MUSIC After Britain, Hard-Fi takes America

Its sound has been compared to The Clash.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Isolation is quite a motivator.
Just ask the four blokes in Hard-Fi, which emerged from the tiny, nondescript town of Staines that has the distinction of being seen by millions but rarely visited. Located adjacent to Heathrow Airport, the city's biggest attraction takes place in the air above it as one jetliner after another arrives or departs for a better life, seemingly mocking and tormenting residents of Staines.
Such remoteness or seclusion is bound to affect your mind, your soul and your outlook on life.
"Yeah, there was kind of like a frustration in this boring town that gave you the motivation to sort of get off your ass and do something," said guitarist Ross Phillips, calling from Atlanta. "I think it affects on the music quite a bit. There's no music scene, no kind of any scene or culture in Staines. So, it's like you're just doing your own thing and that's how we sort of sound different."
Invariably, Hard-Fi does sound different from any of the other U.K. bands currently getting attention on both sides of the Atlantic. The quartet's debut disc "Stars of CCTV" is being positioned among the neo new wave bands of Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs but unlike these zeitgeist acts, Hard-Fi's songs exude a depth or gravity, that if history teaches us anything, connote longevity over transitory celebrity.
Catching on here
Lead single "Cash Machine," which has been getting plenty of attention by stateside alternative stations and MTV2, is markedly different from anything else out there now with its midtempo melodies, subtle chorus and old school guitar sound. Elsewhere on "Stars of CCTV," you'll find a cornucopia of styles that has critics comparing Hard-Fi to one of the biggest bands of the last quarter of a century, The Clash. "That's cool, we love The Clash," Phillips said. "We hear that a lot. A lot of bands from the U.K. combine stuff. We've done that. Like the [Rolling] Stones did with old blues, The Clash did with reggae, we kind of feel like we've done that. We've got all kinds of genres. We listen to and draw influence from old reggae stuff like Lee Scratch Perry, King Tubby and then even bands like New Order."
After spending the last year rising up and conquering the U.K. charts, Hard-Fi is ready to turn its attention to North America, with an extensive coast-to-coast tour. This includes a Thursday show at The Agora. Phillips is excited about performing for new audiences, which is something the band will be doing a lot of over the next few months. "It's bit of a party I suppose," Phillips said. "We like to get the crowd involved, get the crowd going and we strip the songs back so it's a bit more of a punk rock show vibe. We just think people paid money for their ticket so you just have to give them a show."
Phillips realizes the road to success in the States is long and tedious, but he remains optimistic. "I'm looking forward to it," Phillips said. "It's cool, a dream come true. We've been working hard for it. We're hungry, man; we want to go to the top."