Hot Hot Heat Making "Pretty Complicated Party Album"

Three years after releasing Happiness Ltd., Vancouver's Hot Hot Heat are finally set to drop their new album, Future Breeds, on the world.

It's out June 1, and is the quartet's first album since they split with Sire Records. It's also the first to feature former Fake Shark Real Zombie bassist Parker Bossley. It was recorded in the band's new Vancouver studio, Tugboat Place, by frontman Steve Bays and mixed by Limblifter frontman Ryan Dahle.

"Our goal was to make it a party album," says Bays. "But it's a pretty complicated party album."

Bays attributes the three-year gap in releases to the band's decision to record the album first, then shop it to labels.

"I wanted whoever was going to sign us to sign us on our new sound rather than our old one."

Bays remains mum as to who that label will be, but that it will be a Canadian indie.

"The main thing that I never really liked [on Sire] was that there was so much emphasis placed on the radio aspect. And I love hearing our songs on the radio, but I just thought there were so many songs that were not given attention that were just as good if not better. I want a label that's going to push us as a band and push the album and it not be so radio oriented.

"JKF's LSD" and the title track are already posted at the band's website as video clips, and Bays says the two songs are indicative of the band's "new sound," though neither is the record's "flagship track."

"Production wise it's kind of in that vein," he says. "There's a lot of weird ideas and time signatures. I don't expect it to necessarily go over super well with everyone. But I expect that people that listen to a lot of music and are a bit more critical will get where we're coming from. It's a bunch of guys in a room with a bunch of fun toys.

"Somebody that heard it yesterday said it sounds like it was made by a band who is on a lot of drugs, but I was flattered," he says. "Finally, a nice review."

Hot Hot Heat can be seen here:

March 9 Peterborough, ON @ Red Dog
March 10 Kingston, ON @ Ale House
March 11 St. Catharines, ON @ L3 Nightclub
March 12 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern (CHARTattack/Horseshoe CMW showcase)
March 13 London, ON @ Call The Office