Nearly a year after Justine Covault’s invitation to join Red on Red Records, Girl with a Hawk are preparing their debut EP, keep ‘er lit, set for release on December 8, with a party that night – booked before Covault passed away – at The Burren in Somerville.

But first comes their new single (the 4th song on the 5 song EP), an upbeat synth- and guitar-led yearner called “Feel Me,” dedicated to Covault and her impact on both the band and its members, out "officially" on Friday, November 17 on the band’s new home of Rum Bar Records.

“I can’t say that we have closure yet; as it has only been six months since we lost Justine,” says Viens, “but the way the song for us embodies our heartache, and at the same time confirms that our relationship is still a living thing – whether you believe that or not, brings some comfort. We feel her guiding us, and for me personally, I still feel deeply motivated to make music and to conduct myself in ways that would make her proud. I’m sure the band feels the same way.”

Three of the five members of Girl with a Hawk had known Covault since the mid-’80s, and eventually the years turned to decades and while life pulled them in separate directions here and there, they reconnected during the pandemic when both Red on Red and Girl with a Hawk were launched, even suggesting Lee Harrington from The Neighborhoods as their new bassist (GWAH's bassist since January of 2023 is Daniel Bernfeld). Viens and Covault bonded over shared experiences, like being older in a city’s music scene, raising families alongside a life of rock and roll, and the weight and expectations of being a woman in a male dominated landscape.

“Justine asking us to join Red on Red Records was an epic coming full circle for all of us,” Viens admits. “Many of the things she talked about regarding her stunning record – released just six days before she died, The Signal Light, were things that were subject matter for my songs as well: we’ve lived, we’ve loved, we’ve lost and we’re still here – so let’s rock the music and this life as hard as we can while we still have the chance. And the way she focused on women-fronted bands for the label made us all very very proud. What she was doing with Red on Red was groundbreaking, and it was an absolute thrill and honor to be a part of it.”

Now the band raises a glass to Covault with “Feel Me,” and even the single artwork has their fallen leader front-and-center, as the art depicts a photo taken by Wayne Viens at a wedding in the late ‘80s. It’s a ghostly image, and an appropriate one, as the timestamp of the photo echoes the vibe of the song, with its throwback new wave flair and punk-fueled dance aura. It sounds unlike anything Girl with a Hawk have released so far, and is held together by Richard Lamphear’s synth lines, the propulsive drumming of Nancy Delaney, Harrington’s trademark bass, and some white-hot guitar work from Dan Coughlin. Viens says that Coughlin’s guitar playing here, especially in the searing solo that barrels the song towards its conclusion, expresses the ineffable, the rawness, and the pain the band felt when Covault passed away.

Viens also notes that the song was originally written after a friend had called to express suicidal ideation after checking himself into a hospital. Viens felt helpless in the situation, as her friend was in 'lockdown' and she had no way to reach him.

“When Justine died suddenly after this happened, I became the person who was bereft and in despair – not suicidal thank God – but crushed by the tragedy of it. I realized playing the song live, that the song was not specific to my friend, but universal in its themes, and that I was now the person ‘who could not be consoled’. I saw that communication between souls worked both ways: I wanted Justine to know that I was with her still, even if she was in the spirit world, and that she still was with me, in the earth-bound world and that consolation and reassurance flowed both ways. ‘Feel Me’ is me speaking to her, and her speaking to me too.”