Hot Hot Heat's Steve Bays Says New Album Is A Return To Dance-Punk

Steve Bays is worried that the dream he had the previous night will turn out to be a premonition.

"I had this nightmare we were in our hometown and we were really drunk and a journalist wrote really mean things about us," he says after discovering a Vancouver-based writer will be interviewing him. "I'm kind of freaked out."

But the Hot Hot Heat frontman's fears are unfounded considering his band's new Happiness Ltd. album is under tighter security than the U.S. aviation industry. Until the Sept. 11 release date, fans will have to trust Bays' review of the record. And if they favour the group from their Make Up The Breakdown period, they're in for a treat. Bays says the band have reverted to their dance-punk roots.

"I think it's the catchiest record we've put out. I think lyrically it's saying happiness is more fulfilling when it's coming from a real place, not an instant gratification place. In many ways it's very high-energy, and it's the stuff we're known for."

The album took two years to put out due to an unconventional writing process and an idealistic goal of reaching a unanimous vote on which songs made it to the album. Bays explains that the record was halfway through post-production when he wrote three more songs that they felt had to be on the track list. A few re-recording sessions later, they found themselves pushing the release date further back.

"We put a lot into making this record perfect," stresses Bays.

The album was a confirmation for Bays that he still wants to make music. He says he was distracted with "other stuff" for a few months and began questioning his chosen path.

"I was just not there at all then I went completely the opposite direction, and I've never relied on the band for camaraderie and love and fulfillment more than I have in the last year."

With the record ready and waiting to go, the band have begun to tour, most recently opening for U.K. alt-rockers Snow Patrol. Ahead on their agenda is a handful of European tour dates. Bays says they wish they could squeeze in a cross-Canada summer tour, but Canuck fans will have to wait until late fall.

"We always seem to end up doing Canada in the winter. We always want to do it in the summer. We did it once before and it was our favourite tour of all time."Suddenly, all of the Canada talk becomes too much. "Ah, I'm just so homesick," Bays says with a sigh.