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It's been a long wait since the last Hadouken! album - almost three years in fact, but with their latest offering, Every Weekend out now, the wait is finally over as the indie outcasts look set to have their most memorable year to date.
Have built up a hugely dedicated and passionate fanbase, the quintet are now hoping to use their dancefloor-filling brand of bass music to attract new faces and pull in their biggest audiences ever as they embark on a summer of festivals and UK shows.
We caught up with a lead singer, James Smith to talk about the band's new record and their goals for 2013.
Hi James. It's been three years since your last album, why so long?
We released a couple of EPs and stuff, but mainly we got signed about a year ago while we were making the album which prolonged the process. We didn’t have to start from scratch but we had a whole bunch of new options open to us. The funding meant we could go and write more songs and work with different people which we used as an opportunity to explore the record further. It took a long time but we got there in the end.
Do you think the band has grown from the first album?
Absolutely, I think we are a completely different act now. I think we still retain the energy and excitement of early Hadouken! But we have kind of matured as a band and worked out exactly what we wanted to be. We have tried to step it up a gear in terms of our songwriting and the melodies which I think are stronger than ever.
What is the same from previous Hadouken! albums, and what is new?
It’s got exactly the same energy. I’m still rapping and singing, but I think it’s got more of a 2013 edge to it in terms of the sonics and dance music that’s around now. We've got a lot of hooks on there, but it’s also some of the heaviest stuff we have ever done. Tracks like ‘Parasite’ and ‘The Vortex’ have got some of the sickest bass that we have ever put out there. It seems to be going down well live, so we are just hoping that people get a flavour of all of that and enjoy it.
Watch Hadouken!'s video to 'Parasite' below:
Do you think Hadouken! will ever mellow with age?
Realistically, it’s the energy that makes us Hadouken! I think it’s that energy and that intensity that really sets us apart and defines us. I think if we lost that, we wouldn't be the same. You see bands like AC/DC rocking out and they've still got it. We are associated with the youthfulness of the music, so it wouldn't feel right to keep going if our hearts weren't in it or if we didn't provide that same energy. Right now, we feel more enthusiastic than ever so I hope that connects.
How do you think the new material is going to sound at festivals? Do you have any confirmed for 2013? Are you hoping to play Glastonbury?
We were a last minute booking for Reading last year. I was more than happy with the size of the crowd that we got and we even had good write ups in the Guardian and NME who normally have been a bit adverse to our kind of sound. I think as a live act we were cutting our teeth for the past couple of years, but we are starting to get really strong and I think we are getting a big following at Reading and Leeds. I'm really excited to be doing some festivals. I don’t know about Glastonbury. I know for a fact that the guy that runs the John Peel Stage doesn't like us. We have played it before I've never really enjoyed it. It seems a little bit too big. I like to be able to walk from one stage to another if I know there's a band on next that I want to see. Give me Reading any day. I would never say no to a booking, but I get excited about festivals like Reading and Leeds, that’s more my cup of tea. More music, less sideshows.
You have such a distinct Hadouken! sound - who influences this sound or is it a product of something other than musical influences?
We always keep our ear to the floor in terms of music that we know and like. Drum and bass, house music and dubstep comes into that. I think we try and form our own sound out of that really. Especially in terms of vocals I’d like to think that we’re not really doing something that’s too similar to many other acts. There’s always acts out there, stuff like Knife Party and Skrillex that we are really into and I guess when you like something it can influence your style.
Do you consider yourselves one of the bands who thrive away from the mainstream, with a hugely dedicated fanbase and brilliant live shows bringing you ongoing success?
I want as many people to come to the shows as possible. I’m not going to play the outsider card, you know? We want to be playing big shows, I wouldn’t say arenas or anything like that, but a couple of thousand capacity. I don’t think we thrive on an outside status and to be honest we are lucky to have a fanbase that are very hardcore and passionate. We’ve got people that have been coming to see us for six years and I’m proud and really happy that we’ve got those people who will always come down and see these shows.
There are dubstep elements on the new album, do you think that the dubstep crossover into the mainstream did damage to bands and artists who have some roots in the dubstep world?
I don’t think it’s bad. I just hear good songs and I hear songs that sound formulaic. There’s still so much great music if you do your digging in dubstep at the moment. There's always new stuff coming through that sounds completely fresh and exciting. It’s always in a good place as long as the artists keep it fresh and I don't have any qualms with it going mainstream.
Listen to Hadouken!'s 'The Vortex' below:
You have been on the scene for a number of years now, but your fanbase remains young. Why do you think you appeal to youngsters?
I think it's the energy in the music and these days you’ve got dads and mums listening to cool indie bands. I think a lot of people do want that separation and do want to be that punk kid that listens to music that their parents don’t like. We aren’t intentionally doing that, it’s just the music we make and that’s the way it goes really. We are more than happy to have anyone at our shows .
There's a huge number of new bands being tipped for success this year. Which new bands are you excited about this year?
It’s difficult, I don’t really jump on the media bandwagon too much. I don’t really care, I’m just as excited to hear a band that’s had a record out for 10-15 years. The return of Biffy Clyro makes me more excited than a band that haven’t even released an album. I saw Haim live and they were absolutely s**t hot live, so I'm definitely excited about what they are going to do this year. Music is alive and buzzing as ever and I think the good thing is there seems to be a whole bunch of indie acts coming through that actually do sound different for once rather than towing the line. I think Palma Violets and Peace will have a big year. It’s difficult because you can tip a whole bunch of bands for good things but it’s up to the fans to decide really. I just want to hear good music and there’s plenty of that coming through.
If you could achieve just one thing in 2013, what you like to tick off the list?
Just to go on tour in the UK and have a banging one really. Make sure that we increase our fanbase and get new people down to the shows. Just carry on and keep the ball rolling. We are proud to have got this far, so we would like to carry on, but it’s up to the people to come and see the shows.
Thank you very much, James from Hadouken. Every Weekend is out now
