HotWax is crashing onto the alternative rock scene with unapologetic energy and raw emotion. Their debut album, “Hot Shock”, released via Marathon Artists, is a fearless deep-dive into vulnerability and self-discovery. Shaped by an all-female production team—including the visionary Steph Marziano, Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint, and the Grammy-winning Catherine Marks—Hot Shock is both a sonic explosion and a statement of intent. With searing guitars, gritty vocals, and anthems about facing fears, HotWax delivers a sound that’s as bold as it is introspective.
The album is out now!
First off, welcome! It’s great to have you here on behalf of Femme Metal Webzine, and thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. How are you doing, and how’s this release period been treating you?
Tallulah: Yeah, it’s been great! The record’s been out just over a week now, and we’ve been on our install tour—which is our first proper headline tour, which feels like a big milestone.
It’s honestly been an amazing experience. We’ve spent so much time as a support band, so stepping into a headline role and seeing rooms full of people who’ve bought the album, who are there for us, and who genuinely connect with the music—it’s been really special.
But yeah, overall we’re feeling good. It’s such a relief to finally have the album out there. We were pretty anxious about how it would be received—it’s a lot of pressure, putting out your first record, especially when there’s this expectation that it needs to make a statement or have a certain energy. But now that it’s out, it just feels really good to let it live and breathe on its own.
HotWax working on “Hot Shock”
Alright, let’s dive into “Hot Shock“. Since it’s your debut album, I’d love to hear about the production process. What was it like being in the studio and bringing these songs to life? And when did the first ideas for the album start to come together?
Lola: Well, the album was mostly recorded live—we only had about 10 days to get it done, so it was a challenge. But it was also a really fun process, and we’re really happy with how it turned out. It has that raw, live energy we were aiming for, which was super important to us. A lot of the songs found their final form while we were recording them, which made the whole thing feel exciting and spontaneous.
HotWax is recording the album
You mentioned that the album was recorded live—I’m curious, what were some of the challenges that came with capturing it almost in one take? Especially without the usual safety net of going back to fix things later on?
Tallulah: It was more about capturing the core energy of us playing together in the room—Alfie and Lola would often be playing at the same time, or sometimes all of us would. We’d usually keep the drum take that felt good, and often a lot of the bass too, then overdub the rest as needed.
So there was still room to change things around, but it never felt right to just layer everything endlessly or track everything to a click. We did that for a couple of songs, but overall, the priority was keeping the energy at the center of it all.
The songs needed to feel alive. And not just because of the live setup—we were also working with themes that felt chaotic and intense, so locking everything into something overly polished or rigid would’ve taken away from that. It made more sense to lean into the rawness, to let the imperfections add to the emotion.
Working with Catherine Marks, Steph Marziano, and Stella Mozgawa
The album was produced together with Catherine Marks, Steph Marziano, and Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint. I’d love to hear what it was like working with them. What was the most valuable lesson you took away from that time together at Rex Studios?
Lola: I think what stood out was how open and experimental everyone was going into it. That mindset made a huge difference. We didn’t have any strict rules—we just wanted to try things out and see where they led. It felt like a journey, and none of us knew exactly how it would turn out, but we all shared this vision of making it feel alive and in the moment.
And they were all amazing at helping us capture that—this raw, spontaneous energy that defines the album. That freedom and trust in the process was such a big part of what made it special. Tallulah, do you have something to add about this?
Working with according to Tallulah…
Tallulah: Yeah, I think watching Stef and Katherine work together was honestly amazing—it felt like something special. They both approach production in quite different ways, so there were a lot of moments where one would say, “I think we should do this,” and the other would counter with, “What if we try that instead?”
Even though they didn’t always have the same ideas or ways of thinking, the way they were able to collaborate—both with each other and with us—to find the right sound or make a decision on a specific part was really fascinating. It was a dynamic process, and seeing that balance and mutual respect in action was super inspiring.
And I think it was also the first time we’d been in a studio setting where the connection went beyond just the music. The producers got us—not just musically, but emotionally too. We were all close that week, and maybe part of that is because they’re women, and there was just this unspoken understanding between us. It felt more emotional in a really meaningful way.
I found it interesting to see how they adapted so naturally to the artists they were working with. That kind of sensitivity and intuition made the whole experience feel really special.
Alfie: I liked the way they prepared us for each take. Stef, in particular, was amazing at making sure we were comfortable—she was always looking out for us. She’d be handing us hot chocolate between takes, just creating this warm, calming atmosphere.[laughs].
HotWax new single “Strange To Be Here”
From “Hot Shock”, you released the single “Strange To Be Here”, a track co-written with Steph Marciano. I’d love to hear more about the process of shooting the Strange To Be Here video. And also, what was it like working on this song with Steph? How did that collaboration come together?
Tallulah: Oh, yeah, it was such a great experience. For all of our songs, we like to have a hands-on role in the artwork and videos. We usually come up with the initial ideas and plan things out ourselves, but this time was a bit different. I’ve made videos on my own before, but for Strange To Be Here, I co-directed it with my friend Ellie, and Jude Harrison, who’s been on tour with us, filmed it.
It all came together really quickly. I had the initial concept, and Ellie and I sat in her bedroom planning it out, and then just a week later, we were shooting. It felt so great to see all our friends come together to create this low-budget video that ended up looking so cool.
It was also the first time that the vision I had in my head for the video turned out exactly how I imagined it. That kind of satisfaction, when the final product matches your vision, is just really special.
I never would have guessed it was a low-budget video, especially given how it turned out. It looks like something with a big budget—studio time, all the post-production, the whole work. Honestly, from the way it looks, I would never have thought it was done on a smaller scale. Trust me, it’s impressive!
Lola: By the time we ran out of money we got to that video.
Facing fears and being vulnerable
I’ve also had some time to listen to the album, and I found it to be anthemic. But as I went through the lyrics, I noticed there’s a lot about facing fears. So, what’s it like being on stage, singing about those fears? Because, in a way, it makes you vulnerable, right?
Tallulah: Yeah, I think feeling vulnerable and embracing that feeling is scary, but it’s something I wanted to explore with this album. It’s fascinating to me, and I find it inspiring to sit with those emotions—especially on days when things aren’t going great. Instead of just trying to push those feelings away, I try to sit with them, really think through why I’m feeling that way, and look for parts of it that I can channel into lyrics or art.
In a way, the album is about facing fears because, for me, it’s about being brutally honest with myself and translating that honesty into music. I think the best part of it all is being able to sing about those fears every night. It becomes a therapeutic experience, and it allows me to perform with a lot more intensity and emotion.
Upcoming plans (and tour)
I agree with you! Speaking of performances, you’ve done both a European and UK tour, and now you’re heading back to the Netherlands for the Sniester Festival in The Hague. What are your general expectations for this summer’s upcoming tour?
Alfie: It’s going to be great! We’re excited to return for some European shows, especially in Northern Europe. Our experience in Holland has been fantastic so far, particularly in Utrecht. We played a festival called Loose Ends last summer, which was a lot of fun, and we’ve also performed in Amsterdam before.
Lola: We’ve had a great experience; people are always really welcoming, and they seem to enjoy our shows whenever we’ve been there before.
I just want to thank all of you for taking the time to do this interview. I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again for your time, and have a great day.
Tallulah, Lola & Bean: Thank you so much.