Thanks for taking our questions during the current lockdown in the UK, for music lovers out there that has never listened to your music can you give them an introduction what they can expect?
A: Big riffs, pounding drums and massive vocals! We love writing music that makes you wanna thrash and dance. However, we write about topics that affect us or other young people of today. Politics and mental health are a big one for us right now – I think there’s a lot of people who have been left on the outskirts of society with recent events and we want to be a voice for those people.
Your new single “Circus”, do you feel this song take a different light now during this lockdown period?
A: We wrote it in January when all the Australian bush fires were happening and as a kind of a follow on from our song “FYI” about how the world is ran by people who don’t seem to have a clue and we are having to sit and watch the world go to shit and i think now now all this has happened with COVID the message is even more powerful and relevant for sure.
With the band due to play every UK festival in 2020 to have this pulled away from you with Covid-19 what have you all been doing to keep the buzz factor about the band out there?
A: We have been super active on social media as it’s such a great way to interact with our fans when everyone’s sat at home. We have had to get creative in terms of how we create content separately,we are churning out fun and engaging content all the time now- from live-steam quizzes to creative split-screen covers. We are also writing constantly and have our brand new song “Circus” dropping this Friday!
What are you all doing during your spare time at the moment?
A: Besides creating content for the band and writing I know the other lads (Jack and Josh) have rediscovered their fondness for fitness. I, on the other hand, have been watching so much Netflix and playing video games in my spare time. I think we all know which hobbies are better.
What band / artist has you inspired you with the sound The Hara have created with their music and songs?
A: So many. For myself I have always been inspired by the bands who got me into music in the first place – AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden, RATM, System Of A Down, My Chemical Romance, etc. Their hard hitting yet melodic style has resonated with me since day one and still does. We have such an eclectic mix between us all. For example, Josh loves artists like Queen, Grandson, Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco – huge theatrical performers. Jack loves a lot of modern hip-hop and rock/metal like Limp Bizkit, Yungblud, Don Broco. There’s so many different flavours and ingredients that make up THE HARA!
Your live show is full of energy and passion, how do you recreate this on recording your music in the studio?
A: Our recording process is a chaotic but extremely fun one. But it needs to for us to be able to recreate the live feel. We have loads of gang vocals and ad libs of us screaming and going mental, whenever I track guitars I have Josh and Jack curating myself and how nuts I need to play for certain parts. We also make sure there’s a few mad drum fills in there somewhere for Jack to shred to.
Do you find it a lot different in promoting your music during lockdown or with having more time on your hands you have looked at different ways?
A: To be honest, not really. We have always done the brunt of our promoting on social media – which hasn’t changed – of course we’ve had more time to focus on it yet other than creating the content to promote our music separately things have’t been overly different.
Are you currently writing new material during the lockdown, how different a process is it compared to before this lockdown?
A: Yes! so much! We all have the facilities to record from our respective homes. The process usually will be us chatting about an idea or a feeling we want to convey in the song, then i’ll take whatever we spoke about and come up with a rough guitar track and structure for the song. I always ask the lads one simple question – does it vibe? and if the answer is Yes I’ll keep going. Once the structure and music is there I will bounce it to Josh and Jack for the rhythm sections and the melodies and lyrics. It’s been very productive because the moment I send my parts off I can start working on something new… we always have something going on!
What has been your highlight to date with your music and were it has taken you too?
A: It’s always a mad feeling to reflect on where we have come from as a band, and where it has taken us. I think just knowing that we have created a place at our shows in which people feel safe and a place where they can truly be themselves is the biggest and constant highlight.
What can we expect from you after this lockdown, new lockdown music live shows around the UK?
A: We are about to release our new song “Circus” this week. Following that will be a string of other massive tunes. We are embarking on our postponed “We Are The Movement” tour at the end of the year and we are so excited to add all these brand new songs to our set list. We are itching to get back on the road and back on that stage. HARA world domination!
How has Covid 19 set you back with your plans for 2020?
A: It’s crazy, 2020 was supposed to be our biggest year yet. We had our biggest tour we’ve ever put together all booked for the April/May then following that we had an entire summer of huge festivals booked like Download, TRNSMT, Reading and Leeds, etc. and it all just fell apart. It was such a kick in the teeth for us because we had been grinding for so long to get a year that looked like 2020. But obviously, the virus put a stop to all that. Yet, we haven’t lost our hunger for it – if anything, we’re hungrier for it. We are gonna come back from this period stronger than before with a killer new cache of music and stage style that will blow people away. We are ready to get back to it.
With the outlook of lockdown getting eased sometime soon, what do you think will be a safe time for us to get back to live music in either big or small venues?
A: I mean I think that’s a very difficult question to answer but as soon as it’s safe for everyone, because that’s the most important thing.
What have you been up to in the last few weeks during lockdown?
A: We have been getting all the promo in place for the release of our song “Circus”. We’ve been sat on this song for awhile and we’re so happy that it’s about to drop. It’s a belter.
Going through some of your back catalogue what track would be the song you would recommend to someone that has never listened to your music to give them an introduction to The Hara?
A: There’s a few that spring to mind. “Tramp Brain”, “Friends” … but I would have to say “FYI”. The song that spawned our fourth EP “We Are The Movement”. It has everything you would want in a Hara tune. heavy dirty guitars, massive beat-riffs, lyrics and melodies that could cut you they are so sharp.
Have you watched any of the online music events from bands and artists what has been your favourite musician / band you have been introduced too during this lockdown?
A: We are big fans of Yungblud and Machine Gun Kelly. I think their approach to lockdown live-sessions/vlogging has been great fun to watch.
Do you have any plans on doing a live stream over the next few weeks?
A: We are planning a live stream on Thursday night in preparation for the release of “Circus”. Come hang out!
What can we expect from the band in the next 12 months?
A: more music and a show that will knock your socks off.
