Interview: Challenging Times (Previously Easy Life) Talk About Their Bold New Chapter & the Multiple Layers of Their Upcoming Third Album, 'Onion' - Atwood Magazine

      Murray Matravers of hard life (formerly known as easy life) shares insights about the band's emotionally charged and creatively raw single "othello," the various layers of their upcoming third album 'onion,' and the bold new sonic phase in which he reclaims his voice, vision, and embraces a carefree attitude.

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      Stream: “othello” – hard life

      "This is the album I always wanted to create. It’s unfiltered and sincere in a way I’ve never experienced before. The production and sound of the album are also reaching new heights for me – it’s thrilling."

      * * *

      Upon reintroducing Murray Matravers’ reshaped band last June, he arrived with intensity and unwavering honesty.

      “It’s a hard life, I can’t lie, it’s been a rush,” he sang over a fast-paced version of Natalie Bergman’s soul-infused single, “Keep Those Teardrops from Falling,” wearing his heart on his sleeve, emotions spilling out.

      This was the initial glimpse into what would mark a new chapter, or perhaps even a new band entirely. After a turbulent two years filled with legal troubles and existential challenges, the British group, previously known as easy life, reemerged as hard life—a revamped, revitalized version with the same emotional essence but possessing sharper edges. Though times were tough, pressure creates diamonds, and from their darkest moments, they emerged with renewed confidence and undeniable flair.

      Onion – hard life

      "othello," hard life’s first release of 2025, came out in early April along with the announcement of their third (or first, depending on perspective) studio album, onion (scheduled for release on July 18th via Island Records). A bold, reflective track steeped in heartbreak, dual meanings, and unwavering self-awareness, "othello" plays with the tension between clarity and confusion—highlighting that matters are seldom as "black and white" as they seem. Referencing the board game and the Shakespearean tragedy, the song delves into the emotional turmoil of a relationship disintegrating—a moment when everything once certain suddenly slips away.

      It’s never black and white,

      it’s playin' on my mind like othello

      As we intertwine,

      you make my upper lip shake like jello

      And before I could articulate my thoughts,

      there was nothing but thin air

      And before I could check my radar,

      there was nothing but thin air

      She said, “See you later alligator”

      Lacoste crop-top on the escalator

      Said she’s going through

      a rough patch, it’s been a tough ride

      So she wore a bomber jacket and a detonator

      Should’ve worn a high-vis,

      don’t dim your brightness

      What is life without

      all the herbs and all the spices?

      Shakin’ like arthritis, putting in a night shift,

      tuning up the voltage

      This was the last song Matravers wrote for the upcoming album, and it still felt fresh, raw, and immediate by the time he selected singles—thanks to its tone and subject matter.

      “‘othello’ felt like the clear choice because it hints at the new sonic universe of hard life while not straying too far from what fans might expect,” Matravers tells Atwood Magazine. “I went through a really traumatic breakup with a long-term partner, and this was written towards the conclusion of that experience. Suddenly, this person who was part of your life has disappeared and you feel incredibly alone. ‘othello’ captures this sentiment of someone stepping back and saying goodbye. Anyone who has experienced this, I’m sure can relate—it’s painful.”

      The song’s repetitive refrain, “nothin’ but thin air,” transforms into a mantra of absence, an ache where love once resided—a representation of the emptiness left in the wake of another's departure. Nevertheless, “othello” never succumbs to its melancholy; it’s buoyed by creativity, wit, and an unwavering sense of artistic freedom.

      Can you supercharge my electricity

      before you cut off my supply?

      I think I’m drowning,

      think I’m in too deep

      On my way up, my brain is fried

      It’s never black and white,

      it’s playin' on my mind like othello

      As we intertwine,

      you make my upper lip shake like jello

      And before I could articulate my thoughts,

      there was nothing but thin air

      And before I could check my radar,

      there was nothing but thin air

      hard life’s Murray Matravers

      As the first preview from onion, “othello” also suggests what’s on the horizon for hard life’s upcoming LP.

      "This is the album I've always wanted to create," Matravers shares. "It’s raw and sincere in a way I