and I had Nik Kershaw, my old mate, come in and write a few songs with us. I brought just friends in and we just had a laugh. We were just creating something fun, and I think that energy came through in the music. Eventually, we had this pile of records and we were like, ‘Oh wow, let’s put it out.’
“Bold and brave”
You mentioned the energy, and there’s some really upbeat tracks on that album. ‘Get A Hold Of Yourself,’ is one I really like. There are some profound lyrics in there, and a bit of an uplifting feel. Is that style a reflection of you?
Yeah, I would say so. That song in particular was written about freedom of self-expression and getting to a certain age and realising you worry less about what people think of you. Just being free in your own skin, being bold and brave and just going for it. That’s why the video for it..I was totally naked in that video, which was a bit of a brave move! But I wanted to do something that reflected what I was talking about. I thought, ‘Well, why not? You’re in your fifties, you care less about it, I’m just having fun.’ I wanted to show that you can still have fun in your fifties.
You mentioned Nik Kershaw, and you’ve been pals for years. Which tunes has he been involved in on the album?
Yes, Nik and I wrote a song called ‘The Ballad of Benny and Alice’ together, and then there’s a song called ‘Live Forever,’ which ended up being one of the singles. And then a song called ’13,’ which was obviously a very deep, personal song for me. The great thing about having somebody like Nik in my life – I’ve known him since I was 17 or 18 – and he’s always been an inspiration to me and a king of mentor in a way. He’s my longest-running co-writer. Because we’re mates, we’re friends, I could ‘go there’ with him. I remember that session, actually. I drove up to his house the night before, we shared a bottle of wine and for some reason, this story came out that I hadn’t really told anyone apart from my wife. There were tears; it was a moment. Then the next day, we’re driving in his car to the studio and he was like: ‘You know there’s only one thing we’re writing about here?’ As a songwriter, he knew that if you go personal and raw and emotional and authentic in a song, people are going to relate to it and it might actually help people. So I was able to get it out with a good friend like him. I’m so grateful to him for that. And I was working with him last week, actually. Already onto the new one, Steve! Already onto the new one.
Nik Kershaw was my favorite first favorite pop star back in the mid-80s when I was a little kid, so…
Me too! I can relate to that, Steve. When Human Racing came out, I was 13 and it was just… wow. Unreal. I mean, what a talent. So when you know, you know. I could sit and talk about Nik all day long; for me, he’s like a national treasure. The fact that I can call him a friend now after having that kind of fandom with him is amazing.
“You have to look after yourself”
Well, we could talk about Nik all day, but let’s talk about you! And the tour that you’re about to go on. How does touring go for you these days? Is it tour-bus, soundcheck, gig, sleep, repeat? Or do you get to enjoy some of these towns and cities you visit?
Yeah, it’s a bit of both, to be honest with you. You have to look after yourself, especially at my age! It’s not like I was before where it was… you missed out the ‘party’ part, you know, drink and all that! I do slightly less of that these days, but it can be a bit of both depending on what time you get to the venue, where you were the night before, where you are the next day, what the travel is. I think you guys are Leeds…Leeds and Barnsley, probably. So we’ll probably have a little bit of time off around that time, but it’s pretty full-on. But I mean, I know Leeds – I’ve been to Leeds so many times. I know Barnsley… they’re almost second homes to me because I’ve played them so many times. I’ll maybe try and take in some football if there’s a game, I like to do that if it’s possible. But it is pretty full-on though – hotel, soundcheck, then gig, then sleep. It is a bit like Groundhog Day, shall we say!
So, for each and every live show, are we going to get any surprises? How is it going to work?
Well, if I told you the surprises, it wouldn’t be surprises anymore, would it, Steve? I am planning a few little fun bits and I’m hoping to do some really fun things – possibly a surprise guest here or there. I’ve got an amazing opening act, Laura Ashton; she’s really great. And I’m dipping into the old stuff, obviously, including ‘that’ song..! And peppering it with a few of the songs from Living Arrows and a few ‘bangers’ along the way. I want it to be a fun night. I want people to come, leave their inhibitions on the door, and just have a good time. Relive their youth. The great thing about my gigs now, at the age that I am, is there are a lot of people that have followed me all these years. We’re all the same age, we’ve all been through the same stuff – marriage and kids. We have the same social reference points and cultural references, similar sense of humour because we’re all Gen X. It’s a nice community. We’re all in a room together just going to have some fun. That’s how I see it.
It sounds great, and I can’t wait to come and see you in Leeds. But before I go, we haven’t mentioned ‘that’ song. ‘The One And Only’ is all you; whenever you hear it, everyone knows it’s Chesney Hawkes. But if you could pick one person, dead or alive, to cover it – who would you choose, and why?
Oh wow, that’s a good one. That’s a good one. I would say – because my favourite young artist at the moment is a girl called Phoebe Bridgers. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of her? Go check her out. There’s an album called Punisher. She does pick songs now and again to cover, and I just love her. It’s a bit of an ‘out there’ choice, but she’s an independent artist, she’s kind of almost country in a way sometimes, but definitely pop-alternative pop, I would say. I just love her; she’s amazing. That album is probably my favourite album of the last five years. So I’m going to go with Phoebe, just because I’d love to hear her sing it.
Steve Crabtree: It’s been fantastic to speak to you, Chesney. Thanks so much and good luck with the tour. I’ll see you next month in Leeds!
Chesney Hawkes: Yeah, please come say hi because it’s a small venue, Brudenell, so I’m sure we’ll bump into each other along the way. It’ll be lovely to meet you in person.
Chesney Hawkes is touring the UK in March. He’ll be performing at the Brudenell Social Club, Leeds on 12th March, and 15th March at the Birdwell Venue in Barnsley. Visit chesneyhawkes.com for tickets.
You can watch the full interview with Chesney Hawkes by visiting our YouTube channel
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.
