Hard-Fi's humble roots provide fodder for a career; catch them at X-Fest and see what the buzz is about
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
June 8, 2006
Consider this: Right now, at this very moment, scruffy, skinny kids are creating the next new sound in pop music in their own space and on their own recording equipment.
For the British quartet Hard-Fi, the place was an abandoned taxicab office in their hometown of Staines, a sleepy London suburb near Heathrow airport.
“It's a lot like every other satellite town in the UK,” said Hard-Fi guitarist Ross Phillips about Staines. “There's just nothing there. There are no decent bars. There's no culture. There are no music venues. There are no rehearsal rooms. Until recently, there wasn't even a bookshop there. It's just kind of mundane.”
Hard-Fi rented an old cab shop and recorded the demos that would become the 2005 release “Stars of CCTV.” Brimming with splashes of punk, ska and indie rock, the band's debut immediately captured the attention of British radio and press. Phillips, vocalist Richard Archer, bassist Kai Stephens and drummer Steve Kemp were propelled into the spotlight, though the band's roots remained the wellspring of inspiration.
“We sing about what we know and what we see in our lives and our friend's lives,” said Phillips, taking a break from a European tour stop in Naples, Italy. “ 'Living for the Weekend' is about everyone working all week, getting paid on Friday, going out to the pub and getting drunk. That's what goes on in towns like ours. 'Tied Up Too Tight' is about getting away from that kind of boredom and frustration.”
Despite a 2005 Mercury Prize (the British Grammy Award) nomination and critical acclaim, the title “Stars of CCTV” would be a bit of a mystery to listeners on this side of the pond.
“It stands for 'close circuit television,' ” explained Phillips. “It's these security cameras. In the UK, they are absolutely everywhere. Whatever you're doing, you're being watched. You're having a drink at the pub, there's a camera looking at you. If you walk through London, you get caught on an average of 800 cameras a day. So we're asking the question 'Why are you watching us?' ”
A lot more people are watching Hard-Fi's every move these days. With the band's raw DIY style and willingness to combine punk and ska, many critics liken the group's sound to another classic English band.
“The Clash. We love the Clash,” said Phillips, who will take the stage at tomrrow's 91X-Fest at Corrs Amphitheatre. “They're a great band and we love them to bits. But there is much more stuff in our music. We listen to everything: hip-hop, dance and early house music, Rolling Stones, a lot of reggae, Lee Scratch Perry, dub music, ska music, anything really. As long as it's good, we listen to it and we draw influence from it.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
