Hot Hot Heat was a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, formed in 1999. The band was signed to Seattle label Sub Pop in 2001 and Warner Records throughout the majority of their career.
The band has released five full-length albums to date, their first and critically acclaimed, Make Up the Breakdown (2002), Elevator (2005), Happiness Ltd. (2007), Future Breeds (2010) and their last before disbanding, Hot Hot Heat (2016). The band's style makes use of electronic and traditional instruments and has variously been categorized as dance-punk, post-punk revival, new wave, and art-punk.
After five years of scant activity following the touring cycle of Future Breeds in 2011, on March 13, 2016, Hot Hot Heat announced new music with a limited edition 7" record, "Nature of Things" which was released for April 16, 2016, in participation with Record Store Day that year. Preceding that release, on April 5, the group officially announced they had disbanded and would release their fifth and final self-titled album on June 24. 2016 via Kaw-Liga Records, with the album's lead single, "Kid Who Stays in the Picture" premiering alongside the announcement.
Following an eight year hiatus, Hot Hot Heat reunited at the end of 2023, with the release of their comeback single, "Shock Me" on December 1, 2023. However, the reunion would be extremely short-lived following an announcement by the group on January 26, 2024, stating all intentions to release new material and subsequent live performances were effectively cancelled. The reasoning was further explained in part due to lead vocalist and primary songwriter Steve Bays no longer being able to commit to the group's plans.
Members:
Steve Bays - keyboards (1999-2016, 2023), lead vocals (2000-2016, 2023), backing vocals (1999-2000)
Paul Hawley - drums, backing vocals (1999-2016, 2023)
Dante DeCaro - guitar (2001-2005, 2023)
Parker Bossley - bass, backing vocals (2008-2010, 2023)
Dustin Hawthorne - bass (1999-2008)
Matthew Marnik - lead vocals (1999-2000)
Luke Paquin - guitar, backing vocals (2005-2016)
Louis Hearn - bass, backing vocals (2010-2016)
From: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Genre(s):
Alternative rock,
indie rock,
art punk,
dance-punk,
new wave,
post-punk revival
Active From: 1999-2016, 2023-2024