Hastings trio HotWax today celebrate the release of their debut album ‘Hot Shock’, out now via Marathon Artists. The band are mid-way through a string of instore dates to celebrate the record’s release including a hometown at Resident Brighton tonight and Rough Trade East next week, as ‘Hot Shock’ is named as Rough Trade’s album of the month. ‘Hot Shock’ is available now in three distinct coloured vinyl editions, each inspired by the band members’ hair (‘The Tallulah’ in black with a blonde stripe, ‘The Alfie’ in gold and a Rough Trade exclusive ‘The Lola’ in bright orange). Following their instores, the band will continue on the road across the UK and Europe, visiting as many new towns and cities as possible – full live dates below. The release of the record is also accompanied by a brand new video for ‘Strange To Be Here’ directed by singer Tallulah Sim-Savage – watch HERE.

After being crowned as the UK’s most hotly-tipped independent band of 2024 [Record of the Day], HotWax’s debut album follows the release of two critically acclaimed 2023 EPs that launched the touring Hastings trio to ever bigger stages, playing over 200 blistering live shows in the past 18 months alone including Reading + Leeds, Mad Cool, All Points East, Download, support tours with Royal Blood, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Deap Vally and more. It’s the band’s incredible stagecraft and seemingly limitless energy that caught the attention of producer Catherine Marks (Boygenius, Wolf Alice) at Third Man Records’ Blue Basement last summer; “It was the sweatiest gig we have ever done – it was really, really packed,” explains Tallulah “Afterwards, Catherine came up to us and said, ‘Oh my god, I need to record your album with you. I want it to sound like the energy in this room. It needs to feel like a party.’”

The band went on to build an all-female team to record ‘Hot Shock’, with Marks co-producing alongside Steph Marziano (Picture Parlour, Cassandra Jenkins), bringing a crowd of the band’s friends into London’s legendary RAK Studios to record a live runthrough of the new record – perfectly capturing the distinct, dizzying energy of a HotWax gig. While touring the US, the band also recorded with Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa at her studio in Joshua Tree.

The result is an album made to be played to a crowd, loud and with abandon. But there’s also a beating pulse of vulnerability underscoring ‘Hot Shock’, written throughout the whirlwind of life on the road. “Touring and constantly living in the moment can be chaotic. But there’s also a feeling of knowing that the more life experience we gain, the more fearless we become” explains bassist Lola Sam. Although Hot Shock may traverse the unsettling terrain that comes with entering young adulthood, there’s also a sense of playful abandon that is never far behind. Childhood friends Sim-Savage and Sam have been writing together since they were 12, before the latter met drummer Alfie Sayers at music college five years later. 

‘A Thousand Times’ EP lead single ‘Treasure’ reached the BBC Radio 6 Music B-List as well as a ‘Next Wave’ on BBC Radio 1, with the two EPs earning widespread support from The Sunday Times, The Independent, NME, Dork, DIY, Clash and many more. Tallulah, Lola & Alfie are ripping up the template and ripping up stages across the UK. Having only recently left school, their rarified live energy and sound has already won the support of Beck, Karen O, Courtney Love, Pete Doherty, Wolf Alice, Elton John, Zane Lowe and more. 

Despite having been launched onto festival mainstages while still in their teens, HotWax are here for the long ride and show no signs of slowing down. In fact, ‘Hot Shock’ is only the beginning.

HotWax Live Dates:

Tickets here.

March 3, Music’s Not Dead, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea – Instore

March 4, Slice of Vinyl, Gosport – Instore

March 7, Resident, Brighton – Instore

March 8, Rough Trade Nottingham (Midday) – Instore

March 8, Rough Trade Liverpool (Evening) – Instore

March 9, Rough Trade, Bristol – Instore

March 10, Vinyl Whistle, Leeds – Instore

March 11, Rough Trade East, London – Instore

March 12, Vinilo, Southampton – Instore

March 13, Truck, Oxford – Instore

March 20, Trix (Bar), Antwerp

March 22, EKKO, Utrecht

March 24, MTC, Cologne 

March 25, Urban Spree (Rough Trade), Berlin

March 26, Hafenklang, Hamburg

March 28,  Where Else?, Margate

March 30, Forum, Tunbridge Wells

March 31, Face Bar, Reading

April 1, Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes

April 3, Polar Bear, Hull

April 4, Nice n Sleazy, Glasgow (Random Rules)

April 5, Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh (Random Rules)

April 6, The Georgian Theatre, Stockton-On-Tees

April 7, Kanteena, Lancaster 

April 9, DeadWax, Birmingham

April 10, Bunkhouse, Swansea

April 11, Burdall’s Yard, Bath

May 31, Temple Newsam Park, Leeds, Kaiser Chiefs + Cribs All Dayer