Hardcastle's Next Chapter Starts with "Eyes"

It’s always been said that good things take time, and for Los Angeles three-piece Hardcastle, the proverb holds true. Following a break, the band has returned, on their own terms, with the lessons of years of evolution. 

Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Graham Laderman along with drummer Aram Behshid and bassist Raul “Perro” Murillo, Hardcastle has seen many walks of life. Paring down from a six-piece to three core members, through touring with The Band Camino, signing a record deal and later walking away from said deal, Hardcastle has been evolving since its inception. Laderman, whose middle name serves as the band’s namesake, started Hardcastle in high school with his brother before meeting Behshid and Murillo almost six years later, and they were the two that stuck. 

photo via Hardcastle

Now, after a two-year hiatus, the three are ready to step into a new era of Hardcastle with their comeback single, “Eyes.” The track feels nostalgic and intentional, standing as a testament to the band’s instincts and resilience since going independent. “Eyes’” lighthearted nature and ear-worm-worthy chorus lend itself to Hardcastle’s metamorphosis— a new wave where they aim to be as authentic as possible, seeking out what feels viscerally right, rather than what’s expected of them.

“Eyes is like a touchstone because it’s sort of the embodiment into this first step into our own,” describes Laderman. “The throughline [of Hardcastle] is instinct, but that instinct has also changed.” 

After being conceptualized seven months ago, “Eyes” started to get fully developed and polished off when the band decided it was time to reemerge. After developing and self-producing the single, Hardcastle knew it was the right time to re-establish themselves in the alt-rock scene. "We just needed to start to externalize who we are and just start somewhere and not delay,” says Laderman. 

This next chapter for Hardcastle promises to be an exciting one with new music in the works, and upcoming live shows where the band’s world really comes alive. “Something we all really feel passionately about is being a show-forward band, a sound-forward band. Big and loud and raw and real,” says Behshid. 

You can catch Hardcastle live at Good Times at Davey Wayne’s on August 25, and keep up with their upcoming releases at @hardcastle.world on Instagram. 

For Hardcastle, this new era isn’t about restarting; it’s about staying true to what’s been there all along. 

“We want to plug peace and love.”

“Unironically.”