There is something refreshingly human about “Hard To Defend,” the latest single from Melbourne DIY project Royal Commission. Led by Dean Robb, the project turns an everyday source of frustration, small-town and workplace gossip, into a sharp, witty and surprisingly compassionate alternative rock song. What could have been a straightforward rant becomes something far more observant, revealing the insecurity and sadness that can sometimes exist behind other people’s obsession with everybody else’s business.
The character at the centre of “Hard To Defend” is immediately recognizable. He is the person who somehow knows everything about everyone, despite barely speaking to them. He hears a distorted version of events from somebody who was not even there, then proudly presents it as fact. Robb captures the absurdity of that personality with a sense of irritation, but importantly, he doesn’t stop at ridicule.
The song’s most revealing moment comes with the line, “I wish you all the love that you want back.” It changes the emotional temperature completely. Suddenly, the gossip isn’t merely annoying; it becomes a symptom of something deeper. Perhaps the person has become so invested in other people’s lives because they don’t have enough of their own to occupy them. That small touch of empathy gives the track an emotional intelligence that elevates it beyond its humorous premise.
Sonically, Royal Commission embraces imperfection and makes it an asset. Recorded using a TASCAM Digital Pocketstudio, second-hand guitars and pedals, a drum machine and a $13.95 microphone from Jaycar, “Hard To Defend” carries the unmistakable spirit of four-track recording. The production is rough around the edges, but deliberately so. Nothing feels overly processed or engineered into submission. Instead, the raw guitars, stripped-back rhythm and lo-fi textures give the song an intimacy that perfectly complements its subject matter.
There is also an appealing tension in Royal Commission’s sound. The project draws from alternative rock, post-punk, DIY noise and outsider music, yet there are moments where melody and singalong instincts break through the distortion. That accessibility ensures the roughness never becomes alienating.
The acclaim from Australian names such as Dave Graney and Rob Critchley, alongside UK support from Mark Whitby and praise from Louder Than War, feels justified. Royal Commission demonstrates that compelling music doesn’t require expensive equipment when the songwriting has something genuine to say.
“Hard To Defend” is funny, irritated, rough and reflective in equal measure. Most importantly, it listens closely to ordinary human behaviour and finds a story worth telling. That is where Royal Commission’s real strength lies.
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