Music

Hard-Fi Celebrate 20 Years of ‘Stars Of CCTV’ with Deluxe Vinyl & CD Anniversary Release

Apr 4, 2025

British 4-piece Hard-Fi mark the 20th anniversary of their era-defining debut album, Stars Of CCTV with a stunning limited edition yellow gatefold 2-LP vinyl & 2-CD release – out 4th July. This collection celebrates the record that transformed four working-class lads from Staines into one of the UK’s most vital bands of the 2000s, capturing the disillusionment and defiance of suburban Britain. Pre-order here.

Recorded on a shoestring budget but radiating ambition, Stars Of CCTV struck a chord nationwide. The album climbed to No. 1 on the UK albums chart, earned a Mercury Music Prize nomination, and went triple platinum, selling over 1.2 million copies worldwide and over three quarters of a million in the UK alone, cementing Hard-Fi as the voice of a generation grappling with minimum-wage jobs, nightlife escapism, and a rapidly changing Britain.

The 20th Anniversary release features the album in full, never-before-heard demos of ‘Hard To Beat’, ‘Move On Now’ & ‘Gotta Reason’, as well as B-Sides, live versions and a host of special remixes. The original album was only ever released as a limited run on vinyl, so this brand new set will give most fans a special opportunity to purchase the record on vinyl for the very first time.

Richard Archer recalls: “We were skint, recording in a freezing old minicab office, but we knew we had something raw and real. ‘Stars’ was our life – watching mates struggle in dead end jobs, police on every corner, but still finding joy in the weekend. To see it still matter to people 20 years on… that’s really humbling.”

Formed in 2003 by frontman Richard Archer (vocals/guitar), Ross Phillips (guitar), Kai Stephens (bass), and Steve Kemp (drums), Hard-Fi burst onto the scene with their debut album ‘Stars Of CCTV’ (2005), from an old taxi office – blending indie and electronic influences into a sound that captured the spirit of British youth culture. Their 2005 debut became an instant classic, articulating the frustrations and aspirations of post-industrial youth through anthems like ‘Cash Machine’, ‘Hard to Beat’, and ‘Living for the Weekend’.

Hailed by NME as “the sound of young Britain,” Hard-Fi’s meteoric rise also saw them play one of the longest residencies at London’s Brixton Academy – a fully sold-out feat they share with the likes of Bob Dylan, and the Clash, after performing at the landmark London venue for five nights straight in 2006 and bringing on special guests including Paul Weller and The Clash’s Mick Jones.

Follow-up albums ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ (2007) and ‘Killer Sounds’ (2011) further showcased their genre-blurring vision.

LIVE DATES

May 24th Moto GP, Silverstone

June 28th Glastonbury Festival, Avalon Stage

July 17th Heritage Live, Englefield House (w/ The Wombats, Doves & Alfie Templeman)

Stars Of CCTV 20th Anniversary Tracklisting

CD1