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New band from where?
Steve: We're from Victoria, BC… a little island off of the western coast of Canada; also referred to as the city of the newly wed and nearly dead.
How long have you guys been around?
Paul: We've been around for about 3 years, but Dante didn't join till about a year ago. At that time Steve started singing too.
At first listen I thought New Wave garage band. I then gave some CDs to friends/colleagues for a listen and the first response was The Cure. Is this intentional and/or how would you guys describe where your sound comes from?
Steve: Considering how little we have listened to the Cure, I would definitely say it is not intentional. My voice just sounds the way it does… I really have little control over it. We are kinda perplexed by the consistent Cure reference… It's flattering cuz they're a really cool band; but our sound comes from a ton of other stuff too. We all used to play a ton of different styles of music and we listen to a lotta different stuff. Our sound pretty much just comes out from practicing a lot and it's hard to say where it comes from exactly.
Obviously the New Wave movement has to be an impact. What bands/albums do you feel have influenced your sound?
Paul: I'm pretty much influenced by any and all music. Names that come to mind: Rolling Stones, Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Clash, The Police, VSS, U2, Nirvana, etc. There's millions more.
Steve: Surprisingly, we don't have a lot of New Wave influences… we just like music that makes you feel good and wanna dance. I never like to comment on what I'm listening to currently because it changes every week. I will say though that I like where music is going lately. It seems like people are starting to crave genuinely good song writing again.
Thoughts on your name and its origin?
Paul: I thought of the name right when we started jamming. I liked the double use of the word Hot. It just seems like it drops connotations of energy.
Did any members from previous bands have a noticeable impact on your band's present sound?
Steve: Not really, we have more of an impact on each other than anyone else ever did. We're a really close knit group. If one of us discovers something, we all do.
Colors seem to play a role in impacting a bands image/sound. Do you think colors can set a mood with the music?
Steve: Colors definitely have an effect. I once heard that Subway intentionally made all their restaurants yellow cuz it makes people want to leave quickly after they buy their food. Whether or not cover art would have a similar impact, I don't know. I really like that the cover to our EP is pink for a few reasons. It's HOT pink, not many bands use that color, and it makes the CD feel ALIVE! I really like bold colors that stay consistent. I chose orange as our website's main color because so many bands use dark colors and I'm tired of feeling 'dark.' I don't feel enough energy from graphic design lately.
Do you think style is important in what role it plays with music?
Steve: If by style you mean fashion, I would say yes. Conforming to fashion standards is bad, but if you're stylish (even if only according to your own standards) it shows that you're creative in multiple aspects of your life… possibly a hint that you're passionate about your music and creativity in general. Any time a band shows me that they're thinking with the right side of their brain more than the left side, that's cool.
New York is having a huge resurgence of post punk/New Wave bands. What do you feel about the resurgence of this music?
Paul: I've been in to the punk/New Wave scene for years… so it's cool to see a "resurgence." I always think the mainstream can use a dose of culture in the form of kids being passionate about something they're doing.
Steve: It's about time the mainstream turned to content instead of packaging. Hopefully New York's influence will stick with the mainstream for a while.
What would you say the scene is like in Canada at the moment? And does the correct scene have any impact on your sound?
Paul: The scene in Canada is really diverse, so it's hard to say. There's some really promising bands I've heard from the east coast. Nothing's really blowing my mind right now though. But, my favorite shows happen in Canada. Kids seem stoked to see live bands.
Steve: In terms of the music community, I'm really excited about every Canadian show we play. Lately, there seems to be a high level of optimism and effort put in to promoting rock shows… as opposed to a few years ago when electronic music was the main thing.
Would you say that everyday people affect you in any way?
People you see on the street/train going to and from work. Or would you say being in a band removes you from every day life?
Steve: Yes to all 3. I think being a musician and being observant go hand in hand. I'm a Sociology major at school (although I have to drop out to tour now) and it's because I like to analyze people; why they do what they do… it's really cool. Lately, being in this band has removed us from every day life because it's been taking up most of our time -which is a good thing.
Thoughts or inspirations on how you come up with lyrics.
Steve: All our lyrics reflect our lives and our relationships with people. I like to play with words too… I like vocals that jump around.
Are you the type of band that looks for the after party or retreats home to think over how the evening went?
Paul: Depends on how we feel. I'm always up for thinking how the evening went -at the after party.
Steve: Maybe it's cuz we're still young, but we're usually always into getting crazy after a show… often we're the instigators.
How would you define success for the band? And what are you willing to do to achieve it?
Paul: It would be nice to make a good living doing this and to have an actual impact on the music scene. I'll do anything to achieve -aside from giving up my creative integrity.
Steve: I'd like to look back and be genuinely content with the records I made.
Best part about being in a band?
Paul: Friendship, creating things that weren't there before, travelling, giving back to the music community, friendship. These perks are endless…there is a new reason I love doing this every day! Today for example: a nice interview.
Worst part of being in a band?
Paul: Dante and I would probably agree that sleeping on sofas in the front room for the past year has been the worst thing…but you know, I don't even really mind! It's like a sleepover every night. So I guess there is really no "worst thing". It's all "cool things" and then maybe "less cool things".
website: Hot Hot Heat
~Lio
Oil Productions
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