A brand-new release from Hendricks the Hatmaker hits that sweet classic punk rock Style with a bright but edgy and aggressive approach that blasts you like a sucker punch to the gut when you least expect it.
"From The Cities" is a fiery but incredibly fun single that keeps things crisp and clean but still touches on that real deal punk attitude and soundscape complete with crew vocals and a bit of a thrashy guitar sound.
These guys are super tight though and you can definitely tell that this would be incredible to see live in your face because that energy captured on the record itself is just insane.
The single showcases the next phase for the band as they step into releasing more material in the coming months and with each release, we're going to get a new side of the band's sound.
This track gets your blood pumping and will have you jumping up and down in the living room shouting along within minutes flat.
They managed to hit that true-to-heart punk approach without a hitch, and you can tell they love every second of doing it which makes it all the better.
Although the track does boast that perfect balance of aggression and fists-in-the-air style, it also has this really clean production side of it as well and those two things in combination keep things refreshing.
Riffs are hard-hitting and impactful and lyrically they talk of people and mankind and how there's so much level of emotion that drives us and how we tend to act on those emotions.
This is part of what I love about real punk music. They don't really hold back lyrically and that's really important because part of the genre's self-expression is to be upfront about whatever they're talking about.
This song is absolutely no exception to that rule, and they really created this mosh where the single that has the ability to capture the heart of what this genre is really all about.
Their style is spot on and there's a lot of heart involved which is something that is really evident right from the start.
As we definitely hope that this is a taste of what the rest of their upcoming releases might be like, we decided to have a sit-down with the band to talk shop.
These guys have a tendency to write songs that come from someplace genuine, so we wanted to know where this one actually did come from and maybe get a little taste of what's up coming.
Here's what went down.
Buzz Slayers: Welcome back guys! Let's begin with the new single, "From The Cities"! This song was bright and edgy and boasted this great energy with some hints towards classic punk style! How did this one come about?
This song was written in the immediate aftermath of a Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Packed with energy, anger and a lot of emotions we went into the rehearsal room and a few hours later the whole song including lyrics was written.
Buzz Slayers: Is this part of a larger upcoming body of work?
Yes it is! The song is the first single from our Vinyl Back in Style, which will be released on June 30 on all kinds of platforms.
Buzz Slayers: How do you guys write your songs? Do you do that together?
Our songs are often created together in the rehearsal room. But we are not a typical jam band. Usually one person comes up with a riff or even a whole song structure already and we then craft the song together, changing parts and inventing new ones.
Buzz Slayers: What would you say is your absolute favorite part of doing what you do?
Since we realistically don't expect to become the big rock stars anymore, and we know that the world hasn't been waiting for us, we're doing it all for ourselves! The best thing about making music together is the time that we three spend together as friends and the adventures that we can experience thanks to our music and the band.
Buzz Slayers: Have you guys planned any tours or shows lately?
We're playing a few festivals in Switzerland this summer and are planning a release tour together with our friends from "Fire Cult" (be sure to check them out!) in Spain and France in the fall.
In October our vinyl will be christened in Lucerne and afterwards we hope for some cool club shows in fall and winter. Don't hesitate to contact us if you want us to play at your bar! :-)
Buzz Slayers: Do you keep pretty busy outside of music?
In terms of our band, the biggest work that such a release entails has already been done. We have spent a lot of time doing promo and recording a lot of videos. Now we hope to spend our time making music again. Apart from Hendricks the Hatmaker we also organize a festival in our hometown called "There Are Worse Bands Festival" which also takes up a lot of our free time.
Buzz Slayers: Do you have a home set up to record with or do you hit big studis to track this stuff?
At home we have a small interface to record simple guitar & bass ideas into Garage Band, so they don't get forgotten when they occur to us in the shower. In the band room we have all instruments miked and record the demos by ourselves, which we usually use as basic tracks in the studio. The real recordings, however, we have been doing for years with our sound engineer Manuel "Wiget" Wigi in his studio. He does it worlds better than we ever could.
Buzz Slayers: Can we expect any music videos coming soon?
We'll try to finish the video for "From The Cities" in time. But at the moment we almost can't find the time to schedule all three of us for one day of shooting. If we can't finish the video in time for the release, it will definitely come this year. Next year there will be another one for sure. But as a DIY band such things are sometimes a bit difficult to realize. And we don't want to just release something online, the video has to meet our quality standards.
Buzz Slayers: Will this be released with other singles following?
No, the song is the only single on "Back in Style" since most of the songs on the LP have already been released on an EP earlier.
But we are already writing new songs again, we expect to go back into the studio already in 2024.
Buzz Slayers: How long have you guys been a band?
Stefan and Nicolas have been playing together in bands since 2004. Both used to play in the metal band "Abinchova", before first Nicolas and later Stefan left the band and after a short break they played together again in "Hendricks the Hatmaker". Ramona has been with the band since the England tour of 2016. But she also knew the two guys from the early "Abinchova" days.
Buzz Slayers: How do you feel like your sound has evolved since you first started as a band?
Our sound has changed a lot over the years. Hendricks the Hatmaker started out as a two man acoustic singer-songwriter band, grew over the years into a folk-rock quartet, and now in 2019 has become a power-punk-trio. You can track our development if you watch through our old YouTube Videos :-) Right now, we feel most comfortable with the sound we play at the moment, that being said, there’s a good chance that our sound will change again eventually.
Buzz Slayers: Anything you'd like to say to your fans?
If there are even any fans, then we would to thank them for their support and hope to see them soon in a place nearby. Whenever you want to have us play in your area, let us know! We love to play different an new venues and aren’t shy to travel quit a bit to play a concert. See you soon! We love you all.
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