Uncaging his sophomore album the mockingbird & THE CROW for the world today via Big Loud Records/Big Loud Rock, HARDY is embarking on a chapter that can only be described as “country-meets-hardcore chaos” (Alternative Press).
The “stylistically unpredictable” (Billboard) shapeshifter carves a lane all his own across 17 original tracks, proving himself a trailblazer undefined by genre constructs, focused on crafting a catalog of hits that have become notorious for eliciting strong reactions.
“I would love for people to be as taken aback as possible,” HARDY told SPIN in a profile earlier this week that encapsulates his “country-rock rebellion.” “I would love for people to be taken on an emotional rollercoaster…The highest expectation I could have is to make people relate to a song, really feel something, and maybe get through some sort of trauma or anything like that because of it,” he continued. “That’s my shit, man. That’s what I do it for.”
Collaborating with both a rolodex of Nashville’s finest songwriters (Hillary Lindsey, David Garcia, Ashley Gorley, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jordan Schmidt, Brett Tyler, Hunter Phelps, and more) and some of his own rock favourites on the double-sided project, HARDY steps into the fullness of his artistic aspirations, merging the lifestyle he grew up living in rural Philadelphia, Miss. with the music he grew up listening to: Soundgarden, Puddle of Mudd, Pink Floyd, Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Matchbox 20, and many more.
“I am extremely excited to have this record out,” HARDY beams. “I truly believe that this is two years of my best writing and think that it perfectly describes who I am as an artist, having grown up listening to rock ‘n roll, but also grown-up country. Thank you to everyone for the support and everybody for working so hard on bringing this record to life. I hope everyone enjoys it.”
Giving the album’s title track the official music video treatment today, “the mockingbird & THE CROW” springs to life in a five-minute Claymation trip, playing out the song’s Jekyll and Hyde nature in a neon jungle with a miniature HARDY at the center. Directed and animated by UK-based visionary Lee Hardcastle with featured assistance from David Daniels and created after over 500 hours of work between them, watch the out-of-the-box video here.
On deck, HARDY takes his already acclaimed album bi-coastal with two televised performances in New York – playing “wait in the truck” with reigning CMA New Artist of the Year and Female Artist of the Year Lainey Wilson on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (25/1) and “screen” on NBC’s TODAY (26/1) – and a one night only album release event across two iconic Los Angeles country and rock venues on January 23rd. His sold-out US headline the mockingbird & THE CROW Tour launches Feb. 16th in Indianapolis, Ind.
HARDY has never shied away from a grey area, and on the mockingbird & THE CROW that grey area glows, weaving artistic truth with gutsy, undaunted choices. In a cover story on stands this week, HITS Magazine sums it up simply; “HARDY’s more profound risk-taking comes in the musical choices he’s making.”