All the way from down the road, today’s Band of the Day are looking forward to getting back on stage again…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re from the North West. Leyland, Bolton, and Tintwistle.
How did you meet?
The band got started when Josh posted an advert online for a ‘singer looking to form a rock band’. Through this advert I (Zack) reached out and got in contact with Josh. After jamming together and getting to know one another it was clear there was definitely something there. We trialed a number of other members to add to the lineup … second guitar, bass, drums, etc. But no one felt like the right fit.
We actually considered staying as a two-piece like Twenty One Pilots… but as if by magic; the following day Josh accidentally came across a guy called Jack Kennedy on Facebook whilst trying to search for a different Kennedy! Josh and Jack used to go to University together and remembered he was a drummer. We had nothing to lose so invited him for a jam session. Jack had a great look that fit right into the band … but when he started playing we were both blown away.
The next day we invited him to become a permanent member, and we became The Hara.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We’ve been together since summer 2017.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
The name actually came from Josh’s BBQ funnily enough! The make of the BBQ is called “Sahara” – then he pointed it out and said “what about The Hara?”. However we found out afterwards that it also translates to your ‘centre of energy’ – and also in Hebrew it means “shit” – we fell in love with it instantly haha!
What are your influences?
IDLES, Don Broco, Grandson, BMTH, Boston Manor, Fever 333, Yungblud, Dinosaurs Pile-Up, SLAVES, I, Prevail, MGK, etc.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
High energy anthemic arena rock n’ roll with a bit of glitz and theatre.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
We like to address social issues such as mental health – and issues that surround young people today. However, we’ve dipped our toes into political interest with our last EP We Are The Movement.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Hundreds. We’ve been on tour pretty much constantly for two years. We’ve been to every corner of the country and loved every second of it. Our live shows draw inspiration from loud, in your face, theatrical rock. We try to make a statement every time we hit the stage.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Mosh pits are always wild to see at our shows. Crowd surfing too.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I use a Fender Strat and a Musicman JP6 twinned with a Cornford Roadhouse and a Mesa Boogie single rectifier. With pedals of course!
Jack uses Zildjian cymbals, Remo Heads, ProMark sticks, Dw Hardware, Dw acrylic kit/Mapex black panther kits, BFSD rings, UE-pro18+ in ears
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We have just dropped our We Are The Movement EP that hit #1 in the rock in the iTunes rock charts. We released a music video for one of the songs off it called “Tokyo Hit” that’s out on YouTube now! However we are teasing new music. We have a single coming out soon called “Circus” followed by another EPs worth of music… it’s gonna be a good year!
What are your plans for 2020?
Music!! Dropping as much as we can. We have some belters coming your way very soon. Then we are touring at the end of the year also.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
We would love to support and open for the likes of BMTH, Yungblud, Foo Fighters, etc.
The Hara: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obn5EkGQoZ8
