Who played strings on Taylor Swift’s studio recording of “august”?

Bobby Hawk played strings on Taylor Swift’s studio recording of “august.”

The track’s credits list Hawk as the string performer, adding to the orchestral layer beneath Swift’s vocal and the song’s guitar-and-keyboard production. The recording also includes contributions from several other musicians, including Evan Smith on saxophones, flute, guitar, and keyboards.

A common credit mix-up is confusing performers with producers or mastering engineers. Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift are credited as writers and producers, while Randy Merrill handled mastering. Bobby Hawk’s listed role on the track is strings.