It’s been over a week now since we premiered Hatakaze’s new track Questions. And for that entire time, we haven’t stopped belting it out. The Sydney band have delivered an anthemic slice of hard-hitting alt-punk that we guarantee you’ll quickly get hooked on.
So fresh off the single’s release, we caught up with Hatakaze to chat about how the new song came about, the evolution of the band, and what the future holds.
Fresh off the release of their blistering new single Questions, we caught up with Sydney-based four-piece Hatakaze for a chat.
HAPPY: Hey, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?
HATAKAZE: Hey mate, I’m really good. I have been spending crazy amounts of time in my room recording some new demos, and hopefully, we can get a fair bit of new material out this year! But as far as the band goes, we are enjoying the fact that we have some new music out in the world, and we’re trying to book as many shows as we can around Aus and looking forward to a huge single release at Frankie’s Pizza on March 17!
HAPPY: We’re loving Questions! Could you tell us a little about the track?
HATAKAZE: Questions came about one day when I was heading home from work and I had this little idea in my head that I couldn’t switch off. An idea for a riff came to me and I didn’t think I would get it out in all honesty. Sometimes I get home from work and by the time I want to figure an idea out, it’s gone! But the riff just came straight away, and I was so excited about it. And from there this is what it became! The track isn’t really about one particular time or moment in my personal life, but just something a lot of people may relate to. It kind of has this vibe of needing a hand from a friend or anyone close to you and just not getting a response, or the response that you need at that point in time. It kind of moves into the bridge where you have had enough of being the backbone of relationships that just always seem one way, and you just let it go and realise that it’s for your benefit. I wanted to write something upbeat and driven, I love driving rock music, and I am pretty proud of what we have achieved with Questions.
HAPPY: How do you see this new track as being different from past singles? If at all…
HATAKAZE: This song, for me, is a lot different. When the first-ever Hatakaze single came out, I was a one-man band. I had these songs recorded by Dan out at Def Wolf Studios just sitting around for six months or so, and I had no direction on what I was going to do with the songs if I released them. The time came where I had to release something so I put Heavy Heart out there. I was so lucky to have it picked up by radio stations like FBi and Triple J a little. Spotify chucked it on their playlist “Local Noise” and it racked up a few plays! I was chuffed. When I found new members things became clearer on what we wanted to do as a band. When I write songs I always want them to be in your face and punchy and with the band that has come along since that EP, the vibe has changed so much and everyone has their input, so it’s definitely different sounding, but we’re stoked on where it’s heading.
HAPPY: When you arrived in 2017 with Heavy Heart, you seemed to have a really strong sense of your sound. How long had Hatakaze been in the works for before you released that track?
HATAKAZE: Heavy Heart was never going to be the debut single for the band. It’s funny how it works out haha! I began writing for Hatakaze in August 2016 on my acoustic and I ended up writing each song in around 30 minutes. Heavy Heart was recorded in November that year. It came together so easily at the time and I began working with a few guys from school. We entered a band competition with around thirty acts, and took it out six weeks later! Dan gave us some studio time for free and we recorded the EP. Everyone left the band in early 2017 and I just had these songs sitting there that I had to release. So I took a few months to get some content together and in June 2017, it went out.
HAPPY: We imagine your live shows would be pretty nuts… could you walk us through what a Hatakaze live show looks like?
HATAKAZE: SWEATY! It’s basically half an hour of all of us bashing our instruments and vocal cords! We have a great time and love playing shows. We try to put on the best show we can wherever we are. I guess you’ll have to come check us out at our single launch at Frankie’s Pizza on March 17 with Particles and Regionals to see what it’s really like!
HAPPY: Are there any particular bands you’re really loving at the moment?
HATAKAZE: When I’m channelling someone for inspiration, it has to be Dave Grohl. He has made some of my favourite music since I was a young man and he really is someone I aspire to become like. I’m a bit stuck in my ways and listen to a lot of bands I did when I was in my teens, but bands like Billy Talent, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World and Rise Against are a few that spring to mind. There is also some great Aussie music coming out right now! Dear Seattle, Tired Lion, Bugs, Nerdlinger and Sweet Gold all have some great music. You should definitely check out the bands on our release show. Particles and Regionals have both got some solid music and I cannot wait to share the stage with them!
HAPPY: What’s next for Hatakaze? Any other exciting plans in the works?
HATAKAZE: We have some HUGE news to share with our overseas fans very soon! I really cannot wait to announce it, because it’s going to be mental! But until then we are playing some shows around NSW and Canberra with the hope to have some interstate stuff happening soon!
HAPPY: Cheers for the chat!
HATAKAZE: Thanks heaps, and a massive thank you to everyone out there who has supported us in one way or another!
Questions is available now. Listen above.
Catch Hatakaze live at Frankie’s Pizza in Sydney on March 17th. More info here.
