HotWax have released brand new single ‘Tell Me Everything’s Alright’, a new live favourite as they continue to play festivals across the UK and Europe following the March release of their debut album ‘Hot Shock’, via Marathon Artists.The new single was premiered on BBC 6Music by Huw Stephens and is accompanied by an official video shot in the band’s hometown, while you can watch a live version from TRNSMT last weekend via the BBC here. ‘Hot Shock’ shot to a UK Record Store Chart number 1 and UK Top 40 on release, was named as Rough Trade’s album of the month and earned widespread critical acclaim.
HotWax’s debut album followed the release of two critically acclaimed EPs that launched the touring Hastings trio to ever bigger stages, playing over 200 blistering live shows in the past 18 months alone including Reading + Leeds, Mad Cool, All Points East, Download, support tours with Royal Blood, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Deap Vally and more. It’s the band’s incredible stagecraft and seemingly limitless energy that caught the attention of producer Catherine Marks (Boygenius, Wolf Alice) at Third Man Records’ Blue Basement last summer; “It was the sweatiest gig we have ever done – it was really, really packed,” explains Tallulah “Afterwards, Catherine came up to us and said, ‘Oh my god, I need to record your album with you. I want it to sound like the energy in this room. It needs to feel like a party.’”
The band went on to build an all-female team to record ‘Hot Shock’, with Marks co-producing alongside Steph Marziano (Picture Parlour, Cassandra Jenkins), bringing a crowd of the band’s friends into London’s legendary RAK Studios to record a live runthrough of the new record – perfectly capturing the distinct, dizzying energy of a HotWax gig. While touring the US, the band also recorded with Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa at her studio in Joshua Tree.
The result is an album made to be played to a crowd, loud and with abandon. But there’s also a beating pulse of vulnerability underscoring ‘Hot Shock’, written throughout the whirlwind of life on the road. “Touring and constantly living in the moment can be chaotic. But there’s also a feeling of knowing that the more life experience we gain, the more fearless we become” explains bassist Lola Sam. Although Hot Shock may traverse the unsettling terrain that comes with entering young adulthood, there’s also a sense of playful abandon that is never far behind. Childhood friends Sim-Savage and Sam have been writing together since they were 12, before the latter met drummer Alfie Sayers at music college five years later.
‘A Thousand Times’ EP lead single ‘Treasure’ reached the BBC Radio 6 Music B-List as well as a ‘Next Wave’ on BBC Radio 1, with the two EPs earning widespread support from The Sunday Times, The Independent, NME, Dork, DIY, Clash and many more. Tallulah, Lola & Alfie are ripping up the template and ripping up stages across the UK. Having only recently left school, their rarified live energy and sound has already won the support of Beck, Karen O, Courtney Love, Pete Doherty, Wolf Alice, Elton John, Zane Lowe and more.