Adelaide pop-punk outfit The Hard Aches have returned with their first new music in three years: a belting new single titled ‘Party Ghost’, for which they’ve teamed up with Cahli Blakers of Teenage Joans.
Released today (April 27), the song comes as the follow-up to The Hard Aches’ 2019 single ‘Wasted’, which marked their first release with bassist Vlada Edirippulige (who also plays in punk outfit Major Leagues). It’s a quintessential Hard Aches cut, with jaunty, overdriven guitars, thrashing drums and powerful, emotive vocals that explode into a soaring chorus.
Blakers shines on the song’s second and third verses, duetting with frontperson Ben David. In their joint refrain, Blakers and David sing: “I don’t know if I’ll come back to Melbourne / A ghost is haunting my room, every night, every morning / I’m sure you’ll come back when the parties get boring.”
Have a listen to ‘Party Ghost’ below:
“It’s all about finding yourself in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar smells and unfamiliar sounds,” David said of the new track. “It’s about reflecting on your own existence, and your own experiences then learning from them, and doing everything you can to do better. Most of all, it’s about trying to understand how it must feel to be an animal, moved away from your safe place, put through big changes, and unable to understand them.”
Fans will be able to hear ‘Party Ghost’ live in just a few months’ time, with The Hard Aches due to embark on a sprawling national tour in support of it. The trio have 17 dates headlining dates on the itinerary, with five of those in Victoria, four in New South Wales, three each in Queensland and Tasmania, and one apiece in South Australia and the ACT.
Support acts will differ between states; Brisbane indie-pop outfit Cheap Date will open for all three of the shows in QLD, while Newtown punk band Scabz will join The Hard Aches in NSW, Mornington Peninsula singer-songwriter Suzi will join them in VIC and SA, and The Sleepyheads will join them in Tasmania. Tickets for all dates of the run go on sale at 8am local time tomorrow (April 28) via New World Artists.
‘Party Ghost’ will serve as the lead single on The Hard Aches’ forthcoming third album – a “self-made” effort, as they teased last week – which is due out later in 2022 via Warner. The as-yet-untitled release will follow up on 2018’s ‘Mess’, as well as 2015’s ‘Pheromones’ and the 2016 EP ‘I Freak Out’.
The Hard Aches’ ‘Party Ghost’ Australian tour dates are:
JULY
Friday 1 – Brisbane, The Zoo
Saturday 2 – Maroochydore, Sol Bar
Sunday 3 – Southport, Vinnies Dive Bar
Thursday 7 – Newcastle, Cambridge Side Room
Friday 8 – Sydney, Crowbar
Saturday 9 – Wollongong, La La La’s
Sunday 10 – Canberra, UC Hub
Wednesday 13 – Albury, Beer Deluxe
Thursday 14 – Bendigo, Tonic Bar
Friday 15 – Geelong, Barwon Club
Saturday 16 – Ballarat, Volta
Friday 22 – Richmond, Leadbeater
Saturday 23 – Northcote, Northcote Social Club
Thursday 28 – Launceston, The Royal Oak
Friday 29 – Devonport, Pub Rock Diner
Saturday 30 – Hobart, Republic Bar
AUGUST
Saturday 6 – Adelaide, Governor Hindmarsh