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Hot Hot Heat’s last album “Make Up the Breakdown” was cut in six days and earned critical raves and worldwide attention. However the band’s recent release, “Elevators,” is taking some heat in the press, causing some to question how hot the group really is. Band members openly admit the new album sounds different from past releases. In its seven years, the band has weathered two major line-up changes and has moved in a new direction. “Elevators” was recorded in the wilds of Victoria, BC and Los Angeles with producer Dave Sardy (Marilyn Manson, NIN, Dandy Warhols, Slayer). The band stands behind their new album emphatically and thinks fans and critics will come around. Tablet caught up with Hot Hot Heat drummer Paul Hawley in Ottawa during the band’s current worldwide tour to get the inside scoop.
You lost your original guitarist Dante DeCaro and picked up Luke Paquin. What was the reason behind Dante’s exit?
He wasn’t happy on tour, and so much of what we do is being on tour. Staying motivated is a hard thing to do; Luke is so much more into it. We’ve already started writing songs and the vibe is just a 180-degree turn.
How did you guys find Luke?
Through mutual friends. We had a friend in LA and were like, “We’re looking for a guitar player.” He was pretty drunk, [but] immediately he got all sober and said, “I know the guy, he’s perfect for you. He’s been playing since he was nine, he can play anything. He’s amazing.” And we’re like, shit, we got to meet him! We drove and met him at a bar and basically hung out until three in the morning getting drunk. We really vibed personality-wise, but we were leaving for Vancouver the next day. So we had him fly up. We hung out and jammed a little and let the relationship progress as naturally as we could.
It sounds as though it has worked out. You mentioned that it’s difficult for you guys to stay motivated on tour; how do you stay inspired to rock?
You’ve got to remind yourself that you have a pretty amazing job, which I do a lot. It’s the little things—like meals, phone calls home—but the show is the big motivator and you do everything to make the show better.
Your newest CD “Elevators” was just released and has been receiving mixed reviews. How do you feel about it?
I think the record is great; I wouldn’t have released it if I hadn’t. It’s definitely in some direction for us, I’m not sure in what direction… [but] I feel totally confident about every song. The problem is when people compare your new work to your old work, and that’s all that ends up happening in reviews. They compare one record to the other, when in reality they’re two totally separate records by almost two totally separate bands. There’s so much that’s happened along the way that there’s no way we could ever reproduce the first record. People get their expectations up and we inevitably let them down. I understand.
Many of those reviews seem stuck on the fact that you’re changing your sound. You said it was a step; What direction do you think you’re heading?
Jesus, man, I don’t know. I don’t know where we’re going to be in a year or two. I’d like to think we’d… always keep it interesting—fun and interesting to us.
Dave Sardy produced this album; what was your experience like working with him?
It was an incredible experience working with Dave. We’ve never really worked with a producer so in-depth before. He really had a lot to offer us, it was really cool. Up until then we had written and made everything sound the way we wanted it to sound, but it was neat to have someone we trusted so much have opinions. Plus, he’s just crazy, so that was great. We became quite close; he got married while we were in the middle of recording, so we were there for that. It felt like family.
How influential was Sardy in creating the album’s sound?
Not too influential. We all still have very big egos and the record is very much ours. It would be more subtle things—he’s there more to figure out what we’re trying to do and help us achieve that goal. But it’s inevitably going to sound like a Hot Hot Heat record because it’s Hot Hot Heat.
You mentioned that you guys were writing new songs, songs on the road, does that mean another release is in the works?
To be honest, we haven’t talked about it. If this record does well, we’ll probably be on tour for a while. If it doesn’t do well, we might not, we might get dropped.
Hot Hot Heat perform June 4 at Endfest 14 at the White River Amphitheater, along with Social Distortion, Interpol, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Pretty Girls Make Graves and many more.
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