Hot Springs: Prettier Than Islands

Hot Springs have spent the last three years amassing a loyal following in their hometown of Montreal, and now the indie punk-pop group are ready to erupt across Canada with their first LP, Volcano.

While known primarily for their chaotic live sets, frontwoman/guitarist Giselle Webber thinks those introduced to the band through Volcano will find the quartet far more serious. The group retreated to Arcade Fire's Petit Eglise studio in Quebec's Eastern Townships and Webber toned down her typical Bjork-like screeching after being issued a challenge from Islands leader Nick Diamonds.

"He was writing for the first Islands record and I was writing for this record. He would always tell me I always scream even though I had a great voice, so I wanted to prove him wrong by making better pretty music than him."

The Hot Springs haven't changed their spots entirely, as Webber defines the tracks as being "schizophrenic with an ADHD vibe," and true to the band's 2005 EP, Rock Partouze (which means "Rock Orgy" in English).

Rarely do the songs follow the verse-chorus-verse pattern that their poppy exteriors would suggest. A self-described feminist, Webber's songs typically revolve around female characters, including her self-professed lesbian rock anthem, "Pink Money."

"Lesbian sexual frustration is a specific kind of lesbian frustration that required a song as sort of vapid as 'Pink Money' is," she says.

This Listen Up article is from the November 2007 issue of Chart Magazine. You can purchase the issue in the Chart Shop.