The Hardways

I have some new music for you, so listen up on this Monday morning… The Hardways comin’ at ya! They are releasing a new album, March 25. This will be the bands fourth album, titled Whittle It Away. Whittle It Away was named by fans in an online survey. The album has an atmosphere of hard-hitting bluegrass-rock with a little punk thrown in there. I got to chat with Gingher Leyendecker, the bands banjo and rhythm guitar player, she described the album as a wide variety of sounds from everything to cow-punk to sweet love songs to crunchy rock, all the while maintaining that southwest saloon style The Hardways are known for playing. Influenced by every sound under the sun.

The Hardways formed in 2004. Each member gives so much into this band and with each their own unique energy and experience. Gingher, herself a college art professor and president of the Arizona Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. She writes most of the songs while driving on long road trips going to see her grandmother who is almost 100 years old. Well known lead guitarist Dirty Dan Bain is out of Oklahoma. A number of songs reflect his nickname. Bassist Chris Lykins is a facial reconstructive surgeon! Lykins is a well-trained musician and has toured the world with a metal-rock band, Atrophy before joining The Hardways. Drummer Nate Hawbaker keeps the band rolling on the roads by driving the bus, and is also a bus manager of a bus mechanic business which keeps all the kids in Phoenix on the road for school.

This album was recorded with Studio Cat Productions out of Phoenix. The title track to this album was written around the opening riffs. A non-traditional style with a slide banjo. Putting some down and dirty sounds for energy of this album. After just finishing Whittle It Away, the band has already started working on album number five that they hope to release at the end of this year or early next.

Gingher says any crowd is fun to play for as long at the audience if having fun the band plays off of that energy.

This album is a fun, full of energy rockin’ good time. These guys genuinely enjoy making this journey together and it shows through their songs. - 53rdand3rd Magazine (Nashville)

Imagine traveling through the old west, an arduous journey filled with outlaws, bandits and tumbleweeds. These are the images that come to mind when listening to The Hardways, a saloon rock band based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Fronted by Gingher Leyendecker, the band has been playing to rowdy crowds since 2004.

Q: Speaking of rowdy crowds, tell me how saloon rock is defined? Obviously, I listened to the album Whittle it Away but I’m reluctant to lump the sound into one genre.

A: Hi Amanda! First off, thanks for having us! We’ve been reluctant to lump the sound into one genre as well. The term “Southwest saloon rock” was what we came up with after hearing ourselves described as everything from cowpunk to rockabilly to southern rock. None of those exactly fit and at the same time they all do for some of the songs.

Q: Americana seems to heavily influence your sound. How did this come about?

A: I think it’s where we all come from. Dan hails from Oklahoma, I’m from New Mexico, and Nate and Chris are from Arizona. While we love all music styles from old school country to punk, our particular mix seems to come from our combined roots and varied styles of playing.

Q: This question is for Christopher Lee Lykins. Tell me a little about your style. How does it differ from a rock bass player’s style?

A: From Chris: I would say my style is hopefully a combination of R and B (which I love) and rock. It’s trying to mix some syncopation (little triplets here and there) with a strong groove that matches the drummer. I’ll try to sneak in little melody lines like James Jamerson when I can and stay out of the way in the country songs. My favorite bassists have been Jamerson, Stuart Zender, Steve Harris, and Bobby Vega…guys who make cool lines that are part of the song.

Q: You all have released four albums. Is there one of them which you are particularly proud of as a band?

A: Well they’re all pretty different in that I was the only member from the original lineup so the first album doesn’t have any of these guys on it. The next two had Dan and Nate on them and we were growing as musicians and as a band. This last album I think is our best because the lineup of musicians/writers is so strong. We also recorded this one at Studio Cat in Phoenix, which has made a big difference in the quality of the final sound.

Q: Has the band done any touring or opened for any other bands?

A: We’ve been through California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas, and we are hoping to head out to Oklahoma this summer. We love playing with local and out of state bands and have made many friends along the way who we keep in touch with. It’s great because we all help each other find good shows to play when we’re in each other’s home states. Bob Wayne and Joe Buck were a couple of the memorable acts we’ve played with, but the southwest is so full of talented local musicians that we really enjoy getting out and meeting new bands.

Q: Tell me about a memorable gig?

A: We tend to play a real variety of gigs for a varied audience. Here’s an example of the last two weekends: Friday we played the Phoenix Freak Show with the Strange Family Circus, which included fire eating, an electrocution, and razor swallowing. Then the next day we played the Spartan Bikers’ Ghetto Blast, which is a huge party for all the local biker gangs. Next we played the finish line of the Red Dress Run for about 500 drunken hashers, all wearing red dresses, and then we finished the next night by playing a country show at Chopper John’s with our friends The Barnyard Stompers!

Q: Will you be playing any of the summer festivals out west this year?

A: We are playing the Saguaro Man festival next weekend, which is a Burning Man regional festival, and we will be playing the Arizona Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association’s Mingus Mountain Labor Day Flying Festival in August. Perhaps we’ll play some of the other summer music festivals as well. You never know where we’ll turn up!

Q: Personally, my favorite tracks on the new album are “Old Blacktop Road” and “Simple’. Who developed the haunting, minor banjo melody in “Old Blacktop Road”? And in the track “Simple”, which came first, the guitar riff or the lyrics?

A: Thank you for the positive feedback! I write the banjo music and was trying to come up with something that would reflect an endless journey of hard luck to mirror the lyrics “every home I pass is just another place I don’t belong.” For Simple, we used lyrics from one of Dan’s many notebooks. It was writing about his mother, who died in prison. I was really touched by the story and wanted to put together a composition that honored her. So it goes back and forth between the hard reality reflected in the way the verses are arranged, and the airy chorus that is supposed to reflect her spirit. If I don’t get goose bumps singing that chorus at the end, I know I didn’t do it right.

Q: The band is working on its fifth album now, is this right? Tell me a little bit about your current project.

A: The songs are written for our fifth album and we are about a third of the way through it. It should be great because in addition to Dan and Gingher doing the writing, we now have Chris writing. We like to play shows for a couple months before recording to continue to refine and rework if necessary. The actual recording could happen early next year. We’re not in a hurry, but new songs keep coming so we have to keep moving before we have so many that it’s time for a sixth!

Q: Hardways, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. What else would you like for the readers out there to know?

A: Thanks again for having us! Here are some weird facts about The Hardways: Chris is a face and neck surgeon who traveled the world before medical school as the lead guitarist in a metal band called Atrophy. Gingher is a college professor and is also the president of the Arizona Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. Dirty Dan can fix or build anything in your house and made a living playing pool when he was younger. Nate teaches mechanics how to work on big busses and knows how to make his own moonshine! As different as we are, we all love playing music and hanging out together with our families and friends, and enjoy making new friends and family wherever we go!

You can check out more from The Hardways at www.thehardwayslive.com and on Facebook

Writer: Amanda Knight @AmandaJill82

Photo Credit: Mo Connolly - Music Matters Magazine

The Hardways consist of four individuals with the heart of Southern soul and a twist of “Southwest Saloon Rock.” The Hardways are reviving the sound that has been long forgotten with a beat that you will soon have you strumming along.

I got the chance to chat with Gingher Leyendecker to get the scoop on the new album debuting March 25th, 2016 Whittle It Away.

Photo: Mo Connolly




Teri Wright: Hey Gingher! Thank you for taking some time today to chat with me.
Gingher Leyendecker: Hi Teri, thanks for having me!

TW: The first thing I noticed when listening and watching your videos is you're dangerously 'kick way' of playing guitar and banjo. Do you prefer one over the other and do you play any other instruments?


Photo: Mo Connolly
GL: I've been playing the guitar longer but I just love the banjo. It's funny because when I decided to learn to play it I thought "Hey I play guitar, how hard can it be?" Well five years and many tears (and lessons!) later, I'm pretty comfortable with it and am having a blast.

TW: Your sound- it rocks, but twangs too... how do you define it?
​GL: People have called us "cow punk" and "rockabilly" and "southern rock," but I think we're more "southwest saloon rock." We've evolved a lot over the last 12 years, and while we've always had the rock-twang sound, we push those limits more now than ever with our current lineup of musicians. Nate, Dan, and Chris are amazing to work with and always challenge me to push my comfort limits in creating new sounds and stories.

TW: The new debut of Whittle it Away what new twists did you put into this album as opposed to your previous albums?
GL: On Whittle It Away we have more variety to our overall sound. We go from a sweet love song like "The Wonder" to something very aggressive like "Ghost Rider" to bluesy "So Long Baby." This is also the first album with bassist Chris Lykins, who has added a whole new dimension to our music. Even the four banjo songs are all varied, "Whittle It Away" is a slide song, while "Hard Times" is more traditional.


Photo: Mo Connolly
TW: What kind of feelings do you experience when you debut an album? Are you nervous or do you stay calm?
GL: Well you put so much into each album, from the rehearsal to the recording to the artwork and arrangement, that it's mostly pure joy to release the debut!
TW: Who are your major influences in your music?
GL: I love old school Americana, but I really like a huge variety of music and try to find something compelling in all genres. My biggest influence is driving on the open road. Every month or so I drive an 800 mile round trip to visit my grannie in New Mexico who is three months away from her 100th birthday! That time on the road is where a lot of my songs come from and where I do a lot of thinking.

TW: Where did you come up with some of the names for your songs?

GL: Usually the song titles come from a part of the song that has a cool feel to it. Lots of times it's part of the chorus but not always.

TW: Do you have any plans in 2016 to hit the road with your tour? If so, Where?
GL: Looks like we're going to try to head out across New Mexico and Texas to get to Dirty Dan's home state of Oklahoma early this summer.

TW: What's the hardest thing to do when you're trying to write new material?
GL: The void of not having started is the hardest part. Once you've got the story started, or the cadence, or some lyrics, you can work it out. It's the "hey time to write a song" part that holds the most pressure and uncertainty.

TW: Who would you like to go on tour with ? Can be past or current.
GL: I'd love to tour with The Reverend Horton Heat or Hank III.


Photo: Mo Connolly

TW: Do you have a favorite venue to play at? If so, Where and Why?
GL: We've played so many great spots, from festivals to biker bars and clubhouses, rodeos and even hang gliding and paragliding events! We love our "home bar" Chopper John's in Phoenix, and love the Spirit Room in Jerome. But when you're having fun on stage, every show is a favorite.

TW: You're a Prof. In Arts at Mesa CC, Did any of this tie into your album titles or songs?
GL: I mostly keep my music and work separate. For instance, I never announce shows in class because I think it would create an awkward situation if students felt like they had to go because they were in my class--especially if they didn't like the music! But I'm friends with many students outside of class and a lot of times those who see our shows on Facebook will come out, and that's really cool.

TW: I am so intrigued about your paragliding profession as well. A teacher,pilot and president of the AZ Hang Gliding/Paragliding Association. How did you get involved with this?
GL: A good friend of my husband's became a paragliding instructor and asked us if we wanted to be his first students--we jumped at the chance! That was about 8 1/2 years ago.
We've flown all over the U.S. from Hawaii to New York, and even in Mexico and Colombia. There is nothing like the feeling of flying using nothing but the air currents to propel you--I've had hawks flying next to me at 5000 feet and we were looking into each others eyes--it was incredible!

TW: I see you're from New Mexico. I am as well (Albuquerque area) What are some of the things you miss being here in AZ vs NM?
GL: New Mexico has an amazing vibe to it that is unlike anywhere else on earth. I love the openness of the landscape, the variety of scenery, the people (my family and friends!), and of course almost more than anything--the chile!!

TW: Last question, Where will your album be available for purchasing and where can your fans see you?
GL: Our album, Whittle Away is out now! Our CD release party is at Chopper John's on Friday the 25th with the Outlaw In-laws and The Earps. We're playing at 10pm and doing a lot of the songs from Whittle It Away. We'll have all four of our albums available, as well as t-shirts, stickers, and download cards.

TW: Thank you Gingher for your time and Congratulations on the upcoming release and tour. I wish the best of luck to you and The Hardways.


GL: Thanks so much for the interview Teri, glad to talk to you!

Photo: Mo Connolly


The Hardways:

Gingher Leyendecker: Lead Vocals/Guitarist

Daniel Bain: Guitar/vocals

Nate Hawbaker: Drums/vocals

Christopher Lee Lykins: Bass

Links:
The Hardways Website
The Hardways Facebook
The Hardways Instagram
The Hardways YouTube - Cowgirl Zen Magazine

Print only--see image - Vents Magazine

ALTERNATIVE MUSIC NEWS

The Hardways Are Working On New Material!
July 4, 2016

Summer is HOTTTTT and The Hardways are already working on their next album! Six new songs ready to go with another six in the works!

The Hardways are all soaring high (no pun intended as the lead singer of The Hardways, Gingher Leyendecker, is a devout paraglider) as they celebrate their latest album,Whittle It Away, released at the beginning of 2016. PLUS there is a next one rumored to be out sometime in 2017!

Continuing this years celebrations they are kick-ace happy over lead singers, Gingher's grannie, who turns 99 this next month! WHOA, so great genes are lighting up the rock n roll sounds and The Hardways will be heading over to Las Cruces, NM. to celebrate!

Meanwhile, if you are in the neighborhood at the height of monsoon season in Arizona you can catch The Hardways over at Chopper John's on July 30th! The word on the street is they will be playing some of their new music live! Plus, they have plans to create two new music videos!

So stay tuned, stay plugged in and catch The Hardways rising up in the heat of rock n roll!

The Hardways Facebook

The Hardways Twitter

The Hardways Website - Alt Corner

Summer is HOTTTTT and The Hardways are already working on their next album! Six new songs ready to go with another six in the works!

The Hardways are all soaring high (no pun intended as the lead singer of The Hardways, Gingher Leyendecker, is a devout paraglider) as they celebrate their latest album,Whittle It Away, released at the beginning of 2016. PLUS there is a next one rumored to be out sometime in 2017!

Continuing this years celebrations they are kick-ace happy over lead singers, Gingher’s grannie, who turns 99 this next month! WHOA, so great genes are lighting up the rock n roll sounds and The Hardways will be heading over to Las Cruces, NM. to

​celebrate!
Meanwhile, if you are in the neighborhood at the height of monsoon season in Arizona you can catch The Hardways over at Chopper John’s on July 30th! The word on the street is they will be playing some of their new music live! Plus, they

​ ​
have plans to create two new music videos!

So stay tuned, stay plugged in and catch The Hardways rising up in the heat of rock n roll! - Get Your Rock Out UK

Java Magazine July 2016 Page 32 - Java Magazine