Breakdown, was an instant indie success
and attracted the attention of Warner
Music who agreed to give the release a
wider distribution. The band was
particularly successful in Europe and
Britain, where their first single was met
with some controversy.

““Bandages’ was our first single. It got
added almost immediately to A-
Rotation to Radio One in the UK,” he
clarifies, “which is the main way people
hear music in the UK So it was being
played constantly all over, all the time,
and almost immediately it was banned.”

This was because the song was thought
to have an anti-war message at a
particularly sensitive time, as the song
came out in the first few days of the war
in Iraq. Hot Hot Heat had even recorded
a version of it for Top Of The Pops,
which is the most watched music show
on British television. Unfortunately,
because of the controversy and
traditional British squeamishness when
it comes to free speech (remember the
Sex Pistols?), the taping was never
aired. At the same time, ironically
enough, the band was on the cover of
NME.

Hot Hot Heat’s previous album,

 

Elevator, was the first one to be
exclusively released on a major label.
Their single, “Middle of Nowhere,”
made it into the top 20 on the Much
Music Countdown, which granted them
a level of success in their home country.
Their new album is likely to gain them
even more success, as the first single is
catchier than anything on Elevator.

Bays recounts how the songs were
created on the new album, Happiness,
Ltd.

“We wanted this record to be
completely unanimous,” he explains.
“So for every song, we wanted
everyone to approve of it. When you
add someone [like new-ish guitarist,
Luke Paquin] with a new set of tastes,
making a record isn’t just about writing
songs; it’s about hanging out with three
or four people and exchanging your
tastes.” This record differs from the last
in quite a few ways. For instance, the
production of the new album is closer to
the original demos of the songs.

Bays also went on to talk about some
of the interesting ideas they brought to
this record.

“We added a lot more bizarre
instrumentation,” mentions Bays. “We
had an orchestra play over a lot of the
songs. Plus, at the end of the first song

on the album—which also happens to
be called ‘Happiness, Ltd.’ —there are
about 40 people singing. We recorded
that segment on our last night in the
studio after we held a party that
included free alcohol.”

Fans of the band will be happy to
know that they are adding a new
recording of “Five Times Out of
Hundred” to the record. This song
originally appeared on the first Sub Pop
release Knock Knock Knock.

From playing small-town Victoria, to
almost every continent in the world, Hot
Hot Heat has had the opportunity to
stretch their reach and their sound.
While they are still a relative upstart
band in Canada, they have made the
cover of magazines in Britain with
headlines that read along the lines of
“Bigger than Radiohead.”

Bays really enjoys playing the globe,
and was quick to inform me of the
adventures the band has experienced.

““We’ ve been really lucky in that we
have a really consistent fan base all over
the world,” Bays noted. “Any bizarre
place you can think of, we’ve had great
shows.” Small crowds aside, Bays was
quick to note that sometimes playing in
your own backyard is also great.

“Overall, some of our favourite tours

have been the Canadian tours—
Kamloops is just a really good place to
play.”

I asked Bays about any interesting
stories from the road, and he had this
tall tale to tell me:

“When we were in Sao Paulo, Brazil
last time, there is this guy named
Supla,” Bays informed me. “He was a
celebrity on a reality show, and he had a
hit song called ‘Green Hair.’ He’s
probably, like, 40, but he looks exactly
like a young Billy Idol: full leather and
spikes. Somehow, we met up with him
and he took it upon himself to be our
host for days. It’s just a massive city
and we had no clue what to do with
ourselves, so he took us to all the best
bars and parties, and we were able to
skip the line wherever we went.
Everywhere we’d go people were
screaming ‘Supla! Supla!’”

With world tours, a new album, and
possible mainstream success in Canada
and the US, Hot Hot Heat have
achieved what most bands only dream
of. At the same time, their success gives
other small town local acts hope that if
they can work hard enough and write
good songs, they too can play to more
than just their own backyard.

 

 

Today’s post-secondary
Students need more than
a minimum wage job.

The BC government's proposed changes to our

post-secondary education system don’t add up.
Students won't get access to the skills and knowledge they
need to get ahead because the government’s Campus 2020
Plan fails to fix the key problems of affordability and access.
Our students deserve better. Their futures depend on it. 99

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

BETTER FUNDING.
“14a. FUTURES.

Cre aa
PROFESSOR

Pieler ir)
University College

“Ke Federation of

FPSE Post-Secondary Educators

Find out more. GE, www.takeaction.fpse.ca

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