Hot Chip are one of the most exciting and innovative acts to have come out of the UK in recent memory. The outfit’s five multi-instrumentalists have consistently defied genre, and what you should expect of a band for over two decades, blending the best of synth-pop, house, alternative dance, and pop.
Having released their seventh studio album ‘A Bath Full of Ecstasy’ halfway through 2019, the boys have come back Down Under in 2020 for a huge east coast tour, headlining Victoria’s Golden Plains and Wollongong’s Farmer & The Owl festivals as well as playing solo shows in Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Wollongong and Melbourne.
We had the chance to chat with Al Doyle, Hot Chip’s inimitable guitarist and synthesiser player (he was also in LCD Soundsystem, FYI), explaining the creative process behind their gorgeous new album and the joys of touring in Australia.
Best Before: ‘A Bath Full Of Ecstasy’ is an absolutely killer record. What track are you the most proud of?
Al: Gosh, that’s like asking you to talk about your children! I mean, I can tell you which one I find so exciting to play at the moment? It’s probably “Positive”, because we haven’t been playing it quite as much. It’s a very fun — I get to play very loud! It’s very easy to play but has an overwhelming effect. I also enjoy the sing-along chorus on that one. It’s been massive since we started playing it. Seeing people’s reactions is always kind of overwhelming too!
In a way, it’s gonna be quite good to be going to Australia at this point, because by now we’re quite dialled in with everything. We’ve had a really good year, a very busy year. People will get to see the songs after we’ve had a long time to iron out all the niggles. We’ve got the tracks just the way we want them, so we hope people will get just as excited about the new songs as they will about the classics.
“Working with another team brings you out of yourself a little bit; it challenges you a little bit, and gets you into a space where you might be a little uncomfortable.”
That’s a great thing for the Aussie audience – you’ll be like a well-oiled machine! Listening to the new record, it’s quite spiritual, quite contemplative. The track “Melody of Love” springs to mind. What inspired this direction?
We were all listening to a lot of house music that samples gospel music, so we were trying to tap into that kind of unalloyed joy that people get when the spirit moves through them. That’s something I think we all feel when we go to certain clubs, hear certain DJs, and go to concerts that move you in that sort of quasi-religious way. We were sort of cheaply tapping into that… it’s an easy trick in some ways. It’s funny you brought up “Melody of Love” because I see that as more of a humanist song! It doesn’t have anything to do with spirituality or religion particularly, but it’s couched in this music that is so uplifting. It definitely has a nod towards like, naïve traditional church music. We were definitely tossing those sorts of ideas around.
‘A Bath Full of Ecstasy’ marks the first time Hot Chip have collaborated with outside producers – what sparked that decision?
For anybody else, it wouldn’t be that strange. Working with producers is what bands tend to do, but for whatever reason, we just haven’t ever got around to doing that. There are a lot of people in the band who have good production skills already, and we didn’t necessarily need to reach out. But we also knew that, if we didn’t have a producer, we’d be going through a process we’d already gone through many times before.
We probably would have got a good record out of it, but it might have fallen into the trap of being “just another Hot Chip record”, whereas working with another team brings you out of yourself a little bit; it challenges you a little bit, and gets you into a space where you might be a little uncomfortable. Getting that new perspective and that new voice is exactly what we needed.
You’re touring with Melbourne funk master Harvey Sutherland – how did that relationship come about?
Joe [Goddard, vocals/synth] did a remix for him, or he did a remix for Joe? But, you know, he’s having a bit of a moment right now. It’s an exciting addition to the bill. Also, from a practical point of view, with his stage shows, it’s just him, not another seven-piece band with three drum kits! It’ll be good to have someone from Australia be able to show us the ropes a little bit, too.
You guys were last here in 2016 – we’ve missed you! What’s your favourite thing about playing in Australia?
We’re lucky enough to have quite a few friends out here that we’ve made over the years – I actually came out early to visit a mate who has a winery in the Yarra Valley, and we’ve got some other old friends in Sydney and Melbourne. What we look forward to is seeing a few people, and going back to restaurants and places that have been very special for us over the years. I mean, the food is so, so good right now in Australia. Also, it’s great escaping the incredibly grey and depressing British winter, and seeing some actual blue skies.
“It might have fallen into the trap of being “just another Hot Chip record””
Escape the Brexit woes and get some sun in Oz!
Oh my god, that too. I know Australia’s got problems politically, but nowhere near the political hara-kiri we’re committing right now. It’ll be good to hear about someone else’s problems for a change!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask if there was anything new from Hot Chip on the horizon…
Rick Rubin or Steve Albini, to get that American rock sound. We’ve been working with a lot of people from electronic backgrounds, so it would be quite nice to explore a different sound. I know Alexis [Taylor, lead vocals/keyboardist/guitarist] and Joe have been working on new tracks. I’m sure there’s lots of new ideas flying around, so we’ll see what happens! At the moment, we really want to focus on nailing this tour and our live act before we head back to songwriting.
HOT CHIP UPCOMING TOUR DATES
with support from Harvey Sutherland
Friday 6 March — Enmore Theatre — Sydney
Saturday 7 March — The Forum — Melbourne
And check out the new video for “Positive” below: