Help The Hacks help you — Burning Bright Media

BEEEP…BEEEP…BEEEP…May I have everyones attention? This is a public service announcement. All of you kids that are zoning out in front of your television, all of you kids who are currently programming your minds with your video machines, cashing out on youtube, gossiping all your shit on facebook and giving your power of free thought away. It is time to de-program and think for yourself once again. Not sure how to do this? Does the thought of thinking for yourself once again scare you? No worries, we have some good friends that are going to help but first…turn off your video machine, smash your televisions, throwout your iPod and let’s get started. First step, grab your skateboard, find the closest skate park, turn on “The Hacks” as loud as you can, drop in and don’t come out until your mind has come back. Once completed you’re ready for step 2.

I’ll get back to step 2 but first lets talk about The Hacks latest release “Three Chord Cliche”. Produced by Bart McCrorey at Crash Pad Studios, it’s the perfect album to have on while skating, snowboarding, trying to impress girls or just any other life circumstance in general. The first step to greatness is not to complicate simple things. Don’t fuck up a good thing by overthinking it and that is exactly what I love about “Three Chord Cliche”. It’s a feel good, old school, three chords and make it rock punk rock album. Listening to Brad’s vocals I now know where Sloppy Seconds got their sound from. His happy, raspy punk rock voice is what leads the anthems The Hacks are belting out on stage. Brad is the voice of a bunch of friends hanging at the skate park, drinking beers, having a great time on a hot summer night. Followed by the fearless guitar playing of Jason. Keep in mind he never played guitar before joining The Hacks. Now he’s ripping guitar riffs on stage keeping up with the rhythmic clicks Brian is crushing on his drum kit. I’ve been digging this album and have been really looking forward to catching up with The Hacks. One last thing about “Three Chord Cliche”, it has a kick ass album cover that was done by the infamous Bobby “Drawz Skullz” Brown. Now here’s how it went when we caught up with The Hacks…

First things first…you can get their music on all digital platforms including Spotify, cdbaby and their entire catalog is on bandcamp.

This night we meet up at Moe’s before their set. It’s a first for all of us. They’ve never played a show at Moe’s and I’ve never seen a show at Moe’s. The band catches us up on what they’ve been up to lately. Playing a lot of shows and have more shows coming up. Let’s do introductions…

Brad Jones: Vocals and bass

Jason Webb: Guitar and back up vocal

Brian Childs: Drums

How long have you been playing together?

Jason jumps in…”Well I’m the latest addition, technically I’ve only been with them about 3 years.” Brad continues…”Me and Brian started in 2001.” Brian adds…”That was our first recording. I say we started in 99 playing in the basement.”

Were you in other bands before joining The Hacks, Jason?

“Oh yeah, but I was a bass player. And then Brad came to me and asked if I wanted to learn guitar and that’s when I started to learn guitar.”

How does the writing process start with The Hacks?

Brian…”It’s mostly Brad.”
Brad…”Yeah mostly me, I sit at home on the acoustic bass and then we bring in these guys, turn it up and see how it sounds. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. From there everyone chips in.”
Jason…”Especially on the new album. A lot of that stuff was off the cuff. Bart (Crash Pad Studios) was like “hey, do this, do that.” He’s really good about that.”
Brad…”He’s always done that for us. He has a good ear of what we are.”

Well it turned out good, I fucking dig the shit out of that album

Brad…”Yeah, we’re really happy with the way it turned out!”

You have 1 night to impress the girl of your dreams…what local punk band are you bringing her to see?

Brian…”Truckasaurus, who is now Dryer Fire.”
Brad…”Frontside Five.”
Jason…”The Trade Ins or The Pitch Invasion. Now the sexiest place to take a girl is Seventh Circle.”

Okay, that brings me to my next question…What is the sexiest punk rock club in Denver?

Brian…”I’ll go with the Lion’s Lair on that on.”
Brad…”Yeah, I’ll go with the Lion’s Lair since there’s no 15th Street Tavern anymore. I also like Streets of London.”

I love Streets of London because you’ll see all the local shows there and then he’ll bring in bands like Guttermouth, Swingin’ Utters and U.S. Bombs. It blows my mind I’m seeing these kick ass bands in this little venue, fuckin’ awesome!

Brad…”It’s really cool because it’s the stuff we grew up with. It’s amazing he brings these bands into the Streets of London, it’s so cool.”

Hemi Cuda or Nashville Pussy?

Brian…”Hemi Cuda” with no hesitation.
Jason…”Yeah, probably Hemi Cuda.”
Brad…”Self Service since I see the Karen connection there.”…Laughs…”We met Karen at 15th Street Tavern. When we first started playing we played 15th Street Tavern like every week. They’d call us and be like “a band canceled can you play like in an hour?” and we’d be like yeah.”
Jason…”Those were some of the first Hacks shows I remember going to see. You couldn’t stand too long in one place at 15th Street Tavern, you’d just stick to the floor.”

When I asked The Hacks if they vote the conversation quickly turned to memories of the the Cherry Cricket and how the Looper, who is currently governor but was a bar owner back then, would be pouring them shots at 8:00 in morning during staff meetings…maybe The Hacks will be playing Hickenlooper 2020 campaign rallies, looper should keep those shots flowing.

Okay, my son and I were jammin’ out to The Hacks last night and I asked him to think of a good question to ask you guys. After some deep thought Milo says “Have you been in any bar fights?” They all responded…

“definitely!”

Many memories were spoken of, fights they were in and fights breaking out during their shows. One time while opening up for Agent Orange they felt bad for a guy who got his face smashed in during their set and gave him a free shirt after the show.

Jason…”We sing songs about skateboarding and drinking. There’s nothing to be mad about.”

We had a great time catching up with “The Hacks” but now it’s time they go play their set. It’s also time to explain the much anticipated 2nd step to de-programming and taking back control of you mind. After a day of skating, get to The Hacks show that night. Feel the freedom come back, feel the flow of you neurons pinging again, the sense of intellectual and creative thought reappear. Don’t be scared, it’s like riding a bike, when your thought comes back it’ll be like it never left. Now the most important thing to this point in your life. Never, ever, let anyone or anything have control of your mind again. It’s yours…Use it and express as you wish!