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John Zemla on "Hawkville", The Hit Rap Song He Made For The Seattle Seahawks

John Zemla's "Hawkville"
John Zemla recently wrote an absolutely killer rap song for the Seattle Seahawks.  This was early in the season before they got into the Super Bowl, too.  Now that the Seahawks are getting ready to play in this year's Super Bowl, I had to ask John about the music.  Our interview is posted below.


When did you first come up with the idea for Hawkville? 
I came up with the idea to record "Hawkville" because I am a big fan of the Seahawks and there hasn't been an anthem for the 12th Man at the time. I just got back into writing after a long hiatus and thought this would be a good start and fun project.

Who engineered the song?
Ramundo Andrews is the producer and engineer of the song, he has his own production company and goes by the name Mythikal. He also collaborated in the writing of the hook and chorus.

How long did it take to write and put together?
It took me about 2-3 months to write the song as I was doing research on the team, their philosophy, their sayings, etc. I wrote the song and changed it over the those 3 months as the team changed. I really wanted the song to be relevant and fit with the team, the players, and the fans - The 12th Man.

What challenges did you face in making the song?
Most of the challenges I faced while writing and recording was the changing face of the team; players leaving, being injured, etc. I didn't want to date the song so to speak and ended up re-recording the song 3 times to keep it relevant. Personal challenges were timing of the verses, breathing while recording and keeping my voice pitch consistent.

What are you most proud of?
What I am most proud of is the writing and the structure of the song, I feel it appeals to team, players and fans and is very interactive for the fans to sing along and cheer to. My goal of the song is to just represent the team.

John Zemla, callie zemla, richard sherman, hawkville,
John with his daughter and Beverly Sherman, Richard Sherman's mother,
after his performance at a Seahawks rally on 1/26/14
What is your #1 goal for the song? 
My #1 goal with the song has already been met. It was to get back into writing and recording, introduce the song to the fans and share in our passion for the game and our team. Everything else that has happened has been a bonus and a lot of fun, speaking of the air time and performing at Seahawks rallies.

What is coming next (in terms of your next musical project)?
As I mentioned I am just getting back into writing and recording, I will be working on an album this summer and have 3 singles I plan to release by this Spring as well.

I wish you all the best, John, you've done an incredible job so far and I know we're all waiting for the next song!
Thank you!
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Location: Seattle, WA, USA

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