A champion of the everyday, a legend of the East-End. Folk troubadour Hak Baker has, since early underground classics like “7am” and “Conundrum”, become a voice for the unheard. He continues to be one of the most under-appreciated names in London, but that’s no bother to a poet, songwriter and public figure who feels more a vessel for change than a secular artistic identity. Questioning the status quo—both in his musical style and his lyrical content—Baker stands, back straight, against the vacuous undercurrent that plagues music populism, looking it straight in the eye; understanding to its charm but resilient to his own individuality.

In July, Hak unveiled “Nostalgic Death”, a five-pronged EP, a wistful, intimate and often uplifting collection of songs that melded charming hooks and dreamy instrumentals with rousing, poignant and important lyricism. He’s now shared a second act to “Nostalgic Death”, sharing another five tracks. Aggrandising the first act, Baker enlists a triad of UK underground legends, Joe James, Baxter Dury and Pete Doherty. Although three stylistically disparate crooners, all just simply make sense as features here, fitting Hak’s modus operandi like a glove. Baker has also announced a documentary, Hakeem, will be screened next month at the Doc N Roll Festival for a run of dates across the UK, The film follows Hak’s unique journey to this point, with director James Topley presenting a tale of Baker’s odyssey over the last five years.

Now that the whole “Nostalgic Death” sonic repertoire is blessing our ears, we asked Hak to pen a track-by-track analysis of the superb body of work.

Listen to the EP…

Read Hak’s thoughts…

“Nameless”
“Nameless” was a situation where I realised I was beginning to get tired of the semantics attached to the name ‘Hak Baker’. When people that know me call me Hak Baker it subtly annoys me when they know my name is Hakeem. And I realised it’s always due to a sort of behaviour they’re alluding to. I am a fire and fucking shit up has became and has been for a while the norm for me. Is this Hak Baker or Hakeem? I dunno but I know I’m tired of it. But it’s hard. The fact is I’ve been a destroyer for years before I started singing. Alongside a lot of my friends. I question: is this me? Can I stop. Or is it too ingrained? It’s something I have to grow and sort out. Perfect way to start a project called “Nostalgia Death”.

“Boy x Girls”
“Boys x Girls” in all honestly concentrates on a couple nights I had in the year past that were wild and fast. During the series of evenings I looked around and took in what was going on. That moment was very visceral. I could see why in full colour: the bonds between wickedly alive and charged men and women and why they chose such dancing partners. I took this lightbulb moment and cross referenced it with the past and also saw the the truths in bonding with my friends from childhood. It was quite a realisation to me so I turned it into a song.

“Everybody’s Dyin’”
It is just a fact for one. We just out ere’ speeding the fuck out of it. Vice after vice. Drugs in their plethora, no sleep. Partying myriad days a week. lol. Escapism on crack (no pun intended). But it feels good for the moment, doesn’t it. Think we all can agree on that. And it just kinda is what it is. Until it isn’t. Until we don’t need that. Until reality doesn’t feel so heavy. Until we become stronger and chase dreams in sobriety. Maybe we can even lengthen our lives after such realisations. Right at the right ripeness though. One day. 

“Luvly”
“Luvly” is the broken lads anthem and an ataraxis for the women. It wasn’t my fault, he was just a broken boy. And yes, in a lot of cases. We are. Up to our neck in pre-naughties trauma. It was a different time then and we just grew up tougher and harder and quietly sadder I think. With the single parent rates in the orbit we grew ourselves and missed our chances at feeling the love we saw on the telly or outside the school gates when full nuclear families would frolic in smiles. Instead we walked home, fed ourselves and wondered what time someone would be coming home from work. Fell in and out of Young love cause we were incapable cause we just didn’t know what it was. Sought out solace with fellow trauma bonders and would vice ourselves from week to week. Then you realise you’re lonely at 30. Then you realise the reason why is because you push everyone away. Then there’s the mirror you have to look in. Cor that’s the hard bit. Thinking I gotta learn to love this guy. He’s pathetic. lol. Anyway it goes on till it doesn’t. Until you start to make big decisions. Wish me luck.  

“Poems”
An ode to our friend Trevor who killed himself. Big shock to our small community. He is Tayla’s cousin. He had a massive funeral and a terrific send off. His father killed himself too, which gave a sad lineage to this departure. I think I have an amazing understanding of sadness. I understand why you’d want peace from yourself I truly do, but I also understand why you have to stay alive. It’s like when you go jail, you realise the knock on effect it has on others. Mum, sisters, friends, financial situations. I feel comfortable saying today that it crossed my mind a few times. I wanted to write a song to encourage people again to talk and to not feel alienated if you have crazy thoughts. It’s ok. One should not be a slave to our monkey minds that just flaps away as it pleases inside our skulls. Talk, live and survive by any means. Life will never not be hard. 

“Great Day To Die” 
Contrary to its name. It is the start of “Act II” of the project and it’s an inverted song of hope. If you listen closely it talks of living everyday like it’s your last. What a great day to go out with a bang by any means. Live at a pace where death is around the corner. And of course it most certainly is. I just wanted to infect people to go live hard. I don’t see any other pace than words in an ode to success. 

“No Control”
“No Control” is a crowning moment of the past. I would never be me if we didn’t choose to live in our own movie-like world. One day we will make a movie of it because it truly deserves it. No kids lived like us on the edge of the true east London bastions. Never taking no for an answer, pic-axing our present into fruition. It was the best though it was at 1000mph pace. I wanted to also sing and dance about it too. After all there are two sides to a coin.   

“Blender”
“Blender” is the projects, is what it is in the moment. Take what you want from it. There’s no gloat in it. Just facts about survival. I make no secret of the things I’ve seen in my past. Somethings have to stay compartmentalised for all our goods but some we can share as millions are going thru the same. Joe James is also a great human.

“Nostalgia Death”
It’s the penultimate moment of the EP. Partnered with Mr Baxter Dury which was all by flukey phone call. Joe James was in the studio with Shrink and I. He heard the track where it was and was like Baxter would sound great on this. So I texted him and was like sweet and that was that! Bob’s your Uncle! The track explains that though Nostalgia is shrouded in gilded gold, true life is grounded and in front of you. We should stop looking for presence in the past, it’s only in front of us. Mr Dury’s genius spats just help drive the facts home. Me memories are beautiful but if I focus on them I can’t make successive ones. 

“Prometheus”
I am Fire. The true last mitigation. I’ve hinted at my destruction elements. lol. But it’s true especially when I’m drunk. I didn’t like just over a week off booze the other day and then I got leathered on a Saturday and just those days made me too aware of where I go when I’m there again. Everything goes into a banal default. I hate it. Almost like a cry for help. Or a purge I like to say: to get all the pains out. You can hear it. I find it hard to listen to. Mr Doherty the legend that is, tidies the track with wild wise philosophy that only such a man has. I don’t wanna sing things at just the site or touch. I don’t wanna destroy. I wanna live. I wanna bless and be bless. I want to thrive. I know this now too. 

Thus Nostalgia Death.