Hard-Ons guitarist Peter ‘Blackie’ Black expands his solo catalogue with two simultaneous albums and a new video from A Bowl Of Spiders, reinforcing his reputation as one of Australia’s most versatile underground songwriters.
by Paul Cashmere
Peter “Blackie” Black, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of Hard-Ons, has released two new solo albums, Boss Is Gone Gone Gone and A Bowl Of Spiders, alongside a fresh video for “Not To Hurt Anyone”, the third clip from A Bowl Of Spiders and the fourth visual across the paired releases.
The albums arrived in February 2026 following a nine-month recording period at Pet Food Factory, with longtime collaborators Jason Whalley and Jemima Perry-Ewing. Final mixes were completed at Parliament Studios by Lachlan Mitchell and mastered by John Ruberto. The “Not To Hurt Anyone” video was produced by Sydney studio Kapow Pictures.
For Blackie, the dual release format reflects both prolific output and a deliberate artistic split. One album leans into restraint and acoustic minimalism, while the other explores a broader palette of styles. It places the work within a growing trend of legacy independent artists bypassing traditional album cycles in favour of expansive, self-directed projects.
Blackie explains the decision plainly: “It’s two albums again ’cause I just had too many songs I wanted to record. Boss Is Gone is purely acoustic, again I wanted to see if I could pull off something so quiet, and Spiders is eclectic.”
The approach highlights a career-long pattern, Blackie using his solo work as a testing ground distinct from his band output with Nunchukka Superfly and the Hard-Ons.
Across A Bowl Of Spiders, Black moves through multiple stylistic references with precision. “Conga Line To The Rest Room” introduces a synth-pop framework, while “There Is Love” draws on gospel structures. “Clap Your Hands” leans into tightly constructed power pop, with layered guitar textures demonstrating Blackie’s long-established tonal versatility.
By contrast, Boss Is Gone Gone Gone opens with “Pumas On The Sleeve”, an a cappella fragment reminiscent of harmonic pop traditions. That thread continues on “Push Push Push”, featuring backing vocals from Tim Steward of Screamfeeder. Elsewhere, “Toss And Turn”, a duet with Lauren Friedman, foregrounds vocal interplay, while “Long Long Drive Ahead Of You” introduces country inflections supported by harmonies from Tim Rogers, Black’s current bandmate in the Hard-Ons lineup.
Blackie frames the distinction between his solo and band material as intuitive. “Some are personal and I wanted to do them myself, some I wanted to experiment with, and one I was told ‘save that for ya solo album Blackie’, so I did.”
Black’s solo work sits within a four-decade career that began in Sydney’s western suburbs in the early 1980s. Formed in 1982, the Hard-Ons emerged from Punchbowl with a hybrid sound combining punk velocity, surf-pop melody and heavy guitar textures. Their early independent releases built a strong alternative following, including a run of chart-topping positions on Australian indie charts and international traction in Europe.
The band’s trajectory included a 1994 split, a 1997 reunion, and multiple lineup changes. Black moved into lead vocal duties in 2001 before the group stabilised again in later years. Since 2021, the Hard-Ons have featured Tim Rogers as lead singer, with recent albums returning the band to ARIA chart prominence.
Parallel to this, Black’s work with Nunchukka Superfly expanded into heavier and more experimental territory, incorporating elements of psychedelia, free jazz and progressive structures. The solo albums extend that exploratory instinct, but with a focus on songwriting craft and arrangement detail.
Within the current music landscape, Black’s approach reflects a broader shift among established independent artists towards autonomy in production and release strategies. Recording across extended sessions and issuing multiple albums simultaneously allows for a more comprehensive presentation of material, avoiding the constraints of conventional release cycles.
At the same time, the acoustic emphasis of Boss Is Gone Gone Gone aligns with a renewed interest in stripped-back recordings, where arrangement and vocal performance carry the weight of the composition.
With Boss Is Gone Gone Gone and A Bowl Of Spiders, Peter Black continues to refine a catalogue that operates alongside, rather than beneath, his band legacy. The release of “Not To Hurt Anyone” as a new visual entry point underscores the ongoing momentum behind the project.
Blackie sums up the outcome without qualification: “I’m really really happy with both.”
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
