Emerging from chaos with an unshakable camaraderie, QLD indie-punk trio Haters today release their debut album ‘Non-Violent’ – a fierce collection of blistering guitar riffs, blood-pumping rhythms and unfiltered lyrics that aim to poke, prod and challenge. Composed of best friends Jai, Kaito and Jimmy, Haters embody the spirit of resilience and their unbreakable bond can be felt throughout every track.
Recorded in Ontario, Canada with Cancer Bats founding member Scott Middleton, ‘Non-Violent’ is the culmination of a month-long recording blitz that challenged the band both physically and mentally, inspiring a ruthless intensity that sends echoes throughout the album.
“We lived in the studio for a month, we didn’t really have a concept of time, so we would just play until we got really tired,” Jai remembers. “We slept on the floor of the studio. It was a month of just round-the-clock recording. It was very intense. The record and this band, lyrically, both are intense.”
Across twelve tracks of scathing punk energy and honest, unsettling storytelling, Haters create anthems that are designed to be screamed in unison. From gut-punchers like Last Night, to deeply personal confessions like wander//wonder, ‘Non-Violent’ is a raw display of a band who aren’t afraid to openly discuss mental health, toxic relationships and the path to becoming a better human.
“Haters is about love and community,” continues Jai. “The name refers to the haters being there, but everyone who is part of this band is here. We props each other up and use music to make celebrate kindness. There’s all those elements on the record; not every song is gloomy, everything comes from a real place and real things that have happened.”
This trust and openness gives Haters the freedom to delve into uncomfortable depths when they need to. On My Best Friend, the band confronts the terrifying reality of violence against women: “My best friend sleeps with a knife under her bed, in case in the night some dead shit man with a cock in his hand starts rattling his fist on her door again.” The same can be felt on focus track Jimmy Says – a brutal reflection of real life events that nobody would ever dream of experiencing.
At its core though, ‘Non-Violent’ is about making peace with your former self and embracing the true friends that enter your life. With their debut album now in hand, Haters’ synergy as both friends and bandmates has never been stronger.
“I’ve been in a few bands and I would hang out with this band…even if I wasn’t in a band with them,” concludes Jai. “We would still spend everyday talking to each other. I think that’s something that we have over other bands, and you can really see it as soon as we plug our guitars in. You can’t make that up on a stage, that chemistry we have together.”
With thanks to Habit Music
