The HARD ONS have announced a new 7" to be released through Doublethink.

From the Hard Ons' bassplayer Ray Ahn...

"The Hard-ons' roots can be traced right back to 1980, to the Dead Rats, a school band from Punchbowl Boys' High.

From there the Dead Rats became the Plebs in January 1982 with the addition of Ray.

Several months later that year, the Plebs played at a church in Punchbowl, supported by a lamb spit roast. But that evening, they performed for the first time as THE HARD-ONS.

We were all 15 and 16 years old, and trying to fast-track our way to becoming a real band, by playing every event offered to us.

That night the Hard-ons covered TWO tunes by the fabled Thought Criminals: "FUN" and "HILTON BOMBER".

The influence of the Thought Criminals upon the Hard-ons is immeasurable. Razor-sharp wit and observations melded with slick streamlined driving rhythm - and incredible melodies to boot, we considered them as important to Australia as the Dead Kennedys were to USA.

They were an independent band that did it themselves, thought for themselves and bulldozed their own path somehow.

Every one of their releases was self-assured. There was an undoubted and magical self-belief that oozed from the speakers when the records were spun and from their visual delivery on the sleeves. The Thought Criminals were a major band for the Hard-ons' learning curve - we picked up on not just musical but ideological traits from them, and for that we are eternally grateful.

...That unshakeable self-belief, the Hard-ons I believe got it from the Thought Criminals.

Very shortly The Hard-ons will release a new 7" single on the Thought Criminals' very own label, the very same label that carried them all those years ago, DOUBLETHINK.

For us it is an absolute privilege and to say that it is a dream made into reality would not quite cover it. It certainly would not have been thinkable when we were kids starting out in the Hard-ons.

Thought Criminals' lead singer Bruce Warner the creative force behind such things as the sleeve design to the incredible visual and aural package that is "Food For Thoughtcrimes" has happily agreed to design the sleeve art as well, to ice things supremely.

This release will be available through Citadel Records mail-order, and 300 copies will be printed.

Both side 1 and side 2 were recorded during the "So I could have them destroyed" session, and you will like them if you liked our last album.

The Hard-ons will be on DOUBLETHINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And to be frank, George Orwell's work is more relevant today than ever you'd have to agree"