Richard Archer on Hard-Fi's new music: "We needed to be doing something new that wasn't just a nostalgia act."

22 May 2024, 10:44

Richard Archer on Hard Fi's new music & 20 years of Stars of CCTV

By Jenny Mensah

The Staines four-piece have returned with their first new material in over a decade and frontman Richard Archer talked to Radio X's Dan O'Connell about their plans.

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This week saw Hard-Fi announce their return with brand new single Don't Go Making Plans.

The soul-infused summer anthem, which was recorded at the band's own Staines studio, was produced by frontman Richard Archer and the band's long-time collaborator Wolsey White.

The song marks the band's first material in over 10 years and why it took them so long , Archer admitted to Radio X's Dan O'Connell on The Evening Show: "I think we've always struggled to pull our finger out basically.

"The years just flew by basically. It just kind of felt like now was the right time really."

Speaking about whether their gigs last year were a springboard for making new music, the Cash Machine singer added: "I think after those shows we wanted to do more because we really enjoyed them, but there was a feeling of... well we can't just keep kind of playing the same songs or occasionally throwing in one that we hadn't done in a while.

"So it felt like we needed to be doing something new that wasn't just a nostalgia act."

Watch the official lyric video from the song below:

Hard-Fi - Don't Go Making Plans (Official Lyric Video)

Quizzed about this inspiration for the single, the frontman revealed: "I kind of got the groove together first and I was thinking imagine if The Blockheads, and Wham! and Kid Creole went out and got drunk".

"It feels like at the moment that the people in charge aren't really taking care of business," he added of the song, which was initially sparked by the UK Government's attempts to criminalise many aspects of popular protest through the 2022 Public Order Act.

"And you wanna do something about it and then they're kind of cracking down and criminalising protests, right? So it was just that feeling of, 'Don't rock the boat about this. Your stuck. Don't even think about doing anything about it.'"

Asked if the themes in Don't Go Making Plans would find themselves present in the EP of the same name, he said: "Not necessarily," explaining: "We've always sort of spoke about what we see around us, but it just felt right and it came together so quickly."

Hard-Fi Don't Go Making plans artwork. Picture: Press

Hard-Fi's Don't Go Making Plans EP, which is set for release on 1st November 2024 and is available on limited edition, numbered, transparent red 12" vinyl, can be pre-ordered here.

Hard Fi press 2024 hi res — Hard Fi announced their return this week. Picture: Mark Thompson/Press

Alongside Hard-Fi's new music comes the news of a 10-date UK headline tour in November which will include a homecoming show at London's Roundhouse.

Tickets for the dates go on general sale this Friday 24th May from 10am BST here. Fans can register for the presale, which takes place this Wednesday 22nd May at 10.00am BST.