'Hold out to the last' means resist till the end. Never surrender, never give in, 'cause your life it's a challenge, and every day you gotta overcome it. It's even report on every shitty moment you have, every time you've a gip, every time you got a letdown...
First of all, congratulations on your new album.. What people can expect from this stuff?
"Hold out to the last" is our debut album, our fist work and we're really proud of it...it's an album with strong hardcore sound, heavy riffs touching upon metal and ny style breakdown...8 tracks that definitely represent ourselves, both in lyrics and music.
Are you pleased with the way it turned out when you listen to these songs now?
Yes we're... we guess it's a good album, even thanks to Mago Studio where we've recorded the cd, that immediately understood what we wanted.
Although it's effortless in hindsight look on determinated riffs, not much incisive, or not precise stop&go, but we think it's just this will to improve that bring you to carry on.
What's the general response been like to this release so far?
'Till now the response it's pretty good, we had many appreciations about the album, and it's going quite fine, especially abroad.
Explain the title of the album, Hold Out To The Last?"Hold out to the last" means resist till the end. Never surrender, never give in, 'cause your life it's a challenge, and every day you gotta overcome it. It's even report on every shitty moment you have, every time you've a gip, every time you got a letdown...well, it's bear up to not fall down in chasm and remain there forever. So many people give up, so many people take refuge 'cause have fear about what they're face with all there's outside, but doing like that you'll never resolve nothing...if we hold out to the last the deserve it's our, but even of our family and our friends stand always beside you every fuckin day.
We think it's an coherence invite as well, everybody that dont take a stand or decisions, that decrease to simple spectators they're desitated to fail, crushed by their indifferences. Who choose and persist maybe is going to lose but ideally is triumpher.
Where would you like to be placed in the hardcore world? Since there's a million subgenres of hardcore, how would you like people to look at what you do in Hardway?
It's true, into hardcore scene there're a lot of subgeners, almost too many...many times it's like confusional...we think Hardway plays hardcore that's all. Even if sometimes we go nearer to metal it doesn't mean we're a metalcore band or whatever...and definitely we're not more in 80's...
The lyrics on the album are mainly personal topics. Is there a main theme that runs throughout your lyrics or music?
The lyrics reflect and voice what we're and what we do. We're not base on clichè, who know us are aware of our lyrics tell about what we think of...the themes that rise from our lyrics are many, from social criticism to brotherhood, but we always try to spread out a power message, to reaction, to take out your balls and fight for what you love..
Where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the lyrics?
From what it's going on around us and from what our minds think...
You guys sing about the hardcore unity and fighting for your brothers and sisters in the scene. How much of it are real life stories?
All of what we sing is true! Of course see an united scene it's a real desire, and it's a positive message that we care about...In a world full of shit, where just you turn got a stab in the back, even the smaller hope glimmer is enough to belive in.
How did you team up with Sliptrick Records? Do you think that having your album released on an American label helps to promote the band outside Italy?
With Sliptrick Records we've signed in July of last year, to release our album Hold out to the Last. Thanks to Sliptrick we had a great worldwide distribution, and therefore a bigger visibility. The matter the label is american can help us in some factors, but for everything else we rely on ourselves.
Who are some of the hardcore bands that inspire you and why?
Definitely Madball, Terror, Hatebreed and Refused 'cause it's thanks to that bands if we're here now.
How do you feel about the music coming from the Italy right now? What Italian bands everybody needs to check out?Currently in Italy something it's going to move even if many bands quit in the last years... you know are phases repeated by now. We suggest to listen Concrete Block, To Kill, Strength Approach, Payback, KernelZero, Crop Circles, Bull Brigade, Face you Enemy and Still in da Game.
How did Hardway come to be the band that it is today? At what point did you realize that you wanted to start a hardcore band?
We know each other since 8 years by now and we come from previous experiences in other bands (grindcore, oi! streepunk, hardcore), so while speaking in 2006 the idea to join a new band came out...
What do you admire in the hardcore music that drives you to write new songs?
We listen every kind of music, but into hardcore we find themes and tunes that give us strength and inspiration...the passion!
Do you remember the first hardcore song you ever heard? If so what was it?
Carlo: i guess it was a song by Agnostic Front.
Michael: Victim in Pain by Agnostic Front thanks to his brother.
Luca: Your Leasing Check by Cripple Bastards.
Fausto: Call on my brother by Ignite thanks to Michael.
Is there anything in the scene that you would like to change?
Less useless bullshit that can be avoid about who has the more stylish nike and who pose as gangster! We need more unity, right now many guys think "i'm better than of that", both between scenes or band from different cities...another big problem is that there're just few places to play...
Few years back it was a popular trend to mix up hardcore with streetpunk/oi! Influences, nowadays the scene is getting more and more metal influenced. Where do you think the next major movement in hardcore music will come from?
We think that mix hardcore with hip hop, like it's already happening, will be the next step...and something that we've already listen is fuckin awesome!
Finally, what should we expect from Hardway in the future?
We're planning new shows befor summer and a new album, that we hope to record at the end of 2009, more mature and round off!
We'd like to thanks Old School Hate for the interview and for the great job you're doing with your blog!
Read the review:Hardway - Hold Out To The Last
See also:
Hardway @ Myspace
Sliptrick Records
