17 April 2025
Marco Gandolfi
British indie-rock icons Hard-Fi are turning back the clock with the release of a previously unheard demo of their breakout Top 10 single ‘Hard To Beat’, as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations for their seminal debut album Stars Of CCTV.
The raw, unreleased demo offers fans a rare glimpse into the early evolution of the track that lit up clubs and festival stages across the UK and beyond. With its razor-sharp hook and dancefloor swagger, ‘Hard To Beat’ became a defining anthem of the mid-2000s and catapulted the Staines four-piece into the indie stratosphere.
“Hard To Beat was the song that changed everything for us,” says frontman Richard Archer. “I hope Hard-Fi fans find it interesting to see how it developed.”
The demo is featured on a limited edition yellow gatefold 2-LP + 2-CD reissue of Stars Of CCTV, arriving July 4th. Alongside the full original album, the reissue is packed with unreleased demos (‘Move On Now’, ‘Gotta Reason’), B-sides, rare live cuts, and remixes—many available on vinyl for the first time.
Originally recorded in a makeshift studio above a taxi office, Stars Of CCTV was a cultural lightning rod. Released in 2005, the album channeled the frustration and escapism of working-class suburban life, earning a Mercury Prize nomination, triple platinum sales, and spawning anthems like ‘Cash Machine’, ‘Living for the Weekend’, and ‘Hard To Beat’. It went on to sell over 1.2 million copies worldwide, including 750,000+ in the UK.
Hard-Fi’s blend of indie grit and electronic edge defined an era of British music. Hailed by NME as “the sound of young Britain,” the band went on to play five consecutive sold-out nights at Brixton Academy, sharing the stage with legends like Paul Weller and Mick Jones of The Clash.
The group—Richard Archer, Ross Phillips, Kai Stephens, and Steve Kemp—will also return to the stage this summer with a string of live shows, including a highly anticipated appearance at Glastonbury Festival’s Avalon Stage on June 28, and two intimate in-store performances at Kingston’s Pryzm on July 3.
Live Dates
May 24 – Moto GP, Silverstone
June 28 – Glastonbury Festival, Avalon Stage
July 3 – Kingston, Pryzm (6:30 PM & 8:30 PM)
July 17 – Heritage Live, Englefield House (w/ The Wombats, Doves & Alfie Templeman)
