While we have yet to meet in person, this is one of the few times I'm grateful for the contacts that social media has allowed me to have. I believe I first made contact with K through Facebook a few years ago now, and with both us of being photographers; we've kept in contact and supported each other in photo work over time. When he told his band, Hadana, would be releasing an EP and playing shows, I wanted to chat with him about it. Get to know one of the best new bands out of the Netherlands.
Now that you've played two shows, I'm curious; when did you all decide to form Hadana?
Hadana was founded in September 2018 by myself and guitarist J. He brought in his good friend M on bass. Initially, we had a different drummer, but that didn’t really click. He lasted two rehearsals and that was that. I had been trying to get a band together with our current drummer T before. He’s one of the, if not the best, drummers I know. He also was the first drummer who came to mind. Five minutes into our first rehearsal, we just knew he was the perfect candidate.
The name is unique, which is an accomplishment in itself in the crowded world of heavy music. Does the name have a specific meaning and what inspired it? What are some of the lyrical topics, if there are any, you’d like to focus on?
There’s definitely a specific meaning to the name, but I’m not allowed to tell you. But if you Google it, you’ll understand the direction we’re headed in. There’s not a single lyrical topic, but the main theme is the wrongdoing of mankind in any way, shape or form. Racism, war, violence, terrorism, theft, animal cruelty, you name it. Some of us are vegetarians, others aren’t. We’re not a band to preach; we tell you what we see, but we don’t care what you do with it.
What is the hardcore scene like where you all are based?
We’re from Tilburg, so there’s a lot of heavy music surrounding us. Internationally renowned festivals like Roadburn, Netherlands Deathfest, and before that, Incubate. Last year, two really cool guys founded Humanimaal (yes, that's human+animal). Under that name, they host free hardcore shows in the local skate park. How awesome is that? There's a lot of love all around. People from other scenes like Rotterdam and Eindhoven and even from Antwerp, Belgium all show up. Humanimaal has also evolved into a record label. For now they do cassettes only, but hopefully, they'll do vinyl in the future. It's really cool to see all these bands from all over the country support each other in any way possible.
Who are some of the bands you’d recommend that are worth hearing right now?
Since you just mentioned our local scene, I feel it's my duty to mention only our friends' bands. So here we go:
- Pressure Pact: One of Holland's best hardcore bands right now. If they keep playing as good and as much as they're playing now, they're gonna get big! Their bassist did some backing vocals on our EP. Cool guys.
- Doodswens: An old-school black metal duo. Is it weird to recommend a black metal band when you're in a hardcore band yourself? Fuck it. They played after us at our first show and blew us away. Hope to play with them again sometime soon.
- Lifespite: If you dig Haymaker, check these guys out. Their drummer Nabbe is an amazing visual artist. He made the piece that's on the front cover of our EP. Also, guitarist Willem played bass on the last incarnation of the legendary Left for Dead. So you know you're dealing with a bunch of legends here!
- The Fifth Alliance: This is our drummer's other band. For all you Church of Ra lovers.
Hadana's eponymous EP is out now and available for download on Bandcamp. Physical versions of the release will soon be available from both Monomentum Collective and Humanimaal.
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Tagged: hadana, international hardcore bands
