Hot Hot Heat

Originally forming in 1999 as a raucous, synthesizer-driven outfit from Victoria, British Columbia, Hot Hot Heat shifted toward a more raucous yet hook-driven indie rock sound by 2001. At that point, keyboardist Steve Bays assumed lead vocals while guitarist Dante DeCaro entered the lineup alongside the original rhythm section of drummer Paul Hawley and bassist Dustin Hawthorne. This configuration infused their material with sharper melodic focus and playful lyricism, first showcased on the 2002 EP Knock Knock Knock. That release, bolstered by shared bills with the Walkmen and the Dismemberment Plan, opened the door to their debut full-length Make Up the Breakdown, issued in fall 2002. A collection of their earlier, more abrasive recordings, Scenes One Through Thirteen, also surfaced that year via Ohev. Shortly after Make Up the Breakdown appeared, the band secured a deal with Warner Bros., capping an already active 2002. Following an extensive 2003 touring schedule, they devoted 2004 to tracking new material, during which DeCaro departed even as his contributions remained on the resulting Elevator. Sire issued that album in spring 2005; it earned a 2006 Juno Award nomination. With guitarist Luke Paquin now aboard, the group headed back into the studio the following spring to cut 2007’s Happiness Ltd. under producer Rob Cavallo. Bassist Parker Bossley joined the fold, and between 2008 and 2009 the members constructed their own studio before commencing work on the next record. Teaming with Limblifter’s Ryan Dahle as producer, they incorporated disco and electro textures into 2010’s Future Breeds. Bossley exited that same year and was succeeded by Louis Hearn. In 2013 Hot Hot Heat began tracking a fifth album and issued the track “Mayor of the City,” yet soon entered a period of inactivity. During the break, Bays launched two side projects: Mounties, featuring Dahle and singer/songwriter Hawksley Workman, released the 2014 Polaris Music Prize-longlisted Thrash Rock Legacy; and Fur Trade, a collaboration with Bossley that delivered the 2013 album Don’t Get Heavy. Hot Hot Heat resurfaced in 2016 with the Record Store Day single “Nature of Things” and their concluding, self-titled LP, both recorded alongside Dahle.