The Hard Margarets are Jacob Duncan on vocals and keys; Jake Henson on guitar; Derek Mueller on guitar; Chris Hankins on drums; and Jared Dagley on bass guitar.
The Hard Margarets have released numerous singles and EPs including “Self-Titled” (2023), “Chase the Light” (2023), “Speak Friend” (2023), “Wasted” (2023), “Blocked” (2023), “Mushroom Jerry” (2023), “Ultra Violet” EP (2023), and most recently “Rockin AF” (2024) and “Hell to Pay” (2024).
LP: How did the band start? What are the origins behind the band name?
THM: Jared, Jake (Henson), and Derek were in a band called Electropossum. We started jamming and writing some stuff during the pandemic when everything was shut down. We recruited Chris from the band Bone Spur to play drums, and finally got Jacob as our singer after getting a handful of songs written. We played our first show at a house party in October 2021. We've all lived in or around Excelsior Springs and have known each other a long time.
The band name came from a wrong number voicemail that Jake received. It was from a lady named Bernice who was calling her good friend Margaret. She starts to cry and says "It's Hard Margaret".
LP: Who are your influences?
THM: We all listen to a lot of different styles. We were all influenced by 90's and early 2000's rock and heavy stuff. Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, System of a Down, Clutch, Mastodon, Tool, Rammstein to name a few.
LP: Tell me about your single “Rockin AF.”
THM: “Rockin AF” was one of our first songs that we got together before Jacob joined. He wrote the lyrics but the name "Rockin AF" was just a nickname we had for it that stuck. It's a straight up rock song but the main riff is a real driving busy riff. It's a great vocal warmup! We open the set with it pretty often.
LP: Tell me about your newest single “Hell to Pay.”
THM: “Hell to Pay” is another one that we had written before we had a singer. It's more of a heavy ballad. Great for cranking up in the car with the windows down. Definitely has the 90's tones and vibe. I think it's a great one for people to sing along to.
LP: Describe the band in your own words.
THM: The Hard Margarets is a powerful groovy band with spacious soundscapes and big riffs. There are a variety of different sounding songs and sounds that span multiple genres. Just a bunch of hairy old ladies.
LP: What’s next for you as a band, looking into the next year?
THM: We have a couple new songs to release. We have some instruments tracked and will be adding vocals and finishing touches. We have one big show booked at the Voodoo Lounge and other ones in the works. We are also recording and booking live acoustic performances.
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