The Hot Melts : Interview

Vintage seems to be all the rage at the moment.  Anything slightly frayed around the edges, re-packaged and re-sold with a gold plated price tag (inflation huh) is probably more viable currency in this climate that gold bullion.  But everyone loves a bit of history don’t they?

The 1950’s in particular vintage-wise, is a highly collectable and desirable era. For it was the decade that glorified Hollywood and it’s stars of stage and screen, establishing a culture obsessed with iconography firmly rooted in the lives and deaths of idols such as Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

It was also a time when music once again became a common theme in many households in America as a post World War II optimism became infectious, stability returned and people wanted to swing to a new tune.  And for those people it was the emergence of Elvis Presley into the musical Kingdom, giving birth to the most revolutionary notion in that era that became rock and roll, which breathed new life into the societies that for some time had merely existing.

Nearly 60 years later and with rock and rock firmly ingrained into music’s historic archives and still emphatically loved around the world, it’s a band from the Wirrel who have been chowing down on a diet of vintage 50’s influences, and regurgitating it back out with their own rock infused cultivation.  And with the traditionally all-American Epitaph backing them, The Hot Melts are today championing a new epoch in pop music, or “unpop” as they like to call it.

With a debut album set to be unveiled this summer, their first single ‘Edith’ has already been blasting out for some time.  A distinctive and hearty mix of chaotic nonsensical lyrics amidst chunky rock gleaned riffs and a high-on-life-despite-its-tumultuous-twists-and-turns-attitude.  And according to them, that’s just for starters, with the rest of the musical banquet yet to come. A ‘hot melting pot’, if you like, of doo-wop, heartbreak, harmonies and hooks mixed in with the timeless edge of that good old rock and roll.  Perfect summer fodder for the light-hearted out there, courtesy of an ambitious 4 piece with aspirations of greatness and unrepentant ambition as leverage.

Meet the Hot Melts.  Have a listen.  Make your own mind up.

4or The Record: How did the Hot Melts begin?
Will Baylis: Well The band started about 2½ years ago now.  I basically had a load of songs and just thought I would call up anyone I know who plays instruments and try and get something going.  We first started playing as mates really, but I think we always intended to try and get signed.
Jack Prince: I was thinking the other day about the early days when we used to rehearse in my conservatory in the summer and it was so hot.  We couldn’t open any windows ‘cos the neighbours would complain, so it was just hell, t-shirts would be off.
Jonny Green: [laughing] So maybe that’s why we are called The Hot Melts!

4TR: And so in 2007 you signed to Epitaph?
Will: Yeah, well Wonderland actually, which is part of Epitaph.
4TR: And am I right in saying you were the first British band to be signed to them?
Jonny: Yes! Well we’re the first UK band to sign a worldwide deal with Epitaph.

4TR: What was it about Epitaph as a label that pushed you guys to sign with them?
Will: We had always loved the label because alot of bands we like are signed to them.
Jonny: Yeah like Bad Religion, and actually Brett from Bad Religion owns the label.  It all happened because our manager passed him a demo and he really loved it, so we were really stoked about that.
Will: [laughing] And to be the first band to sign from the UK on a worldwide deal meant we were already in the history books.

4TR: Where was your self titled album “The Hot Melts” recorded?
All: Chicago
4TR: Who produced it?
All: Mark Mcclusky (Farewell, Hit The Lights)
Jonny: He’s produced for a few American bands.  He’s an up and coming kind of pop punk producer and we’re going to make his name for him [laughs]
Jamie: Actually I think our record was different to what he’s used to doing though, it was kind of outside his comfort zone to start with.
Will: And I think we’re the first British band he’s ever recorded with actually.
Jonny: Interestingly there were quite a lot of ideas that we agreed on and then alot of stuff that we would never have thought of doing that he also put into the process!

4TR: So are you happy with your record and does it sound how you imagined it would?
Will: Yeah definitely, but obviously things change when you’re actually recording.  I kind of orchestrate everything in my brain and then try and explain it to people who can play music better than I can.
Jamie: Whenever we record anything we basically end up with Will going “that’s exactly what I thought it would sound like” or “that bits not quite right”.  He knows how he wants it to sound ‘cos he has the full song in his head already.
Will: I think its just because I don’t have an I-pod.  I don’t really need one.  If I hear a song I just listen to it in my own head over and over and over.  Obviously there’ll be occasions when I wont know every single word of my favourite new song, but I’ll listen to it as best I can in a kind of disjointed version in my head.  I know exactly what I want to hear basically.

4TR: In that case, how would The Hot Melts describe their own sound?
Will: I would say we’re a mix between the 50s and the 90s and I suppose maybe we are Liverpool’s answer to American music.
Jamie: Will always says if we had a genre of our own it would be ‘unpop’, broken hearted punk rock.
Will: Yeah if you want the elaborate way we could be kick starting a genre called unpop.  Its unpopular, but isn’t everything? I mean you can listen to Elvis’ songs and they’re all songs about heartbreak against a backdrop of catchy rock and roll, which I think is what we try to do.  Our songs are about heartbreak and everybody’s insecurities you know. We try to laugh about it and then stick it in front of some rocking riffs.

4TR: What is last single ‘Edith’ about?
Will: It’s basically just a series of unfortunate events that have happened to me and it’s about wanting to be successful.
Jamie: It’s a tongue in cheek look at life basically, laughing about how shit you are at life in general you know.
Will: Yeah ultimately it’s a load of my insecurities poured out into a song.  It doesn’t follow a story, but its different things that all point in the same direction of maybe slight looserism I suppose [laughs].  Everyone hates the lyrics of ‘Edith’; we’ve had some awful reviews because people don’t understand what the concept is.
Jamie: I think if you were to listen to the lyrics and try and figure out a one level meaning then it would seem tongue in cheek and meaningless, but its actually about poking fun at depressing bits of life.

4TR: Will, do you write all the songs?
Will: Yeah, well I’ll write a song and teach it to everyone and then everyone will have something to say and we’ll work on it together.
Jonny: He brings the raw form or song in and then we’ll all play around with it or have ideas about where is should go.
Will: I’m probably the one that says whether we’re using an idea or not, but I’m not always the one who comes up with the best ideas or anything like that.  [Laughing] But I will be the one who decides which idea we use.

4TR: Where else do you get your influences for writing a song, or is it all autobiographical?
Will: It’s all autobiographical really.  I watched this film last night about a writer and he said if you are writing something you can’t not be autobiographical because it all stems from your own experience.  I suppose even if there is a moment when you will invent stuff, its all twisted versions of the truth.
Jamie: [laughing] It’s all molded from your own clay.
Will: Yeah I think that’s a good way of putting it! 

4TR: What influences you musically as a band?
Will: I’m very into old rock and roll; at the moment I’m well into this group called The Chiffons from the early sixties, who were a bit late to be one of the big Motown groups and never really had any massive hits.
Jonny: We’re into all sorts though, stuff like The Strokes and Blur and Weezer as well.
Will: Yeah we’re not into rubbish.  Damon Albarn said a brilliant thing that with writing pop music and being in a pop band you’re pretty much just ripping off everyone and anything, but the trick is just to listen to the right music.  I mean I think we listen to the best possible music there is out there and if my influences are stemming from there then how can I go wrong with what I am writing?

4TR: Do you think The Hot Melts are entering the market place at the right time?
Will: Yeah, I mean we’ve got a great management team and our record label honestly like our music rather than just thinking oh we’ll put it out and see if we can make some cash.  Everyone has a passion in what the Hot Melts are doing so yeah it’s a great time.
Jamie: When we first starting working with our management company it was the time when people were still getting quarter of a million quid record deals, but since then it’s changed so much.  You have to pull your weight and be in it for the long haul.
4TR: With so many people just signing up to a label to do a single, you guys seem to be in a great position.
Will: Yeah, we’re lucky to have an album, I love that.  You know I don’t really like the fact that you can walk down any road and you’ll see a band that’s as good as any other band that’s at number one that week.  I like the idea that bands are stars and I love the actual rock and roll glitz of things.  I like that more than I like the homemade thing about music, and I think there’s a lack of true great rock stars now.
Jamie: I guess the nearest you have to that at the moment is people like U2. 
Will: Well The Killers are doing it right, they are true great rock stars and they still have the slightly personal thing where they are untouchable.  I like that about bands.  Remember when you were a kid and you went to see a band and thought oh my God these guys are stars and that doesn’t just seem to happen anymore, its like yeah I’m in a band and so is he and so is she.
4TR: It’s definitely a somewhat saturated industry now, but realistically not all of it’s good!
Will: And everything gets diluted, so you have too much choice and because we have so much choice we actually end up with none.
Jonny: With the industry now and the stuff that’s coming out, its making people think well I might as well make music myself as anything I might make could sound just as good, if not better.
Will: That’s why I turned to pop music, because it doesn’t pretend to be cool and it is glitzy and it does create stars,

4TR: So you like the celebratory element of musicians, where they become icons?
Will: Yeah exactly, if you are untouchable then when you break the boundaries down and you talk to your fans, its something special for them.  But if there is no untouchable side to things to start with, then you might as well be having a beer with anyone in a pub.

4TR: Are you coveting after the crossover appeal element in terms of your fan base?
Jonny: Well we want to be successful you know, I mean I don’t want to go back to pushing trolleys.
Jamie: But we’re not necessarily saying we want to sell out and do whatever it takes to become big, we don’t want to become dick heads.  But we don’t want to stifle our success because its not deemed cool.
Will: I want to be the biggest band in the world and I mean even if we don’t ever get there you may as well strive for the top and see what happens.  If I didn’t strive for the top then I might as well be writing songs and playing them in my bedroom.
Jamie: I think people in this country lack ambition.  In America everyone wants to be massive and they’re so ambitious and have no fear of it either.
Jack: They seem to be alot more dedicated to things and their music.  I think a lot of the “scenes” going on in England are just about people knowing each other, more than the actual music.

4TR: But if you look at bands like The Killers and Kings of Leon, they are only just starting to be accepted at home.  It’s UK fans especially who have made them successful so far and who were the people that bought into them first.
Will: Yeah that maybe so, but the Americans retain that star element more than the UK.
Jonny: I think the rest of the world is a lot more open to American music, like a lot of American bands don’t even start there they come to Europe first as we’re more open to it.  As soon as you are bigger in the rest of the world then people follow because of the credibility.
Will: That’s one of the good things about the UK.  And we have this great touring circuit, with cool clubs to play on it and great places to play gigs in.

4TR: What about the music scenes back around Liverpool?
Jack: We’re from the Wirrel, and there’s bands’ everywhere really.
Jamie: But no one doing our kind of thing though, we’re doing it on our own. 
Will: Scenes are never that good anyway are they, I mean they inevitably die.  Come on!
Jonny: I don’t see the appeal personally of going to see 4 bands in a night who all sound the same and are doing the same kind of stuff.  They may as well all be one band.
Will: And that all comes back again to what we love about untouchable rock bands and stars and bands being celebrities you know.  We want to go as far as possible and be as big as possible.  And theres nothing wrong with aiming for the top; ambition is a great thing.


Words: Francesca Strange

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