On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Tomás Doncker’s genre-blending EP Hard Is Hard, featuring the soulful single Ace of Spades, drops July 4, 2025, alongside a UK/Europe tour with Fun Lovin’ Criminals.
Hard Is Hard
New York City’s Tomás Doncker, a versatile alternative-R&B producer, singer, songwriter, and True Groove Records CEO, will release his new EP, Hard Is Hard, on July 4, 2025. Distributed through True Groove Records, the five-track project will be available on major streaming platforms and as a limited-edition double EP vinyl, featuring an unreleased “soft side.”
Hard Is Hard blends soul, blues, funk, rock, and jazz, showcasing Doncker’s knack for cross-genre storytelling. Produced with James Dellatacoma (Bill Laswell, Herbie Hancock) and mastered by Michael Fossenkemper (Paul Weller, Miles Davis), the EP features guest artists like Frank Benbini and Adriano Rossetti-Bonell of UB40, as well as The Specials Horns. Its lyrics address racial inequality, social injustice, and the importance of resilience in challenging times.
The EP’s lead single, a soulful reworking of Motörhead’s Ace of Spades, drops June 13, 2025. Doncker’s inspiration came from recognizing the song’s roots in the Delta Blues tradition of Son House, Robert Johnson, and Muddy Waters. By infusing it with soul and blues, he transforms the rock anthem into a powerful reflection of his musical vision.
Tomás Doncker
Since the 1980s, Doncker has been a key figure in New York’s music, arts, and culture scenes, starting with No Wave and Punk Funk bands like The Contortions and Defunkt. His career includes international tours and collaborations with artists such as Bootsy Collins, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ivan Neville, The Specials, and Patti Smith.
Leading The True Groove All-Stars, Doncker has built a reputation as a genre-blending innovator, with his work praised by outlets like BBC, CNN, NPR, Rolling Stone, and Blues Matters Magazine, where he recently graced the cover.
Joining Fun Lovin’ Criminals on Tour
Doncker and The True Groove All-Stars, including members of The Specials Horns, will support Fun Lovin’ Criminals on an extensive UK and Europe tour this fall. The invitation highlights Doncker’s growing presence in the international music scene, and he has expressed gratitude for the opportunity to connect with new audiences.
True Groove Records and Collaborative Ventures
Through True Groove Records, Doncker has collaborated with P-Funk’s Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton, Amp Fiddler, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Public Enemy’s Keith Shocklee. His work with New York Poet Laureate Yusef Komunyakaa has produced acclaimed projects like Big Apple Blues, The Mercy Suite, and The Black Magnolia Project. In 2022, Doncker and Komunyakaa partnered with visual artist Floyd Tunson for ENDANGERED, a multimedia project exploring the challenges faced by Black men in America through Afro-Futuristic art and politically charged music.
How to Listen and Follow
Hard Is Hard and Ace of Spades will be available on all major streaming platforms, with the EP releasing on July 4, 2025, and the single on June 13, 2025. Fans can catch Doncker and The True Groove All-Stars on tour with Fun Lovin’ Criminals across the UK and Europe this fall.
TRACK LISTING:
- Do or Die Pt.1
- Wha-Gwaan!
- Rich People Problems
- Hard Is Hard
- Ace of Spades
LIVE DATES:
- July 12th 2025 – Cosmopolitan Arts Festival, Leicester
- July 25th 2025 – Barefoot Festival, Leicester
- July 27th 2025 – High Tide Festival, Twickenham
- August 1st 2025 – Le Pub, Newport
- August 6th 2025 – Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham
- September 4th 2025 – Sub 89, Reading (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- September 5th 2025 – Waterfront, Norwich (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- September 6th 2025 – The Garage, London (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- September 7th 2025 – Concorde 2, Brighton (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- September 18th 2025 – Arena, Torquay (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- September 19th 2025 – Thekla, Bristol (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- September 28th 2025 – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 2nd – La Madeleine, Brussels (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 5th 2025 – Werk2, Leipzig (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 6th 2025 – Hole44, Berlin (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 7th 2025 – Hirsch, Nurnberg (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 8th 2025 – Backstage Halle, Munchen (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 10th 2025 – Das Rind, Russelsheim (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 11th 2025 – Opderschmeltz, Dudelange (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 12th 2025 – Patronaat, Haarlem (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 14th 2025 – La Salle des Fêtes, Bordeaux (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
- October 30th 2025 – Lucerna Music Bar, Prague (Supporting Fun Lovin’ Criminals)
Find more from Tomás Doncker now:
- Website: https://tomasdoncker.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomasDonckerMusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomasdonckerofficial / https://www.instagram.com/truegrooverecords/
- Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/6On4s2o0VoJgjFQRdSuAEz?si=oeHm3X9mRHavt2HFXDXTRw
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/tom%C3%A1s-doncker/468939501
- Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B00GVMR32E/tom%C3%A1s-doncker
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