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You're also likely to have come across the odd tale of how the alternative Staines Massive illegally filmed their promo vid under the landing paths at Heathrow.
DiS wants to know a few things, not least whether this Heathrow break-in really happened or was it merely the product of a silver tongued PR rep? Hard-Fi's raspy-voiced front man Richard Archer fills in the gaps between munching a BLT at sound check for the Camden Crawl earlier this month.
DiS: You've been called a band version of The Streets. How do you see yourselves?
Richard Archer: "I can see it in some ways because we come from a similar place, but whereas The Streets revel in that whole situation, we want to escape from it. I think the main reason people think that is because we both talk about real life situations."
You've also been compared to The Clash. Do you find that flattering or daunting?
"Um, it is flattering cos we love the Clash and they're great band and everything, but we are not the Clash, we are Hard-Fi and we don't ever set out to be The Clash. I can understand why people say that but it doesn't bother me. It's just that we didn't set out to copy the Clash."
(An emphatic answer but post-interview browsing reveals that Archer's former band Contempo were at one time produced by The Clash's Mick Jones. So to quote the fundamental axiom of forensic science, "Every contact leaves a trace".)
Of course, The Clash were not a band who were chart-shy but kept their rock integrity too.
"We make no qualms about the fact that we want to get out there and sell as many records as possible and play to as many people as possible. We don't want to be one of those bands that are so cool that nobody actually likes them. I don't see the point in that. We write mostly cool credible pop songs in much the same way Blondie did, or any of those, and I don't see what's wrong in that. If you're relating to people, there's nothing wrong with making what you are doing accessible, as long as you try to do it in an imaginative way with a bit of flare."
A couple of months back, your single 'Cash Machine' was getting a lot of airplay. Were you surprised that it didn't do that well in The Chart?
"Well actually, on sales figures it would have charted at about #40 but because we put a sticker in with it, it was non-chartable."
A sticker?
"Yes, it's because of crazy chart rules that wouldn't allow it."
So they thought you were trying to bribe people with a free sticker?
"Yes, but it probably goes back to when major labels were trying to shift their stuff by doing loads of give-aways. We only released 3,000 copies and they've all been sold, so really we were happy just getting it out there and seeing what the reaction was. We are a young band and at that time, we had hardly played any shows so we didn't want to get too busy too soon."
What's your new single 'Tied Up TooTight' about?
"Where I come from is pretty grey, boring and depressing if you're not into the usual run-of-the-mill sorts of things. It could be about any satellite town and how you don't really feel as if you fit in there. So it's about getting out and driving to London, seeing the bright lights and the people dressing cooler and being cooler. It's basically a going-out song."
You're supporting Kaiser Chiefs at the beginning of April before going out on your own. Maybe 'Cash Machine' will be re-released and do as well as 'Oh My God' has for the 'Chiefs second time around?
"We honestly haven't thought that far ahead but I wouldn't be surprised, because it was such a limited release at the time."
'Cash Machine' comes from your mini-album 'Stars of CCTV', another very limited release from the end of last year. It too has long sold out, with copies now changing hands on eBay for upwards of £25.
"We had no money but time was a luxury that we did have. So we spent a year planning, then recording it ourselves, and we did all the artwork ourselves too. Even our web site was designed by us. We got a book out of the library so we could learn how to do it. Then we had to do it again cos it was a right palaver. So after all that, things took off really quickly and went crazy in the space of two months, which was quite surprising."
Will any tracks from your mini-album be turning up on your main one?
"We're planning on re-releasing it but with about 5 or 6 new ones added on too. And we'll probably stick with the title."
One track, 'Feltham Is Singing Out', must be the first time anyone has ever felt inclined to mention that part of West London in a song. Why do you suppose the most grottiest name-checked American places sound more glamorous in song than UK ones?
"I don't understand it really. Maybe places that are far away from home always sound more glamorous than what's on your doorstep.
"When things started going crazy and we were talking to record people in the US, we had a guy come flying in and he wanted to go and see Feltham. And we were going 'Right, when you come into Heathrow, look out of the window and when you see burning cars, that's Feltham and you're welcome to go there.'"
Talking of Heathrow, be honest now. Did you really break in to the airport to film your video for 'Cash Machine'?
"We didn't have any money to make the video so we were trying to make an impressive looking one with no money. And of course, the airport's on our doorstep so we thought we'd use it. The guy who was directing it went into the visitors centre and said 'I'm moving into the area. Can you tell me where the planes will be coming in tomorrow cos I want to know how they relate to the house I'm buying.'
"So we found out which way they were coming in, got the gear over the fence and set it up thinking that any minute now, we'll be out of here and it will be all over. But I think the people who saw us - a band set up and playing music - though they must have permission otherwise its too ridiculous, so they left us to get on with it. So we got what we needed then quickly got out of there."
Hard-Fi are gigging steadily throughout April, first with Kaiser Chiefs, then headlining for themselves.
