Nothing More’s Jonny Hawkins Discusses Working With David Draiman

Nothing More‘s Carnal will no doubt be one of the most celebrated rock albums of 2024 — and their latest track, “Angel Song,” featuring Disturbed‘s David Draiman, might just be one of the best songs of the year, too.

“When I first heard Disturbed, I think I was in middle school or something,” Nothing More’s Jonny Hawkins told Chuck Armstrong on Loudwire Nights Thursday (Oct. 24). “I was young and I had some friends show me ‘Down With the Sickness’ and I was like, ‘Whoa, what is this?'”

Hawkins admitted to Chuck that it feels like a full circle moment to now be celebrating “Angel Song,” as well as gearing up for Nothing More’s tour with Disturbed for the 25th anniversary of The Sickness.

“It’s surreal, it really is. If I could have told my younger self this would be happening, I’d be like, ‘You’re shitting me, right?'”

As for “Angel Song,” Hawkins told the Loudwire Nights audience that his experience working with Draiman on the song goes deeper than him simply lending his vocal talents.

READ MORE: Henry Rollins Discusses Writing + Why He’s Done Making Music

“The timing of all of it was interesting, because the lyrics on that song are — especially the second verse, which is the one he sings — are very like, you know, middle finger, don’t tread on me, kind of like anti-authoritarian,” Hawkins explained.

“I know people get very divisive about politics and stuff, not to go down that road, but at the time, you know, he’s very connected to the whole Israel-Palestine thing, so those lyrics at the time were just very empowering in a way for I think how he felt in the world.”

What Else Did Nothing More’s Jonny Hawkins Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• Following his comments about Draiman’s empowerment, Hawkins opened up about why he shares his personal opinions on social media: “You have to pick your battles and you have to really go, ‘Okay, do I choose non-peace today or do I want to just have peace?’ That’s always the question.”
• Why he doesn’t expect Draiman to join him onstage throughout their tour in 2025: “I’m not going to push too hard, but we’ll see. Maybe at one of the special nights.”
• Why he’s willing to look past someone’s fault for the sake of celebrating their art: “I just view those creations as their own entities, separate from the person.”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Jonny Hawkins joined Loudwire Nights on Thursday, Oct. 24; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.