A blisteringly fun thrashing punk and alt-rock EP released from Hendricks the Hatmaker brings out a fun and edgy soundscape with hard hitting guitars, harmonies and melodic vocals that all come together with pounding energetic drums and bass to really create an almost theatrical and honest heavy rock record.
The self-titled EP is packed to the brim with epic and classic 90's underground alternative metal and progressive feels that bleed into that punk rock tonality and vocals can go from soft and melodic to screaming and belting in seconds flat while the whole-time lyrics are super genuine and give messages you really should hear.
This is endlessly danceable, and certainly showcases the bands' ability to brag at you with high octane hard rock energy that leaves you having to shake it off after listening to the first track alone.
This was killer from start to finish and the style and approach never lets up even for a second which is really something.
This band must be amazing live as it sure feels like they would melt faces in a performance setting in front of people. Which is wat anyone would want from a band like this one.
A most memorable EP release for sure, and with its release, we wanted to have a chat with the band to find out where exactly this came from and what me even be next for them.
Here's what happened.
Buzz Slayers: Let’s kick things off with the Hendricks the Hatmaker. This EP has a classic and hard rock feel to it. Where did this record come from?
Shortly after the release of our last full lengths record "Mostly Harmless" our then singer Reni took his own life.
As you can imagine, this put us in a shock, from which we were able to get out again by creatively processing what had happened. Our very personal story and our way back to normality results in the four songs on the EP. It is an extremely personal kind of art and was enormously important for us in our process. Buzz Slayers: So when did this all start for you as a band?
The band was started in 2013 as a two man acoustic singer songwriter project and grew over the years into a three piece punk band. Buzz Slayers: What inspires you to write a song?
In the case of this EP, it was clearly our own personal experiences surrounding the death of our friend. At the beginning of next year our next LP will be released, on it you will also find more general inspired songs, which will be inspired from political topics to scenes from a movie. We don't have any specific sources of inspiration. Basically, you could say that we are inspired by everything that moves us, for good or bad.
However, since we are all in more positive places in our lives today than we were during the songwriting period for "Hendricks the Hatmaker", I can well imagine that future songs will have a more upbeat character again. Buzz Slayers: This EP has some great styles! Can you all give us some of your top musical influences?
Thank you very much, we are very happy to hear that :-) It must be said that the style was not deliberately constructed in this way. Through our new band constellation and the mainly negative emotions that lay dormant in us, the style arose quite naturally.
Of course, our musical background as musicians of a metal band and the music we listen to ourselves also plays a role. Buzz Slayers: What are you all doing when you're NOT working on music?
This totally depends. On one hand, we are all active together in organising concerts and a festival in our city. On the other hand, we also have completely different hobbies that we pursue independently. Even though our history has brought us emotionally close together, it's not like we spend every second of our everyday life together. When we are not playing concerts, the three of us see each other only once a week in the rehearsal room. Buzz Slayers: Who's in all your headphones right now?
A random mix of the following bands: Frank Turner, The Idles, Flogging Molly, Slipknot, Machine Head, Muse, Wet Leg, The Interrupters, Big Thief, Billy Talent or Mama Jefferson, but also a lot of Soundtracks like The Rings of Power, Where the Crawdads Sing, The Batman, Soundtrack from the game Borderlands… and so on. Buzz Slayers: Are you doing any live performances right now?
Yes, we have a couple of concerts planed and are currently booking shows for the next year. But if someone’s interested in booking us, they are more than welcome! Our biggest passion is playing shows. We are very uncomplicated, the main thing is that we can play. Don’t be shy! ;-) Buzz Slayers: This EP feels like a big undertaking, is there any advice you'd give to other up and coming bands out there?
The EP was actually an important thing for us. And it is already the second EP we release this year.
I guess our tip for other bands is this: trust your gut feeling. Music remains a question of taste. It may well be that no one likes what you do, so it is even more important that you are at peace with yourself and your music. If you make music that you feel others might like or that is just a strategy to get ahead as quickly as possible, you will be even more disappointed if the music is not well received. First and foremost, you must like what you do. If you can be seen that you stand one hundred percent behind what you do, the spark will already jump over. Buzz Slayers: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
Next year our LP "Back in Style" will be released on vinyl. After that we hope to play some shows in spring before hopefully playing one or two festivals in summer.
What comes after that remains to be seen, but I'm pretty confident that by the end of 2023 we'll have enough new songs together for an EP in 2024. Right now we are in a very creative and motivated phase of our music making. In addition, we have put aside all expectations of ourselves and make music primarily for ourselves. This frees and leaves room for creativity to unfold. Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Thank you very much for appreciating our music as much as we do. We are very much looking forward to seeing you live as soon as possible and toasting to life with a beer!
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hendricksthehatmaker/)
Bandcamp (https://hendricksthehatmaker.bandcamp.com/)
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