Hotwax

English trio HotWax builds its identity around rapid guitar riffs and unfiltered punk drive. Early attention arrived via the 2023 EPs A Thousand Times and Invite me, kindly, paired with a high-voltage stage approach that secured placements on festival bills across Europe.

The band traces its roots to Hastings, England, where Talullah Sim-Savage (vocals/guitar) and Lola Sam (bass) first connected as secondary school students. A teacher placed them in an all-girl ensemble auditioning to open for indie-rock artist Rat Boy; the two quickly bonded and, with drummer Honor Wilson, launched their initial project The Kiffs in 2017. The Kiffs transitioned into HotWax before the group relocated to Brighton, where Sim-Savage and Sam enrolled briefly in music programs. Early independent singles such as “Stay Cool,” “Pat the Killer Cat” and “Baked Beans” emerged during this period, displaying the grungy guitars that would later anchor their sound inside looser, more measured arrangements.

The lineup pivoted in 2021 when Alfie Stevens took over drums from Wilson, prompting faster tempos and tighter energy on cuts including “When We’re Dead” and “Barbie (Not Yours).” In 2023 the trio joined London indie Marathon Artists, which issued A Thousand Times (containing single “Treasure” and the swaying title track) and Invite me, kindly (containing “Drop” and “Phone Machine”) that same year. U.K. outlets responded swiftly, placing HotWax on festival stages by year’s end such as All Points East, Reading and Leeds, and Away from Home—the indie event founded and programmed by Louis Tomlinson of One Direction—where they supported The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the latter dedicating their signature song “Maps” to HotWax at All Points East. Subsequent dates throughout Europe and North America prepared listeners for debut full-length Hot Shock, which surfaced in spring 2025.