Hot Hot Heat's Next Album Will Feature "Crazy" And "Bizarre" Surprises

01/18/08 6:30pm

by Shawn Despres (CHARTattack)

Remember how your mom told you to always ask for things nicely? It turns out she was actually on to something. After nearly six months of gigging in support of their third studio full-length, last year's Happiness Ltd., Hot Hot Heat were ready for a well-deserved rest. Fortunately for fans, that plan was quickly cast aside after British indie rockers The Editors sent a simple "pretty please" request their way.

"We were told The Editors were politely requesting we do this six-week tour with them and Louis XIV," explains vocalist/keyboardist Steve Bays. "I love touring with bands I'm fans of because all the bands push themselves to impress each other. It's also way more of a party that way, and it always seems to rub off on the crowd."

Things started off well weather-wise for the west coast quartet, as the first few dates were all in Florida. The last few shows in California should be nice and warm, too. It's the several weeks in the middle that Bays is slightly worried about.

"Touring in brutal winter conditions really brings a band together or tears them apart," he says. "Combine the rough weather with already having spent several months together, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was at least one fist fight.

"[Bassist] Dustin [Hawthorne] and I have a history of brawling late at night, although we both have laptops now, so we're scared of breaking them."

This spring will see the group focusing their efforts on their next album. Bays is in the process of building a recoding studio in Vancouver, and the plan is to break it in by making a lot of new music. He's already bought all kinds of vintage instruments and recording gear for the room and will also use it to produce work by other musicians when not busy with his bandmates.

"I think having our own studio is going to change the band a lot," says Bays. "Often a band writes a song and records a demo and the initial excitement, heart and soul about that song is oozing out of the demo, but is forgotten by the time it's recorded in a 'real' studio months later.

"I will be much more creatively satisfied and fulfilled if we can record our ideas the second they hit us. Also, that way there is less time to second-guess the stupid ideas — which is good because so often the stupid 2 a.m. ideas are the ones that reflect who you really are the most. This year will be a whole new chapter for Hot Hot Heat, I think. We want to make more music and have it released sooner."

Bays is confident that having greater control of the recording process will help the group add more diversity to their infectious dance-punk songs.

"All I know so far is that the next album is moving in a new direction," he divulges. "It will be very keyboard-heavy and a lot weirder — lots of surprises, crazy arrangements and bizarre instrument choices.

"To be honest, I have always looked at Happiness Ltd. as the end of chapter two. Starting chapter three is scary, but thrilling. I want to take a 90-degree turn and not look back."

Here are Hot Hot Heat's Canadian tour dates with The Editors and Louis XIV:

Jan. 20 Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
Jan. 22 Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
Feb. 5 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom