Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band formed in Staines, Surrey in 2003. The band's continual members have been Richard Archer (vocals), Kai Stephens (bass guitar), Ross Phillips (guitar) and Steve Kemp (drums). Staines is a suburban location southwest of Central London that has significantly influenced their musical style and lyrics.
Hard-Fi first played live on UK radio, on the Dermot O'Leary Show, BBC Radio 2, in June 2005. They achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat" and then followed by other successful singles such as "Cash Machine" and "Living for the Weekend", which all reached top 15 in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album Stars of CCTV was released on 4 July 2005, and although receiving critical acclaim (NME called it album of the year and was nominated for the Mercury Prize and two BRIT Awards, Best British Group and Best British Rock Act ), it didn't reach #1 in the UK albums chart until six months later on 22 January 2006. It originally peaked at number 6. The band's second album, Once Upon a Time in the West, was released on 3 September 2007 and reached number 1 in its first week.
They are generally considered part of the indie rock scene, although Richard Archer has mentioned numerous times that they are heavily influenced by Soul and Dance music.
