Nighthawks came together when downtown Manhattan was plunged into darkness during the blackout caused by Hurricane Sandy. I live downtown and was caught without power for 5 days. My neighborhood was eerie and dark, and there were no streetlights, traffic signals or any stores or restaurants open. It started me thinking about night places -- places where people hang out: pool halls, diners, gas stations, train and bus depots. These locations became the backdrop of the cd and inspired the title track, named after the famous Hopper painting capturing a late-night scene at a New York diner.