Biography
Revolving around the shared talents of longtime associates John "Speedo" Reis and Rick Froberg, Hot Snakes came together in the late '90s and issued several lean, high-octane albums during the early 2000s before regrouping to deliver Jericho Sirens for Sub Pop in 2018.
Reis and Froberg initially collaborated in the post-hardcore outfit Pitchfork during the late '80s, then shifted focus to establish Drive Like Jehu in 1990; around the same period Reis launched Rocket from the Crypt. Although the groups diverged sonically—Drive Like Jehu favoring a harsher edge while RFTC leaned toward celebratory, hook-driven material—they tracked parallel commercial trajectories, each releasing a debut in 1991 before both secured deals with Interscope Records in 1992. Drive Like Jehu followed with Yank Crime in 1994 and subsequently disbanded, prompting Froberg to relocate to N.Y.C. for work as an illustrator. Reis maintained his involvement with RFTC until 1999, when the group departed Interscope and elected to pause activities; he then formed Hot Snakes alongside ex-Delta 72 drummer Jason Kourkounis and began developing new material in San Diego. Once recording intensified, the pair recruited Froberg for vocals, resulting in the 2000 album Automatic Midnight, issued as the inaugural release on Reis' Swami Records. With bassist Gar Wood added, the members embarked on a brief tour before returning to their home bases—Reis in San Diego, Froberg in N.Y.C., and Kourkounis in Philadelphia—while Reis also used the interval to start Sultans.
Hot Snakes reconvened to track a follow-up with Wood now participating in the sessions. Recorded at Reis' home studio, 2002's Suicide Invoice found the band expanding slightly beyond the raw garage-punk approach of their debut, after which they toured in support. Upon returning, Kourkounis departed to join Burning Brides and was succeeded by Mario Rubalcaba, who was concurrently active in RFTC; the revised lineup then entered the studio for a third Swami album. Following the destruction of Reis' studio, the quartet moved to Big Fish Studio to work once more with engineer Ben Moore, yielding Audit in Progress, released in late 2004. The group promptly toured Europe, where they captured one of the final Peel Sessions prior to John Peel's passing; Swami issued that recording in 2005. An Australian tour followed that year, including a Triple J Radio session taped in May and released by Swami in 2006, after which the members chose to step away from collective activity. Reis turned his attention to Sultans and Swami operations, while Froberg resumed his regular employment.
By 2008 Sultans had concluded, Reis had assembled the Night Marchers featuring Wood on guitar and Kourkounis on drums, and Froberg had started the Obits. When the two projects shared a 2010 bill in San Diego, Reis and Froberg revived Hot Snakes material for a short set, leading to limited reunion tours in 2011 and 2012 that alternated Kourkounis and Rubalcaba behind the kit. Following those appearances the project again went dormant until the longtime collaborators opted in 2017 to return to recording. Retaining Wood on bass alongside the dual drumming of Kourkounis and Rubalcaba, the band spent a year laying down tracks across San Diego and Philadelphia with Moore handling engineering and mixing duties. They aligned with Sub Pop, which reissued the first three albums early in 2018 to preview the new material. The direct and forceful Jericho Sirens appeared in March 2018; the group toured afterward and commenced work on a subsequent album that was nearly complete when Froberg died in June of 2023 at age 55.
Reis and Froberg initially collaborated in the post-hardcore outfit Pitchfork during the late '80s, then shifted focus to establish Drive Like Jehu in 1990; around the same period Reis launched Rocket from the Crypt. Although the groups diverged sonically—Drive Like Jehu favoring a harsher edge while RFTC leaned toward celebratory, hook-driven material—they tracked parallel commercial trajectories, each releasing a debut in 1991 before both secured deals with Interscope Records in 1992. Drive Like Jehu followed with Yank Crime in 1994 and subsequently disbanded, prompting Froberg to relocate to N.Y.C. for work as an illustrator. Reis maintained his involvement with RFTC until 1999, when the group departed Interscope and elected to pause activities; he then formed Hot Snakes alongside ex-Delta 72 drummer Jason Kourkounis and began developing new material in San Diego. Once recording intensified, the pair recruited Froberg for vocals, resulting in the 2000 album Automatic Midnight, issued as the inaugural release on Reis' Swami Records. With bassist Gar Wood added, the members embarked on a brief tour before returning to their home bases—Reis in San Diego, Froberg in N.Y.C., and Kourkounis in Philadelphia—while Reis also used the interval to start Sultans.
Hot Snakes reconvened to track a follow-up with Wood now participating in the sessions. Recorded at Reis' home studio, 2002's Suicide Invoice found the band expanding slightly beyond the raw garage-punk approach of their debut, after which they toured in support. Upon returning, Kourkounis departed to join Burning Brides and was succeeded by Mario Rubalcaba, who was concurrently active in RFTC; the revised lineup then entered the studio for a third Swami album. Following the destruction of Reis' studio, the quartet moved to Big Fish Studio to work once more with engineer Ben Moore, yielding Audit in Progress, released in late 2004. The group promptly toured Europe, where they captured one of the final Peel Sessions prior to John Peel's passing; Swami issued that recording in 2005. An Australian tour followed that year, including a Triple J Radio session taped in May and released by Swami in 2006, after which the members chose to step away from collective activity. Reis turned his attention to Sultans and Swami operations, while Froberg resumed his regular employment.
By 2008 Sultans had concluded, Reis had assembled the Night Marchers featuring Wood on guitar and Kourkounis on drums, and Froberg had started the Obits. When the two projects shared a 2010 bill in San Diego, Reis and Froberg revived Hot Snakes material for a short set, leading to limited reunion tours in 2011 and 2012 that alternated Kourkounis and Rubalcaba behind the kit. Following those appearances the project again went dormant until the longtime collaborators opted in 2017 to return to recording. Retaining Wood on bass alongside the dual drumming of Kourkounis and Rubalcaba, the band spent a year laying down tracks across San Diego and Philadelphia with Moore handling engineering and mixing duties. They aligned with Sub Pop, which reissued the first three albums early in 2018 to preview the new material. The direct and forceful Jericho Sirens appeared in March 2018; the group toured afterward and commenced work on a subsequent album that was nearly complete when Froberg died in June of 2023 at age 55.
Albums
Singles
