It’s safe to say Adelaide indie-punk rock act The Hard Aches aren’t new to music. The slacker punks surged forward on a relentless touring schedule for the past few years, playing in venues as diverse as carparks, backyards, bedrooms & record stores, honing a sound that is unmistakably their own, brought to life by the technical brilliance of drummer Alex Upton and the frenetic guitarwork of Ben David. Now the duo is back with their new EP, I Freak Out, which is already attracting attention on national radio and international buzz. I Freak Out will be released September 9th and is available to pre-order now.
The two-piece bring enough noise to more than make up for their lack of numbers, earning them plenty of accolades in 2015, such as inclusion in the Rip It Up Hot 6 as one of South Australia’s brightest talents. Now the duo are playing bigger stages than ever before, supporting Frenzal Rhomb, Tired Lion and Luca Brasi, as well as being invited to join Laneway Festival, which saw The Hard Aches on the main stage for the first time.
New EP I Freak Out brings them national radio and international buzz, with their debut album Pheromones already under their belt, lessons learnt and dozens more songs penned mean that they’re ready for their next challenge. Tipping their hat to peers as diverse as Courtney Barnett, You Am I, and The Cars, this is a band that is most comfortable when onstage or in the studio; with a high cadence, insatiable appetite, and perhaps even bigger dreams.
Featuring the single ‘Glad That You’re Gone’, the lyrical elements of I Freak Out remain similar to the debut album. However, the sentiments have reached new heights, with Singer/Guitarist Ben David using the band as a cathartic outlet as he attempts to make sense of his own head, where he belongs within his native city of Adelaide, and the various human interactions that attempt to consume him. Recorded at Birdland Studios in Melbourne with the help of producer Lindsay Gravina (The Living End, Magic Dirt) over a week in February, I Freak Out was the first recording by the band to not be managed entirely by David and Upton themselves.
Not being ones to sit on their laurels, The Hard Aches EP tour is announced amongst a flurry of other shows. Fresh from a national run with Tired Lion, August brings a bumper sell-out run with Luca Brasi, & England’s Moose Blood. In September they play Melbourne’s Poison City Weekender, Stonecutters Festival in Adelaide and the I Love Life Festival in Brisbane & Sydney.
THE HARD ACHES TOUR DATES
Sunday 11th September – Poison City Weekender – The Reverence Hotel, Melbourne
Friday 16th September – Stonecutters Festival – Queens Theatre, Adelaide
Saturday 17th September – I Love Life Festival – Manning Bar, Sydney
Sunday 18th September – I Love Life Festival – The Triffid, Brisbane
Friday 30th September – Shadows, Mt Gambier
Sunday 2nd October – Yours & Owls Festival, Wollongong
Friday 7th October – Miami Tavern, Gold Coast
Saturday 8th October – Crowbar, Brisbane
Wednesday 12th October – Coffs Hotel, Coffs Harbour
Thursday 13th October – Pier On Clarence, Port Macquarie
Friday 14th October – Small Ballroom, Newcastle
Saturday 15th October – Transit Bar, Canberra
Tuesday 18th October – Musicman Megastore, Bendigo
Wednesday 19th October – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Thursday 20th October – Barwon Club, Geelong
Friday 21st October – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Saturday 22nd October – The Loft, Warrnambool
Thursday 27th October – Prince Of Wales, Bunbury
Friday 28th October – Jimmy’s Den, Perth
Saturday 29th October – Jive, Adelaide
Friday 4th October – Newtown Social Club, Sydney