The first time I heard Hank Wood & the Hammerheads it felt like being kicked in the chest. Riffs, hooks and manic energy delivered in great punk songs with a thuggish swagger. These New Yorkers aren't your regular punks— the songs feature squealing keyboards, a giant bald tattooed dude who bashed cowbells, and the insane hollers of Hank Wood. But behind it all was this infectious gallop that didn't make you want dance so much as shake. Part of a small scene of exciting New York bands that includes Dawn of Humans, Crazy Spirit and La Misma, the Hammerheads are pushing the boundaries of punk and looking to take it to interesting new places. Their albums Go Home and Stay Home, both released on New York label Toxic State, have become modern classics.This years Maggot Fest in Australia will feature the band as well as Crazy Spirit, Dawn of Humans (two bands that also deserve a similarly hyperbolic fawning), among many others. In anticipation of their Australian tour and Maggot Fest, Noisey had a chat with Henry Wood himself.Noisey: Has there been a conscious decision made by you guys to start playing more outside of the city?
Henry Wood: Oh yeah for sure. We try.Hammerheads seem to have a strong following in Australia. What's your relationships with Australian bands?
We met Tom and Coco [of Cool Death] and others at a Crazy Spirit show in New York mad long ago. I feel like it was not long after the Crazy Spirit demo came out so like 2010. They already knew our music at that point which was a total shock to us. I think those were the first Aussies I ever encountered and it blew my mind. It just seemed so far away. Crazy Spirit ended up playing a few times with Straightjacket Nation in New York which is how we got to know Dan [Stewart, vocalist of SJN and Total Control]. Also shout out to Kromosom and Total Control and everybody else I'm forgetting about right now.Hank Wood & the Hammerheads, Dawn of Humans, and Crazy Spirit all share members; have you guys ever done a tour together like this before?
No. We've tried and failed before. Dawn Of Humans and Hammerheads have done a few tours together and we even did a tape with all eight of us playing at the same time. I won't mention the name of the tape because I still don't know how I feel about it. Coming to Australia for us is huge. Even to all our friends in New York it seems huge. None of us have ever gone out this far so it's really important to us to have this kind of an opportunity. To be able to do it all together for the first time really is extra special.You've broken up a few times. What keeps bringing you guys back together?
Pure hot love!Hank Wood & The Hammerheads Australian Tour 2016:
Oct 23 - Brisbane at Visions Gallery with Woodboot, Ripped Off and Heavy Breather
Oct 24 - Sydney at Factory Floor with M.O.B., Ghastly Spats and Special Secret Guest
Oct 25 - Newcastle at Croation Club with Nervous Habit, Nailhouse, Obat Batuk and Liquid Diet
Oct 26 – Canberra at Crossroads with U2K, Overmen and Dickiebirds.
Oct 28 - Adelaide at the Metro with Rule of Thirds, The Uglies, Excess,
Oct 30 - Melbourne at MaggotfestSam Eckhardt is a Melbourne based writer who publishes Weirdo With a Dictaphone. Follow him @sjeckhardt
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Henry Wood: Oh yeah for sure. We try.Hammerheads seem to have a strong following in Australia. What's your relationships with Australian bands?
We met Tom and Coco [of Cool Death] and others at a Crazy Spirit show in New York mad long ago. I feel like it was not long after the Crazy Spirit demo came out so like 2010. They already knew our music at that point which was a total shock to us. I think those were the first Aussies I ever encountered and it blew my mind. It just seemed so far away. Crazy Spirit ended up playing a few times with Straightjacket Nation in New York which is how we got to know Dan [Stewart, vocalist of SJN and Total Control]. Also shout out to Kromosom and Total Control and everybody else I'm forgetting about right now.Hank Wood & the Hammerheads, Dawn of Humans, and Crazy Spirit all share members; have you guys ever done a tour together like this before?
No. We've tried and failed before. Dawn Of Humans and Hammerheads have done a few tours together and we even did a tape with all eight of us playing at the same time. I won't mention the name of the tape because I still don't know how I feel about it. Coming to Australia for us is huge. Even to all our friends in New York it seems huge. None of us have ever gone out this far so it's really important to us to have this kind of an opportunity. To be able to do it all together for the first time really is extra special.You've broken up a few times. What keeps bringing you guys back together?
Pure hot love!Hank Wood & The Hammerheads Australian Tour 2016:
Oct 23 - Brisbane at Visions Gallery with Woodboot, Ripped Off and Heavy Breather
Oct 24 - Sydney at Factory Floor with M.O.B., Ghastly Spats and Special Secret Guest
Oct 25 - Newcastle at Croation Club with Nervous Habit, Nailhouse, Obat Batuk and Liquid Diet
Oct 26 – Canberra at Crossroads with U2K, Overmen and Dickiebirds.
Oct 28 - Adelaide at the Metro with Rule of Thirds, The Uglies, Excess,
Oct 30 - Melbourne at MaggotfestSam Eckhardt is a Melbourne based writer who publishes Weirdo With a Dictaphone. Follow him @sjeckhardt