Hard To Defend
Royal Commission
‘Hard To Defend’ is a rumination on the sort of character you find in small towns and toxic workplaces.
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🎙️Key Presenter Talk-Up Points
- Royal Commission is Dean Robb's DIY project from Melbourne — recorded on inexpensive gear with a true 4-track spirit, but delivering big emotional punch.
- 'Hard To Defend' examines the small-town and workplace gossips we all encounter, balancing irritation with an unexpectedly empathetic refrain.
- The production is gloriously lo-fi: second-hand guitars, a drum machine and a $13.95 microphone from Jaycar, proof that strong songs don't need a huge budget.
- The project has drawn praise from Australian veterans like Dave Graney and international support from UK tastemakers such as Mark Whitby.
- 'Into Rock 'n Roll' gathers recent singles and showcases how Royal Commission turns rough edges and noise into singalong, alt-rock moments.
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Track Story
‘Hard To Defend’ is a rumination on the sort of character you find in small towns and toxic workplaces. "You know that guy who claims to know all your business but hardly ever speaks to you? They get ‘the full story’ off someone who wasn’t even there and they love to tell you all about it!" The line ‘I wish you all the love that you want back’ is particularly poignant. It’s kind of feeling simultaneously annoyed by their attitude and a little sad for their projection. Your (supposed) story is all they have.
About Royal Commission
Royal Commission is the recording project of Dean Robb (ex-Guys Doing Stuff - as seen on ABC TV's 'rage'). File under alternative rock, post-punk, DIY, 'noise' occasionally, 'outsider' probably, and there are a few 'nice' ones where a bit of melody or a singalong comes through too. Created on a TASCAM Digital Pocketstudio (DP-006) with some second-hand guitars and pedals, a $13.95 microphone from Jaycar and a drum machine. That all gets loaded into Audacity for a basic mix and master and to export a digital file, but that's about it. Bona fide 4-track recording like back in the old days. Earning kudos from the likes of Dave Graney and Rob Critchley (The Fods) for their sound and recording technique, Royal Commission have been championed on UK radio by Dandelion DJ Mark Whitby, while Louder Than War called them “a raw and ready burst of irreverence and alt-rock charm.” ‘Into Rock ‘n Roll’ collects the singles released between January and September and adds 3 tracks from the ‘Dossier
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For Radio & Media
Radio Intro
Up next is Royal Commission with 'Hard To Defend' — a sharp, lo-fi alternative rock cut from Melbourne's DIY scene. Gritty, melodic and memorably observant, this track examines the small-town characters and toxic workplaces we all know too well.
Press Blurb
Royal Commission is the solo recording project of Dean Robb, an outsider-leaning voice from Melbourne whose work sits at the intersection of alternative rock, post-punk and occasional noise. Built on a bona fide 4-track ethos — crafted with second-hand guitars, pedals, a drum machine and a bargain microphone — Robb's songs marry rough-edged production with incisive observation. 'Hard To Defend' is a rumination on the gossiping, self-appointed narrators who populate small towns and toxic workplaces; equal parts annoyed and empathetic, the song culminates in the poignant refrain, 'I wish you all the love that you want back.' Praised by figures such as Dave Graney and Rob Critchley and championed abroad by DJs including Mark Whitby, Royal Commission has earned press nods from Louder Than War and a growing listenership for its direct, irreverent songwriting. 'Into Rock 'n Roll' collects recent singles and highlights Robb's talent for turning garage-scale production into anthemic emotional clarity.
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