The Hard Quartet Announce Self-Titled Debut Album With New Single Rio's Song
Thursday, 22 August 2024
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Atiba Jefferson
The Hard Quartet have announced their eponymous debut album.
The indie-rock supergroup, comprising Emmett Kelly, Stephen Malkmus, Matt Sweeney, and Jim White, will release the self-titled project on October 4 via Matador Records.
To coincide with the news, the band have shared a second track from the LP, Rio's Song, a bluesy offering that's a little slower than last month's debut single Earth Hater. Led by jangly guitars underpinned by White's dynamic percussion, it sees Sweeney on lead vocals instead of Malkmus. Head below to view the accompanying video, which die hard fans of The Rolling Stones will notice is a shot-for-shot remake of the British rock legends' 1981 video for Waiting On A Friend. The Hard Quartet said:
"The Rio’s Song video is The Hard Quartet’s homage to street rock in the hot afternoon and clowning around with lifer friends in downtown New York City.
"Director Jared Sherbert shot it guerrilla style on St Mark’s Place and in The International Bar on July 15 2024. It features local NYC artists, musicians, activists, skaters and icons who are dear to the band."
Kelly commented: "Leave yourself behind and go into something where you’re actually listening to others and trying to come up with a solution to whatever kind of esoteric thing you are attempting to do in your life. You know what I mean?”
Malkmus simply added: "We’re all jazzed."
Sweeny said: "The way Jim plays really affected the way I hear things. He has this way of making everything sound good. All of a sudden, you really pay attention to everything else that’s going on because of what Jim is doing."
White said: "There’s this thing where I’ll have a story in my head when I have an intention, and I can hear it in the drums. It doesn’t matter if I tell anyone—even the people I’m playing with. You don’t even have to be particularly conscious of it yourself. But if you have an intention, something happens to the sound. It’s really weird."
The Hard Quartet will play their first shows in New York, Los Angeles and London on October 10, 17 and 22, respectively, ahead of making plans to tour "extensively" in 2025. Head here for details.
'The Hard Quartet' tracklist:
1. Chrome Mess
2. Earth Hater
3. Rio’s Song
4. Our Hometown Boy
5. Renegade
6. Heel Highway
7. Killed By Death
8. Hey
9. It Suits You
10. Six Deaf Rats
11. Action For Military Boys
12. Jacked Existence
13. North Of The Border
14. Thug Dynasty
15. Gripping The Riptide
The Hard Quartet Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
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