With their massive new LP I'm Sorry Sir, That Riff's Been Taken - and the extra stewardship of new lead singer Tim Rogers - The Hard Ons' Peter 'Blackie' Black takes us Track-By-Track through all the new tunes, and what it was like having the You Am I frontman on board.

Hold Tight 

Sometimes you really get hooked on an idea and it pushes everything else out the way - this was one of those… Couldn't wait to show the guys: “Ok, ok think T-Rex but on ‘roids! But bubblegum as well! Really, really bubblegum. Teeth rottingly sweet! but heavy, yeah?!” 

Must've been a pain in the arse, but the way this came together, it worked!

Fucked Up Party 

Man, this song is sooooo old, and probably the most “typical” HO's. I'm always excited about the "next" song so ideas sometimes get left behind. Every now and then I go to me stored stash and have a peek - found this and thought "Why haven't we done this??" 

Pucker Up 

Last couple of HO's records you might've noticed we've let some Aus rock creep into the mix (well technically we've always been Aus rock but you know what i'm saying). Re-listening to Skyhooks, Angels, The Rads etc has been a blast. Man, Skyhooks: Ego Is Not A Dirty Word was a huge album for me growing up. Those guys and their awesome blend of sophistication and yobboism. Brilliant. Pucker Up follows that great Aussie tradition of a riff dancing around a one note bass and drum rumble and a "too long for its own good" guitar solo. 

Lite As A Feather 

This song had a long long gestation of totally over thinking it. "Its gonna have a long, psychedelic opening, simmering drums with a mad dancing bass lines fading in and out and maybe a braised kale and walnut salad etc…”  

Then luckily I thought, "Fuck that! Everything on top of each other and we stay on two notes max!" This track to me feels like a ‘60s band taking a stab at rockabilly. Mind you, if Eric Carmen from The Raspberries ever hears it he might have issues with me nicking the chorus…

Lyrics wise, i hate revealing shit about myself, so it's what the song is not saying that it could be about. Mind you, how can you not dig a "tail" (wait for it) about a dog that ran off with ya lunch, and when you finally catch him you become besties? (Get it?) 

Back Pack Sweat 

Again, a very personal moment that I cover up with some champagne comedy lyrics and shit hot riffs. Actually, I had a mini grandiose middle eight to try out but Murray butted in! "Hey i gotta idea! Ray pass me ya bass" and wham! Out popped that blistering M8. 

Frequencies 

Can't say a lot about this track cause its Ray's and Tim's baby, but when i heard the finished mix I was blown away. Rang Ray up: “Man, Frequencies sounds like a fight between a car and a truck and the car wins!!" If Spielberg ever remakes Duel he's GOTTA use this track! Action plus.  

Still pissed off no one has noticed the Price Jammy moment I stuck in at 46 secs.

Home Sweet Home 

Tim's voice has so much power and feel. This track has a pretty complicated melody and range, and sitting in the control room while he was laying this down was a moment let me tell ya. Would be impossible to be happier with how this came out.. 

I'm obsessed with “home." I mean, we spend our whole lives in our houses (I know some cultures are nomadic but that just makes mother earth their “home," yeah?) I love it all! The most trivial things are the best and have so much heart to me. The way someone will stack their shoes by the door, or those board games on the shelf from so and so's cousin, or "check it out I put up some awning up the back so we can have coffee outside even when its raining.” I go house watching a lot… 

Humiliated/Humiliator 

The weird relationship between someone who's being humiliated and someone who's doing the humiliating, again with a shit hot riff to accompany it 

and Murrays drumming?? WTF!! only way to describe it is "severe weather warning with shit loads of typhoons expected.“

The Laws Of Gossip

A Buzzsaw punker i didn't finish the lyrics for. Had a half-arsed template in there but Tim asked if he could have a crack and finishing it. Boy oh boy it's great making music with this guy! we thought, initially, this would make a cool B-Side, but said template found its self in da bin and we ended with this soulful track.

Needles and Pins (SIC) 

I am so fucking proud of this song. Yeah, yeah, i know there's already a song with this title but ours is better (look I tried to change it and came close with Bananas and Headaches but it's not as catchy dammit!). 

I'd like to think the songwriting crew at Motown, if they ever - No, WHEN they hear - this will give us a thumbs up on social media. tThat's Lachlan, our secret weapon from the recording and mixing desks playing the piano and glockenspiel.

I know the lyrics are unabashedly romantic, but I remember reading a quote once from Cronos, he of the amazing Venom, when asked about his lyrics "why are Venoms lyrics so dark, evil and downright Satanic?" he replied, "have you heard what we sound like?? i'm not gonna sing about picking fucking flowers am I!" 

So when you hear this delicate melody, "of course we're gonna sing about fucking picking flowers!"   

Shove It Down 

Does the M8 bring Paul McCartney and Flash and the Pan to mind? 

When i put out a book of lyrics and poems will Shove It Down be in there?

“Fuck yeah!” is the correct answer to both of those questions.

Shoot Me In The Back 

Another track that had a long gestation. Couldn't help it - wanted to give this track THE LOT. And even though its busy as hell, which doesn't always work, think we pulled it off. It helps that i'm in a band with the BEST of the BEST.

I know I speak for us four as a whole when I say we are incredibly happy and proud with what we came up with, and with what we have done.

Thanks heaps for checking us out!

I'm Sorry Sir, That Riff's Been Taken is out now: