Fronted by Kelly Dalbeck (Daxma) and Joe Clements (Fury 66, The Deathless), HotLung were formed in Santa Cruz, California, in spring of 2022. Taking inspiration from the likes of Quicksand and Seaweed and blending it with various elements from grunge, punk, and (post) hardcore, they have managed to create a novel sound. Fans of both Fugazi and The Pixies are sure to find much to love here.
In fact, the band have already established themselves as key players in the Santa Cruz music scene, joining acts like Year of the Cobra, Dusted Angel, and Museum of Light.
Dalbeck’s lyrics approach dark subjects, mixing chilling imagery and poignant reflection, yet maintaining an undercurrent of hope and motivation. The voluminous guitars (Jon Jamieson) and aggressive drumming (Dustin Roth) give you the feeling that hard rock isn’t dead after all; it just took a wrong turn somewhere in 1995.
“People tend to hear this song and think it’s about an abusive family or relationship situation,” Dalbeck says. “I never want to tell anyone how to interpret our lyrics, but I will say that while writing this, I was thinking about my body as a house and the ways, many of them destructive and ugly, that I have attempted to navigate inhabiting a female body, and how the body is perceived and interacted with by others. As you can imagine, putting said body in front of a camera for a music video was like some weird form of exposure therapy.”
“For me, the concept/idea for the video came from hearing Kelly’s true meaning of the lyrics. I was one of those who thought the song was about a broken home,” Clements adds. “Although we, the dudes in the band, support and honor Kelly and are against the oppression and objectification of women, we can still be oblivious to their true experience. In the video, we play our music, do our thing, but we aren’t a true band until Kelly comes in, and she comes in with power, agency, and strength! She tells her story on her own, and together as a band, we learn and get to express our true selves as a unit, together.
“I personally try my best to listen to people’s experience. It’s easy to make things up in our heads. Listening and understanding with empathy is when we get to see our own shortcomings and learn.”
Grip the band’s In Spite Of LP from Sell The Heart Records or Little Rocket Records.
Catch the band live:
Sunday August 11 at Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz, California (with The Well and Year of the Cobra)
Photo by Daniel Jahangard
