HARD-Fi
Encyclopedia
Hard-Fi are an English indie rock
band formed in Staines
, Surrey
in 2003. The band's members are Richard Archer
(lead vocals
and guitar
), Ross Phillips
(guitar and backing vocals), Kai Stephens
(bass guitar
and backing vocals) and Steve Kemp
(drums
and backing vocals).
They achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat
" and then followed by other successful singles such as "Cash Machine
" and "Living for the Weekend
", which all reached top 15 in the UK Singles Chart
. Their debut album Stars of CCTV
was released on 4 July 2005, and although receiving critical acclaim (NME
called it the Album of the Year and it was nominated for the Mercury Prize
and two Brit Awards
; Best British Group and Best British Rock Act), it didn't reach #1 in the UK albums chart until six months later on 22 January 2006. It originally entered the charts at number 6. The band's second album Once Upon a Time in the West
was released on 3 September 2007 and reached number 1 in its first week. Their third album Killer Sounds
, which features the singles "Good for Nothing
" and "Fire in the House
", was released on 19 August 2011 and debuted at number 9 on the UK Album Chart.
Although Hard-Fi are generally considered part of the indie rock
scene, Archer has mentioned numerous times that they are heavily influenced by soul
and dance music
.
-winning reggae
and dub
artist, at his Black Ark
recording studio
. Being admirers of Perry's work, the band decided to name themselves after his distinctive sound. Archer said "Since then I've been desperately trying to find the biography where I read it; but I may have dreamt it."
decided to return to his hometown of Staines
, crushed by the lack of success of his former band Contempo and by the death of his father after his struggle against cancer. He said "I moved back to Staines because I ran out of money and it was quite a shock."
Archer claims that music business insiders tried to dissuade the band's manager Warren Clarke from managing him. When Archer asked his publishers for some money to record the new songs that he had written, they terminated his contract instead. "People told him, don't bother with Archer, he's damaged goods, you're wasting your time."
worked, simply so he could listen to his latest demos on the shop's best equipment. Philips apparently asked Archer who had played guitar on his demos, Archer said that it was himself, which is when Phillips said it was "the shit", and was therefore recruited to play guitar for the new group. Steve Kemp
was already an old friend of Archer, while it took Kaichen Stephens
little persuasion to leave his job as a "pest killer" at Rentokil
.
The band were signed to newly formed independent label Necessary Records
, owned by Clarke. The majority of Stars of CCTV was recorded in a variety of unusual acoustic environments - in bedrooms, in pubs, and played back in their producer, Wolsey White's, BMW
. 1000 copies of this record were pressed with only 500 going on public sale, and the initial plan was to sell 1000 each time. However, it quickly sold out, receiving critical acclaim and radio play, proving a lot more successful than the band had imagined. Most of the album was recorded in a disused mini cab
office, which cost them about £300 and is known to this day as the "Cherry Lips" Studio. The band used to try to make their music sound more atmospheric by putting a microphone in the corridor to add echo; listening closely to the record reveals that this also picked up passers-by humming and whistling and the occasional aeroplane flying overhead.
Archer desperately tried to generate publicity for the band through the Staines Observer, to no avail; "We sent them a press release and a photo," said Archer. "The press release was all like, the hard-hitting sound of the streets and stuff. And the article came out going, 'Richard Archer, former pupil of Thamesmead School ...' Whatever you say, they seem to be most interested in what school you went to."
The band were then licensed to the major label Atlantic Records
in December 2004, where they were given the chance to re-record the album in the renowned Abbey Road Studios
, among other well known studios, however they went back to the cab office to maintain their sound.
, alongside Taking Back Sunday
and Jimmy Eat World
on their two day residency of the Milton Keynes Bowl in June 2005. Simple Plan
were initially booked though cancelled only a few weeks before the show, and Hard-Fi were made as a last minute booking and opened on both days. Their debut album's launch party was scheduled to be 7 July 2005 at Cheekees night club in Staines, however this was cancelled due to the ill health of Richard's mother, and the London bombings
also occurring that day. Her death resulted in the band pulling out of the Glastonbury festival
. The launch party was rescheduled for 13 July 2005 and the venue changed to Ladbroke Grove
, London.
The Stars of CCTV album re-entered the official UK album chart at #4 on 1 January 2006. Two places higher than it originally went in on the week of its release, the album climbed from #33. Stars of CCTV finally got to #1 on 22 January. The band's re-release of "Cash Machine" entered the official Top 40 singles chart at #14 on 1 January. The album has reached sales of 1.2 million copies worldwide and sales of over 600,000 in the UK alone.
Hard-Fi gained increased prominence in the UK when Stars of CCTV was nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize. Stars of CCTV scored 74 out of 100 on Metacritic.
In February 2006, the band were nominated for two BRIT Awards
, Best British Group and Best British Rock Act, alongside international superstars such as Gorillaz
, Franz Ferdinand
and Oasis
. Richard spoke about the nominations, "I don't think we'll win it, especially best group when you've got Coldplay
, Franz Ferdinand and Gorillaz in there, they're kind of big hitters, but you never know, Burton
drew with Man United
". "Last week I would have probably said 'nah it's all rubbish', but now I'm nominated it's great but what is good is that there's a real wide spread of stuff there, but there's no Best Dance award and the urban category is more pop than what's quality."
The first single from the album was "Suburban Knights
", released on 20 August. The single had its first play on 18 June 2007, at 7:20 pm (BST) on Radio 1. The album Once Upon a Time in the West
was released on 3 September 2007 when the band launched it at midnight in Virgin Megastore
in Oxford Street
, London with a live performance from a selected set list followed by a CD signing. The following day, the band performed at Maida Vale Studios to a small audience who earned their tickets through Radio 1.
The album cover of Once Upon a Time in the West has an orange background with the album title at the top, and "NO COVER ART." written in large, white letters below. The artwork has received disappointing criticism, however, top cover art designer Peter Saville has described it as "a 'White Album' for the digital culture."
On 9 September 2007, Once Upon a Time in the West went straight in at #1 in the Album Charts, giving Hard-Fi a second #1 album. It received positive reviews including five stars from The Observer
Monthly and four stars from Q Magazine, scoring 70 out of 100 on Metacritic.
The album was more popular than their debut album Stars of CCTV in other countries, as it reached Japan's Top 10 chart. Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Central America began to show interest in the band as the first single from the album, "Suburban Knights", charted in all of their respective charts, reaching #5 in Peru, #3 in Guatemala, #2 El Salvador, #8 Mexico alongside their second single "Can't Get Along (Without You)
" which spent two weeks on #1 in Peru and Argentina. On 10 March 2008, the third single, "I Shall Overcome
" was released in the UK, where it reached #35, whilst making the top five in South America just like the previous two singles entering in at #4.
On 2 February 2009, Phillips released a blog on the band's official Myspace
page, saying "After a nice long Christmas break, me and the boys are now back in the cherry lips recording facility working hard on the new tunes. Sounding great by the way. We're really pleased with how the album's shaping up. Hopefully over the next few months we'll put some bits and pieces up for you to have a listen."
On 29 October 2010, Hard-Fi posted a blog on their official website stating that they were starting production on their new album. Some track names were mentioned on the band's official website and in their videoblogs:
On 14 February 2011, Archer posted an update on the band's Facebook
page, which revealed that six of the eleven album tracks had been mixed. Producers that worked with Hard-Fi on their third album include Stuart Price
and Greg Kurstin
. On 7 March, Hard-Fi confirmed that they are getting closer to completing the album. Archer posted a status on Facebook, saying "A beautiful morning in Acton, West London - going back into the studio to mix the final tracks for the album, we've got two weeks booked to finish off and tweak a few bits and pieces from the last batch. Thinking about photos, a video, artwork and getting out and (sic) doing a few gigs - sooner than you might think. Take care. Rich x"
On 28 April, Hard-Fi's latest single "Good for Nothing
" was premiered on Zane Lowe
's Radio 1
show receiving airplay as the 'Hottest Record in the World'. In an interiew shortly after the debut play of the song, Archer announced that the album is called Killer Sounds
. On 7 May, "Good for Nothing" was featured on Soccer AM
s Premier League goals portion of the show. The single was then been made available to listen to on Hard-Fi's official YouTube
channel. As of 2 June, it is also part of the BBC Radio 1
Playlist A. It was later made available for listening on Hard-Fi's official site. Having been made available for listening on Hard-Fi's website since 22 May, "Good for Nothing" was finally released on 17 June and debuted in the UK charts at number 51 and on the UK Rock Chart at #2.
The next single from Killer Sounds was "Fire in the House
", which was released on 7 August. The long-awaited album finally came out on 22 August and entered the UK Album Chart at #9. On 24 October, the third single "Bring It On
" was released, but it failed to chart.
, indie
and a Clash
style of punk rock
. Richard has cited their influences as dance
and soul music
They also take inspiration from other genres such as ska
. On Stars of CCTV
, they had a very raw sound, loud guitars, and frequent use of guitar, in contrast to Once Upon a Time in the West
, on which there is a lot more orchestration, the use of strings is very apparent, most notably in the song "Watch Me Fall Apart".
Upon starting out, Hard-Fi often listened to music through the medium of radio and the internet, read magazines and watched music videos. As a band, they felt no up-and-coming bands really connected their lyrics to their own lives. Hard-Fi wanted to change this with their own style.
Hard-Fi's lyrics are based mostly on working class life, the band themselves coming from a self sufficient suburban lifestyle in Staines, which is where the band are from. Most notable in tracks such as "Suburban Knights
" ("Those bills keep dropping through my door") and "Living for the Weekend
" ("I've been working all week - I'm tired"), while other songs such as "Tonight", despite still being about suburban life, focus more on ambitions. Some songs are also based on social realism, "Feltham is Singing Out" is inspired by Zahid Mubarek
who was sent to the Feltham Young Offenders' Institution
and was murdered by his racist cellmate.
Other songs, such as "Better Do Better
" and "Move on Now", are centred around the premise of how hard romantic relationships can be. Once Hard-Fi were becoming successful, Richard's mother died and the song "Help Me Please" is about how difficult it was for him having his dreams come true after many unsuccessful bands but realises he has no parents to share the joy with. Similarly, "The King" is about Richard returning to Staines and finding everything completely different, and realising everything of which he knew and loved had disappeared. He describes "Little Angel" as Christina Aguilera
having a fight with The Clash
in a Northern Soul
club.
Hard-Fi's first live performance was at Manchester
's "In the City" music event in 2003 before they were signed to a record label.
They played London's Brixton Academy
from 14 May-18 May, making them one of the few bands to play five consecutive sold-out nights there and the first to do so off the back of their debut album. After the success of the Stars of CCTV album and of hit single "Hard to Beat
", it allowed them to end up in a mini-reunion of The Specials
, performing "Ghost Town" with Jerry Dammers
and Neville Staples
at the Love Music Hate Racism
gig. Mick Jones
of The Clash
is a renowned fan of the band, while Paul Weller came to their rehearsal rooms and jammed a version of "Town Called Malice
", something of which Kaichen Stephens says "gives us bragging rights over all of Staines". All of these artists were quite inspirational towards Hard-Fi while they were recording Stars of CCTV, perhaps The Specials and The Clash being the larger influences.
Mick Jones
also appeared with them performing "E=MC²" by his former band Big Audio Dynamite
. Jones had previously helped produce tracks by Richard Archer's prior band, Contempo who had recorded a cover of "London's Burning
" by The Clash.
Hard-Fi supported Green Day
at their two gigs at Milton Keynes Bowl, England performing in front of a crowd of approximately 65,000 people.
In 2005, Hard-Fi performed at a number of festivals in America including the SXSW
festival in Austin
and the San Diego Street Scene
festival.
During December 2005, the band played at London's historic Astoria
. This whole performance was filmed and the band released it on DVD called In Operation
. The performance is in front of a hometown crowd, features all the tracks on Hard-Fi's 750,000 selling, #1 debut album Stars of CCTV, at the time brand new track "You And Me", which was later a B-Side to "Suburban Knights", and the band's version of "Seven Nation Army
" by The White Stripes
. It also comes backed with CCTVersions – an exclusive CD which features dubbed versions of album tracks, produced by guests including Roots Manuva
and DJ Wrongtom
.
In December 2005, the group released an iTunes exclusive EP featuring five of their songs played during their sessions at AOL studios. The EP was called Sessions@AOL
and featured the songs "Gotta Reason", "Cash Machine
", "Hard to Beat", "Unnecessary Trouble" and "Better Do Better".
In February 2006, Hard-Fi played the Hammersmith Palais as part of the run of NME Awards shows with regular early touring partners Boy Kill Boy
.
Hard-Fi played a packed out 'secret' headlining slot on the Leftfield Stage on 23 June 2007 at Glastonbury. Although the band were still mixing the record at the time, the crowd got to hear "We Need Love", "Can't Get Along (Without You)
" and "Suburban Knights
" before anyone else. The band also included a host of favourites from their debut album Stars of CCTV.
The band played a series of sold-out, intimate dates later in July 2007 previewing the record. This event was found so exciting by the UK Festival Awards
they actually nominated the event in the category for Most Memorable Moment.
Each concert from the band's December UK Tour was recorded in its entirety on audio CD which could be ordered online through Concert Live or bought at the venue for £20. The CD was titled Once Upon a Time in December
. The first 1000 people to pay received signed copies, while available to all payers came a bundle of the next single "I Shall Overcome
" which included an exclusive download of the song as well as versions on vinyl, Maxi CD and a collectors' CD. All were delivered free of charge on day of release 10 March 2008.
", Hard-Fi released an X-rated version of the video for people to download on to their mobile phone
s, featuring scenes that include nudity
and drugs
. They also have their own video podcast
, which is known as Hard-Fi: Rockin' the City, that can be downloaded from their official website. In the first episode the bandmates discuss how they formed, and the rise of their successful album Stars of CCTV. They also discuss becoming increasingly more recognised, playing huge gigs with Green Day
at the Milton Keynes Bowl, their home-town of Staines, and how it has influenced their music style. This talk is coupled with clips of some of Hard-Fi's music videos such as "Hard to Beat", "Cash Machine
", "Tied up too Tight" and "Living for the Weekend
". So far, 20 episodes have been released on iTunes
. These are also available to view on their website, Myspace
page and YouTube
channel.
In 2007, Hard-Fi's podcast, Hard-Fi: Rockin' the City, was nominated for "Best Podcast" at the Digital Music Awards. The song "Unnecessary Trouble" is featured prominently in the 2007 teen comedy Charlie Bartlett
, while "Hard to Beat" is featured in the 2006 film Employee of the Month
.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in 2003. The band's members are Richard Archer
Richard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
(lead vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
), Ross Phillips
Ross Phillips
Ross Phillips is an English musician. He is the guitarist of indie rock band Hard-Fi and also provides backing vocals for frontman Richard Archer. Phillips previously worked in a local hi-fi shop in his home town of Staines...
(guitar and backing vocals), Kai Stephens
Kai Stephens
Kai Stephens is an English musician. He is the bass guitarist of indie rock band Hard-Fi. He attended Licensed Victuallers School in Slough and then Ascot, Berkshire....
(bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and backing vocals) and Steve Kemp
Steve Kemp (musician)
Steven Michael "Steve" Kemp is an English drummer. He is the drummer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Originally from Lancashire, he went to Carnforth High School, before he moved to London in his late teens to do a musical course. Kemp is a big fan of Liverpool F.C...
(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and backing vocals).
They achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat
Hard to Beat
"Hard to Beat" is the third single from indie band Hard-Fi, from their album Stars of CCTV. Despite being released as third single it was Hard-Fi's first top ten single, reaching #9 in the UK, and was released on 20 June 2005...
" and then followed by other successful singles such as "Cash Machine
Cash Machine
"Cash Machine" is the debut single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi, taken from their debut album Stars of CCTV. It was originally released on 24 January 2005, where it was ineligible in the UK Singles Chart due to the inclusion of a sticker...
" and "Living for the Weekend
Living for the Weekend
"Living for the Weekend" is the fourth single from English indie band Hard-Fi, from their debut album Stars of CCTV. It was released on 5 September 2005 and peaked at #15 on the UK charts. "Living for the Weekend" was written by Hard-Fi frontman Richard Archer and has been heavily featured in a...
", which all reached top 15 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Their debut album Stars of CCTV
Stars of CCTV
Stars of CCTV is the debut album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was first released on 4 July 2005 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK...
was released on 4 July 2005, and although receiving critical acclaim (NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called it the Album of the Year and it was nominated for the Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
and two Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
; Best British Group and Best British Rock Act), it didn't reach #1 in the UK albums chart until six months later on 22 January 2006. It originally entered the charts at number 6. The band's second album Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West (album)
Once Upon a Time in the West is the second studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 3 September 2007 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK. It reached #1 in the UK Album Chart in the first week of its release, unlike its predecessor Stars of CCTV, which took around...
was released on 3 September 2007 and reached number 1 in its first week. Their third album Killer Sounds
Killer Sounds
Killer Sounds is the third studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 19 August 2011 in the United Kingdom and Ireland.-Singles:...
, which features the singles "Good for Nothing
Good for Nothing
"Good for Nothing" is a single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It is the first single from their third studio album Killer Sounds. The single cover does not bear the "Parental Advisory" sticker, despite the profanity used during the chorus...
" and "Fire in the House
Fire in the House
"Fire in the House" is a single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It is the second single released from their third studio album Killer Sounds. It was released as a digital download on 5 August 2011 and debuted at number 85 on the UK Singles Chart....
", was released on 19 August 2011 and debuted at number 9 on the UK Album Chart.
Although Hard-Fi are generally considered part of the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
scene, Archer has mentioned numerous times that they are heavily influenced by soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
.
Name
"Hard-Fi" is the name given to the sound produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry, a Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
artist, at his Black Ark
Black Ark
The Black Ark was the recording studio of reggae and dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, built in 1973 and located behind his family's home in the Washington Gardens neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica...
recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. Being admirers of Perry's work, the band decided to name themselves after his distinctive sound. Archer said "Since then I've been desperately trying to find the biography where I read it; but I may have dreamt it."
1997-2001: Contempo
Richard ArcherRichard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
decided to return to his hometown of Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
, crushed by the lack of success of his former band Contempo and by the death of his father after his struggle against cancer. He said "I moved back to Staines because I ran out of money and it was quite a shock."
Archer claims that music business insiders tried to dissuade the band's manager Warren Clarke from managing him. When Archer asked his publishers for some money to record the new songs that he had written, they terminated his contract instead. "People told him, don't bother with Archer, he's damaged goods, you're wasting your time."
2001-2004: Formation and early success
While Archer was making demos to produce an album, he went into the Staines hi-fi shop where Ross PhillipsRoss Phillips
Ross Phillips is an English musician. He is the guitarist of indie rock band Hard-Fi and also provides backing vocals for frontman Richard Archer. Phillips previously worked in a local hi-fi shop in his home town of Staines...
worked, simply so he could listen to his latest demos on the shop's best equipment. Philips apparently asked Archer who had played guitar on his demos, Archer said that it was himself, which is when Phillips said it was "the shit", and was therefore recruited to play guitar for the new group. Steve Kemp
Steve Kemp
Steven F. Kemp is a former Major League Baseball outfielder from 1977 to 1986 and 1988. He is of Armenian heritage.-Professional career:...
was already an old friend of Archer, while it took Kaichen Stephens
Kaichen Stephens
Kai Chen Qiu , most commonly known by his stage name Kaichen Stephens is a dance choreographer, artist, singer, author and philanthropist...
little persuasion to leave his job as a "pest killer" at Rentokil
Rentokil Initial
Rentokil Initial is a major British business services group. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
.
The band were signed to newly formed independent label Necessary Records
Necessary Records
Necessary Records is a record label based in the UK founded by Warren Clarke, not to be confused with the actor of the same name. The label was born out of a creative necessity. "It's an outlet for records that should and must be heard...
, owned by Clarke. The majority of Stars of CCTV was recorded in a variety of unusual acoustic environments - in bedrooms, in pubs, and played back in their producer, Wolsey White's, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
. 1000 copies of this record were pressed with only 500 going on public sale, and the initial plan was to sell 1000 each time. However, it quickly sold out, receiving critical acclaim and radio play, proving a lot more successful than the band had imagined. Most of the album was recorded in a disused mini cab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
office, which cost them about £300 and is known to this day as the "Cherry Lips" Studio. The band used to try to make their music sound more atmospheric by putting a microphone in the corridor to add echo; listening closely to the record reveals that this also picked up passers-by humming and whistling and the occasional aeroplane flying overhead.
Archer desperately tried to generate publicity for the band through the Staines Observer, to no avail; "We sent them a press release and a photo," said Archer. "The press release was all like, the hard-hitting sound of the streets and stuff. And the article came out going, 'Richard Archer, former pupil of Thamesmead School ...' Whatever you say, they seem to be most interested in what school you went to."
The band were then licensed to the major label Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in December 2004, where they were given the chance to re-record the album in the renowned Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, among other well known studios, however they went back to the cab office to maintain their sound.
2005: Stars of CCTV
The band were one of the acts opening for Green DayGreen Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, alongside Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
and Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
on their two day residency of the Milton Keynes Bowl in June 2005. Simple Plan
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
were initially booked though cancelled only a few weeks before the show, and Hard-Fi were made as a last minute booking and opened on both days. Their debut album's launch party was scheduled to be 7 July 2005 at Cheekees night club in Staines, however this was cancelled due to the ill health of Richard's mother, and the London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
also occurring that day. Her death resulted in the band pulling out of the Glastonbury festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
. The launch party was rescheduled for 13 July 2005 and the venue changed to Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
, London.
The Stars of CCTV album re-entered the official UK album chart at #4 on 1 January 2006. Two places higher than it originally went in on the week of its release, the album climbed from #33. Stars of CCTV finally got to #1 on 22 January. The band's re-release of "Cash Machine" entered the official Top 40 singles chart at #14 on 1 January. The album has reached sales of 1.2 million copies worldwide and sales of over 600,000 in the UK alone.
Hard-Fi gained increased prominence in the UK when Stars of CCTV was nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize. Stars of CCTV scored 74 out of 100 on Metacritic.
In February 2006, the band were nominated for two BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, Best British Group and Best British Rock Act, alongside international superstars such as Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
, Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
and Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
. Richard spoke about the nominations, "I don't think we'll win it, especially best group when you've got Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, Franz Ferdinand and Gorillaz in there, they're kind of big hitters, but you never know, Burton
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
drew with Man United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
". "Last week I would have probably said 'nah it's all rubbish', but now I'm nominated it's great but what is good is that there's a real wide spread of stuff there, but there's no Best Dance award and the urban category is more pop than what's quality."
2007: Once Upon a Time in the West
Hard-Fi expanded the "Cherry Lips", their taxi cab office which they used to record, making more room for equipment after having searched fruitlessly for a space. Archer described the record as "darker and more expansive".The first single from the album was "Suburban Knights
Suburban Knights
"Suburban Knights" is the first single from British band Hard-Fi's second album Once Upon a Time in the West. The physical format of the single was released on 20 August 2007, the digital version was released on 6 August 2007...
", released on 20 August. The single had its first play on 18 June 2007, at 7:20 pm (BST) on Radio 1. The album Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West (album)
Once Upon a Time in the West is the second studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 3 September 2007 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK. It reached #1 in the UK Album Chart in the first week of its release, unlike its predecessor Stars of CCTV, which took around...
was released on 3 September 2007 when the band launched it at midnight in Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastores is an international chain of record shops, founded by Sir Richard Branson on London's Oxford Street in early 1971. Virgin Megastores are best described today as entertainment retailers....
in Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
, London with a live performance from a selected set list followed by a CD signing. The following day, the band performed at Maida Vale Studios to a small audience who earned their tickets through Radio 1.
The album cover of Once Upon a Time in the West has an orange background with the album title at the top, and "NO COVER ART." written in large, white letters below. The artwork has received disappointing criticism, however, top cover art designer Peter Saville has described it as "a 'White Album' for the digital culture."
On 9 September 2007, Once Upon a Time in the West went straight in at #1 in the Album Charts, giving Hard-Fi a second #1 album. It received positive reviews including five stars from The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
Monthly and four stars from Q Magazine, scoring 70 out of 100 on Metacritic.
The album was more popular than their debut album Stars of CCTV in other countries, as it reached Japan's Top 10 chart. Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Central America began to show interest in the band as the first single from the album, "Suburban Knights", charted in all of their respective charts, reaching #5 in Peru, #3 in Guatemala, #2 El Salvador, #8 Mexico alongside their second single "Can't Get Along (Without You)
Can't Get Along (Without You)
"Can't Get Along " is a single from indie band Hard-Fi, taken from their second album Once Upon a Time in the West. It was released on 4 November 2007. Richard Archer has said that he thought it to be one of his best songs and TV presenter Tim Lovejoy said that it was one of the best records he had...
" which spent two weeks on #1 in Peru and Argentina. On 10 March 2008, the third single, "I Shall Overcome
I Shall Overcome
"I Shall Overcome" is the third single from English indie rock band Hard-Fi's second album Once Upon a Time in the West. It was released on 29 February 2008. Written and co-produced by Richard Archer, it features a gospel choir and acoustic guitars along with a mariachi trumpet on the "Per un Pugno...
" was released in the UK, where it reached #35, whilst making the top five in South America just like the previous two singles entering in at #4.
2011: Killer Sounds
During the 2008 Christmas period, Hard-Fi released a Christmas message to their fans thanking them for their support and announcing that they would be back in the new year with "a wicked new album".On 2 February 2009, Phillips released a blog on the band's official Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page, saying "After a nice long Christmas break, me and the boys are now back in the cherry lips recording facility working hard on the new tunes. Sounding great by the way. We're really pleased with how the album's shaping up. Hopefully over the next few months we'll put some bits and pieces up for you to have a listen."
On 29 October 2010, Hard-Fi posted a blog on their official website stating that they were starting production on their new album. Some track names were mentioned on the band's official website and in their videoblogs:
- "Bring It OnBring It On (Hard-Fi song)"Bring It On" is the third single from English indie rock band Hard-Fi's third studio album Killer Sounds. It was released on 24 October 2011, but failed to chart. However, the single is featured in adverts for the popular Football Manager 2012 game...
" - "Feels Good
- "Sweat"
- "Fire in the HouseFire in the House"Fire in the House" is a single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It is the second single released from their third studio album Killer Sounds. It was released as a digital download on 5 August 2011 and debuted at number 85 on the UK Singles Chart....
" - "Give It Up"
- "Love Song"
- "Good for NothingGood for Nothing"Good for Nothing" is a single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It is the first single from their third studio album Killer Sounds. The single cover does not bear the "Parental Advisory" sticker, despite the profanity used during the chorus...
" - "Stay Alive"
- "Stop"
- "Excitement"
- "Killer Sounds"
- "Like a Drug"
- "Happy"
- "Second Line Style"
- "Sweat (Greg KurstinGreg KurstinGregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
mix)"
On 14 February 2011, Archer posted an update on the band's Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page, which revealed that six of the eleven album tracks had been mixed. Producers that worked with Hard-Fi on their third album include Stuart Price
Stuart Price
Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
and Greg Kurstin
Greg Kurstin
Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
. On 7 March, Hard-Fi confirmed that they are getting closer to completing the album. Archer posted a status on Facebook, saying "A beautiful morning in Acton, West London - going back into the studio to mix the final tracks for the album, we've got two weeks booked to finish off and tweak a few bits and pieces from the last batch. Thinking about photos, a video, artwork and getting out and (sic) doing a few gigs - sooner than you might think. Take care. Rich x"
On 28 April, Hard-Fi's latest single "Good for Nothing
Good for Nothing
"Good for Nothing" is a single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It is the first single from their third studio album Killer Sounds. The single cover does not bear the "Parental Advisory" sticker, despite the profanity used during the chorus...
" was premiered on Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
's Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show receiving airplay as the 'Hottest Record in the World'. In an interiew shortly after the debut play of the song, Archer announced that the album is called Killer Sounds
Killer Sounds
Killer Sounds is the third studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 19 August 2011 in the United Kingdom and Ireland.-Singles:...
. On 7 May, "Good for Nothing" was featured on Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
s Premier League goals portion of the show. The single was then been made available to listen to on Hard-Fi's official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel. As of 2 June, it is also part of the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Playlist A. It was later made available for listening on Hard-Fi's official site. Having been made available for listening on Hard-Fi's website since 22 May, "Good for Nothing" was finally released on 17 June and debuted in the UK charts at number 51 and on the UK Rock Chart at #2.
The next single from Killer Sounds was "Fire in the House
Fire in the House
"Fire in the House" is a single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It is the second single released from their third studio album Killer Sounds. It was released as a digital download on 5 August 2011 and debuted at number 85 on the UK Singles Chart....
", which was released on 7 August. The long-awaited album finally came out on 22 August and entered the UK Album Chart at #9. On 24 October, the third single "Bring It On
Bring It On (Hard-Fi song)
"Bring It On" is the third single from English indie rock band Hard-Fi's third studio album Killer Sounds. It was released on 24 October 2011, but failed to chart. However, the single is featured in adverts for the popular Football Manager 2012 game...
" was released, but it failed to chart.
Musical style
Hard-Fi's musical style is a mix of post-punkPost-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
and a Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
style of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
. Richard has cited their influences as dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
They also take inspiration from other genres such as ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
. On Stars of CCTV
Stars of CCTV
Stars of CCTV is the debut album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was first released on 4 July 2005 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK...
, they had a very raw sound, loud guitars, and frequent use of guitar, in contrast to Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West (album)
Once Upon a Time in the West is the second studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 3 September 2007 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK. It reached #1 in the UK Album Chart in the first week of its release, unlike its predecessor Stars of CCTV, which took around...
, on which there is a lot more orchestration, the use of strings is very apparent, most notably in the song "Watch Me Fall Apart".
Upon starting out, Hard-Fi often listened to music through the medium of radio and the internet, read magazines and watched music videos. As a band, they felt no up-and-coming bands really connected their lyrics to their own lives. Hard-Fi wanted to change this with their own style.
Hard-Fi's lyrics are based mostly on working class life, the band themselves coming from a self sufficient suburban lifestyle in Staines, which is where the band are from. Most notable in tracks such as "Suburban Knights
Suburban Knights
"Suburban Knights" is the first single from British band Hard-Fi's second album Once Upon a Time in the West. The physical format of the single was released on 20 August 2007, the digital version was released on 6 August 2007...
" ("Those bills keep dropping through my door") and "Living for the Weekend
Living for the Weekend
"Living for the Weekend" is the fourth single from English indie band Hard-Fi, from their debut album Stars of CCTV. It was released on 5 September 2005 and peaked at #15 on the UK charts. "Living for the Weekend" was written by Hard-Fi frontman Richard Archer and has been heavily featured in a...
" ("I've been working all week - I'm tired"), while other songs such as "Tonight", despite still being about suburban life, focus more on ambitions. Some songs are also based on social realism, "Feltham is Singing Out" is inspired by Zahid Mubarek
Zahid Mubarek
Zahid Mubarek was a British Asian teenager who was brutally murdered by his cellmate on March 21, 2000, at the Feltham Young Offenders' Institution in southwest London. He was already inside Feltham when his killer, 20-year-old Robert Stewart - was transferred to his cell.-Family...
who was sent to the Feltham Young Offenders' Institution
Feltham Young Offenders' Institution
HM Prison Feltham is a prison for male juveniles and Young Offenders Institution, located near Feltham town in the London Borough of Hounslow, in southwest London, England...
and was murdered by his racist cellmate.
Other songs, such as "Better Do Better
Better Do Better
"Better Do Better" is the fifth single from Indie band Hard-Fi, taken from their debut album Stars of CCTV. It was released on 27 February 2006 where it reached #14 in the UK singles chart sharing a similar chart success with all the other singles released from Stars of CCTV. The video was directed...
" and "Move on Now", are centred around the premise of how hard romantic relationships can be. Once Hard-Fi were becoming successful, Richard's mother died and the song "Help Me Please" is about how difficult it was for him having his dreams come true after many unsuccessful bands but realises he has no parents to share the joy with. Similarly, "The King" is about Richard returning to Staines and finding everything completely different, and realising everything of which he knew and loved had disappeared. He describes "Little Angel" as Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
having a fight with The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
in a Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
club.
Live
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
's "In the City" music event in 2003 before they were signed to a record label.
They played London's Brixton Academy
Carling Academy Brixton
The Brixton Academy, officially called O2 Academy, Brixton, is one of London's leading music venues, nightclubs and theatres. Situated in Brixton, South London, England, the building has hosted a range of leading rock acts since becoming a music venue in 1983...
from 14 May-18 May, making them one of the few bands to play five consecutive sold-out nights there and the first to do so off the back of their debut album. After the success of the Stars of CCTV album and of hit single "Hard to Beat
Hard to Beat
"Hard to Beat" is the third single from indie band Hard-Fi, from their album Stars of CCTV. Despite being released as third single it was Hard-Fi's first top ten single, reaching #9 in the UK, and was released on 20 June 2005...
", it allowed them to end up in a mini-reunion of The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
, performing "Ghost Town" with Jerry Dammers
Jerry Dammers
Jeremy David Hounsell "Jerry" Dammers is a British musician who is a founder and keyboard player of the Coventry, England based ska revival band The Specials, The Special A.K.A...
and Neville Staples
Neville Staples
Neville Eugenton Staple is a singer for the two-tone ska band, The Specials as well as his own combo, The Neville Staple Band. Along with Ranking Roger, he also sings in Special Beat.-Early life:...
at the Love Music Hate Racism
Love Music Hate Racism
Love Music Hate Racism is a music-oriented campaign based in Britain by the Anti-Nazi League and Unite Against Fascism. The campaign involves concerts aimed at spreading an anti-racist message...
gig. Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
is a renowned fan of the band, while Paul Weller came to their rehearsal rooms and jammed a version of "Town Called Malice
Town Called Malice
"Town Called Malice" is a song recorded by The Jam from the album The Gift. It reached number one in the UK singles chart.-Song profile:It was a double A-side single release featuring "Precious" as the flip side...
", something of which Kaichen Stephens says "gives us bragging rights over all of Staines". All of these artists were quite inspirational towards Hard-Fi while they were recording Stars of CCTV, perhaps The Specials and The Clash being the larger influences.
Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
also appeared with them performing "E=MC²" by his former band Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite are a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of the Clash, Mick Jones. The group are noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
. Jones had previously helped produce tracks by Richard Archer's prior band, Contempo who had recorded a cover of "London's Burning
London's Burning (song)
"London's Burning" is a song by The Clash from their eponymous debut album. It is the eighth track in the U.K. version of this album, and the seventh track in the U.S. version, from 1979....
" by The Clash.
Hard-Fi supported Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
at their two gigs at Milton Keynes Bowl, England performing in front of a crowd of approximately 65,000 people.
In 2005, Hard-Fi performed at a number of festivals in America including the SXSW
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and the San Diego Street Scene
Street Scene (San Diego music festival)
Street Scene was a music festival that was held each summer in San Diego, California from 1984 to 2009. Street Scene was one of America's largest annual music festivals, growing to include over 70 musical acts covering different musical genres and styles on multiple stages.-History:Beginning in...
festival.
During December 2005, the band played at London's historic Astoria
London Astoria
The London Astoria was a music venue, located at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. It had been leased and run by Festival Republic since 2000. It was closed on 15 January 2009 and has since been demolished...
. This whole performance was filmed and the band released it on DVD called In Operation
In Operation
In Operation is the first live DVD from Hard-Fi, filmed at London's historic Astoria venue and the full live performance, during their sold out 15 date UK tour in December 2005...
. The performance is in front of a hometown crowd, features all the tracks on Hard-Fi's 750,000 selling, #1 debut album Stars of CCTV, at the time brand new track "You And Me", which was later a B-Side to "Suburban Knights", and the band's version of "Seven Nation Army
Seven Nation Army
"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on the album Elephant by American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released as a single in 2003. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks for three weeks and won 2004's Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song is known for its...
" by The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
. It also comes backed with CCTVersions – an exclusive CD which features dubbed versions of album tracks, produced by guests including Roots Manuva
Roots Manuva
Rodney Hylton Smith , better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.-Biography:...
and DJ Wrongtom
DJ Wrongtom
DJ Thomas Wrongtom is an English DJ and record producer from South London. He is most famous for being the in-house remixer and tour DJ for indie rock band Hard-Fi.-History:...
.
In December 2005, the group released an iTunes exclusive EP featuring five of their songs played during their sessions at AOL studios. The EP was called Sessions@AOL
Sessions@AOL (Hard-Fi EP)
Sessions@AOL is an EP composed of live audio performances by the English alternative rock band Hard-Fi. All five tracks are taken from the album Stars of CCTV...
and featured the songs "Gotta Reason", "Cash Machine
Cash Machine
"Cash Machine" is the debut single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi, taken from their debut album Stars of CCTV. It was originally released on 24 January 2005, where it was ineligible in the UK Singles Chart due to the inclusion of a sticker...
", "Hard to Beat", "Unnecessary Trouble" and "Better Do Better".
In February 2006, Hard-Fi played the Hammersmith Palais as part of the run of NME Awards shows with regular early touring partners Boy Kill Boy
Boy Kill Boy
Boy Kill Boy were an English rock band based in Leytonstone, East London. Perhaps Best known for their highest charting single "Suzie", the band produced two studio albums and six singles before splitting in 2008.- History :...
.
Hard-Fi played a packed out 'secret' headlining slot on the Leftfield Stage on 23 June 2007 at Glastonbury. Although the band were still mixing the record at the time, the crowd got to hear "We Need Love", "Can't Get Along (Without You)
Can't Get Along (Without You)
"Can't Get Along " is a single from indie band Hard-Fi, taken from their second album Once Upon a Time in the West. It was released on 4 November 2007. Richard Archer has said that he thought it to be one of his best songs and TV presenter Tim Lovejoy said that it was one of the best records he had...
" and "Suburban Knights
Suburban Knights
"Suburban Knights" is the first single from British band Hard-Fi's second album Once Upon a Time in the West. The physical format of the single was released on 20 August 2007, the digital version was released on 6 August 2007...
" before anyone else. The band also included a host of favourites from their debut album Stars of CCTV.
The band played a series of sold-out, intimate dates later in July 2007 previewing the record. This event was found so exciting by the UK Festival Awards
UK Festival Awards
The UK Festival Awards are awarded annually, with various categories for all aspects of festivals that have taken place in the UK, and one category for European festivals. The Awards were first established in 2004, and are produced by Virtual Festivals.com. They are voted for by the public via the...
they actually nominated the event in the category for Most Memorable Moment.
Each concert from the band's December UK Tour was recorded in its entirety on audio CD which could be ordered online through Concert Live or bought at the venue for £20. The CD was titled Once Upon a Time in December
Once Upon a Time in December
Once Upon a Time in December is a live CD from Hard-Fi, their second one ever, filmed during the band's 2007 UK tour in December 2007. It is pretty much the "Once Upon a Time in the West era's answer to "In Operation"....
. The first 1000 people to pay received signed copies, while available to all payers came a bundle of the next single "I Shall Overcome
I Shall Overcome
"I Shall Overcome" is the third single from English indie rock band Hard-Fi's second album Once Upon a Time in the West. It was released on 29 February 2008. Written and co-produced by Richard Archer, it features a gospel choir and acoustic guitars along with a mariachi trumpet on the "Per un Pugno...
" which included an exclusive download of the song as well as versions on vinyl, Maxi CD and a collectors' CD. All were delivered free of charge on day of release 10 March 2008.
Studio albums
- Stars of CCTVStars of CCTVStars of CCTV is the debut album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was first released on 4 July 2005 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK...
(2005) - Once Upon a Time in the WestOnce Upon a Time in the West (album)Once Upon a Time in the West is the second studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 3 September 2007 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK. It reached #1 in the UK Album Chart in the first week of its release, unlike its predecessor Stars of CCTV, which took around...
(2007) - Killer SoundsKiller SoundsKiller Sounds is the third studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 19 August 2011 in the United Kingdom and Ireland.-Singles:...
(2011)
Media
For "Cash MachineCash Machine
"Cash Machine" is the debut single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi, taken from their debut album Stars of CCTV. It was originally released on 24 January 2005, where it was ineligible in the UK Singles Chart due to the inclusion of a sticker...
", Hard-Fi released an X-rated version of the video for people to download on to their mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s, featuring scenes that include nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
and drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
. They also have their own video podcast
Video podcast
Video podcast is a term used for the online delivery of video on demand video clip content via Atom or RSS enclosures...
, which is known as Hard-Fi: Rockin' the City, that can be downloaded from their official website. In the first episode the bandmates discuss how they formed, and the rise of their successful album Stars of CCTV. They also discuss becoming increasingly more recognised, playing huge gigs with Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
at the Milton Keynes Bowl, their home-town of Staines, and how it has influenced their music style. This talk is coupled with clips of some of Hard-Fi's music videos such as "Hard to Beat", "Cash Machine
Cash Machine
"Cash Machine" is the debut single by English indie rock band Hard-Fi, taken from their debut album Stars of CCTV. It was originally released on 24 January 2005, where it was ineligible in the UK Singles Chart due to the inclusion of a sticker...
", "Tied up too Tight" and "Living for the Weekend
Living for the Weekend
"Living for the Weekend" is the fourth single from English indie band Hard-Fi, from their debut album Stars of CCTV. It was released on 5 September 2005 and peaked at #15 on the UK charts. "Living for the Weekend" was written by Hard-Fi frontman Richard Archer and has been heavily featured in a...
". So far, 20 episodes have been released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. These are also available to view on their website, Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel.
In 2007, Hard-Fi's podcast, Hard-Fi: Rockin' the City, was nominated for "Best Podcast" at the Digital Music Awards. The song "Unnecessary Trouble" is featured prominently in the 2007 teen comedy Charlie Bartlett
Charlie Bartlett
Charlie Bartlett is a 2008 comedy-drama film directed by Jon Poll. The screenplay by Gustin Nash focuses on a teenager who begins to dispense therapeutic advice and prescription drugs to the student body at his new high school in order to become popular....
, while "Hard to Beat" is featured in the 2006 film Employee of the Month
Employee of the Month (2006 film)
Employee of the Month is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Greg Coolidge, written by Don Calame, Chris Conroy, and Coolidge, and starring Dane Cook, Jessica Simpson and Dax Shepard. The main plot revolves around two shop employees who compete for the affection of their newest co-worker...
.