Hot Water Music is interviewed by Punkbands.com
I'd like to thank Nita of Goldstar Agency for making this happen, and Jason of Hot Water Music for taking time out of their busy schedule in the UK to do this interview. Pictures courtesy of Epitaph.
PB: What can HWM fans expect from your new album, "Caution"?
HWM: It's definitely a better album than "A Flight & A Crash". It's more focused and stronger, and isn't as cluttered as "A Flight & A Crash", and makes more sense in progression from point A to B. The vocals are a lot better too. It's kinda easier to get into as wanted to do more of a stripped down and straight edged album.
PB: Were you aiming for anything with "Caution"?
HWM: The songs just tended to come more this time, and the mood was better than when we recorded "A Flight & A crash". The songs also came from stuff like personal band crap but it's worked out really well.
PB: After hearing "Caution", I can tell you that this is your finest work yet?
HWM: Thank you, I'm glad it's gone down so well.
PB: Also, how did "Wayfarer" (track 11 off the new album) appear on Punk-o-Rama 7?
HWM: It's kinda the odd one out off the album, and we didn't have everything ready, and Punk-o-Rama kinda wanted something by December last year, and it came together really easy and sounded really catchy. We're kinda the odd band out on Punk-o-Rama too.
PB: It's nearly been a year since September 11th. Has this date in your countries history affected yourselves or your music in anyway?
HWM: I definitely think it has, not as much as you know, we were lucky we didn't loose anyone. That was the main thing for us. It was like holy shit, call all our friends in New York and make sure their ok and their friends are ok. I just hope it doesn't get too much out of hand than it already has. Things are kinda back to normal at home.
PB: You've always said you aren't a political band...
HWM: Yeah, you know, we were watching it at home on the news and we were like, oh my god! I'm more concerned with what (George) Bush and his administration will get away with in the Middle East.
PB: Yeah, that's the feeling here in England too.
HWM: Yeah, I've been reading the papers since we've been over here, and it's cool to see.
PB: "A Flight & A Crash" was critically acclaimed worldwide, especially in the UK. Are you amazed at how well you've been accepted in a country like the UK, especially the music press here?
HWM: I think this is our fifth trip to Europe now. Bands didn't really come to the UK. We were like, don't go to England, no one will show up, then things started going well in Germany. So we came over with Discount, they kinda did the England part, while we did Germany, and it kinda opened the doors for us, and it's been great ever since.
PB: In an old musical article it stated that "all Hot Water Music do is create music that pleases themselves..." What's your view on that?
HWM: Yeah, I'd say that's true though want people to like it. You get to a point in a band where people are turning up to your shows and it becomes a living. But we've never recorded or written about anyone but us.
PB: On Your albums, you have amazing artwork by Scott Sinclair, how did you first meet Scott and to do artwork for Hot Water Music?
HWM: We actually met him a few years before we started the band. He was playing in bands and I think Chuck or George met him first and we were doing the first record with No Idea Records, and we didn't have any ideas and we didn't have a cover, and we were all like 17, 18 and we were putting out a record and we didn't know what the fuck to do! And we rang him up and he did it. Now we send him demos of our new stuff before he does the artwork.
PB: You recently played on the Warped tour. What were the highlights from that tour?
HWM: It was a lot of fun, the Alkaline Trio were on the tour so it was pretty much just us and them messing around the whole time. We spent a lot more time with the Bosstones this time, so it was fun. There was a lot of pro's and con's from that tour. I think the line-up this year was very commercial and in respect, it was kinda cool that we were the only band that sounded like us at all.
PB: So how did the new material go down on that tour?
HWM: It went down pretty well. It's been going down well every infact.
PB: This is a quote taken from Kerrang magazine, "Hot Water Music are known as one of the most hardworking bands in America, constantly on the road when not recording." Are there any stresses that get to the band when on the road?
HWM: Yeah right now, we're really stressed. The recording of the new album actually got pushed back six weeks because of the Bad Religion tour. We then did six weeks of the Warped tour, and had five days off, but in that time had to get over to Europe.
PB: "Caution", was it a rushed album then?
HWM: Not at all, that was totally fine, it was just scheduling the recording of the album, which became abit of a pain. We spent about five weeks recording it. In the five days too we had off, Australia called and said the day we fly home from England, we fly to Australia to play with 28 days.
PB: You are about to play a show tonight in London, what can fans that have never seen one of your shows expect?
HWM: We take pride in our shows so hopefully you'll see that, oh, and beer!
PB: After touring in Australia with 28 days, HWM tour North America until mid November. What are your plans after that, and will the UK see you again the near future?
HWM: We're definitely taking a couple of months off! We'll hopefully do 5 or 6 shows in mid February in the UK, and we'll go to Brazil late January, before hitting Europe. We're already in talks about doing a huge American tour next summer with us, Alkaline Trio, the Bouncing Souls and Sick Of It All. We're trying to get something like that together and it should last around six weeks.
PB: Lastly, since your last interview with Punkbands, are there any bands you recommend?
HWM: Yeah, Tsunami Bomb are great. Against Me, they are phenomenal, they actually have a new record out on No Idea. A band that have been around forever called Four, and they have a new record out. That's kinda what I've been listening to lately.
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