The Hardship Post

The Hardship Post was a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, in 1992. The band moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, during the Halifax Pop Explosion of the early 1990s.^[2]

The band originally consisted of vocalist and guitarist Sebastian Lippa, bassist Mike Kean and drummer Matt Clarke.^[3] Initially signed to Murderecords,^[4] they released the EPs Mood Ring and Hack in 1993, and undertook their first cross-Canada tour to support the recordings.^[5] Mike Pick would replace Kean on bass in mid-1993.

In late 1994, they signed to Sub Pop,^[6] which released their full-length album Somebody Spoke in 1995.^[7] Around that time Clarke left the band, and was replaced by Alyson MacLeod of Jale.^[8] This formation of the band would be known as "The New Hardship Post", which released one single on Squirtgun Records, in 1996.^[9] This iteration of the band provided a track on the various artists compilation Pet-kout-koy-ek: Songs For A River; the compilation was also released in 1996.^[10]

Hardship Post won as Best Alternative Band at the 1994 East Coast Music Awards,^[11] and were nominated for the same award in 1996.^[12] At the Juno Awards of 1996, Somebody Spoke was a nominee for Best Alternative Album.^[13]

Prior to the groups dissolution in 1997, the band recorded a second album for Sub Pop in 1996. It was recorded on 4-track in their rehearsal space. At that time, they had changed their name to The New Hardship Post; the lineup consisted of Sebastian Lippa, Alyson MacLeod, and Mike Pick. This album has never been released, or leaked.^[14]

The band broke up in 1997.^[15]