Words by Tom Disalvo //

We caught up with the long-standing pop tour de force ahead of their string of Australian shows.

How does one prepare for an interview with a band that, during its two-decade mainstay in the industry, has established itself as one of the most and idiosyncratic pop forces of its time? While initially a daunting prospect, it seems the answer is easier than one might expect, and it’s in a laidback discussion with Hot Chip frontman Al Doyle that the enormity of his bands’ time-hallowed discography is simplified. There is no magic formula. Music, Al says, just comes naturally.

Such an informal approach to music is seemingly at odds with a band who, with the release of their seventh studio album (that’s right, seven) in June of last year, has been hustling arduously in the pop scene since the early 2000s. It is this hard work that has earned the boys of Hot Chip a respectable list of accolades, ranging from a Grammy nomination for their 2008 dance-ready anthem ‘Ready For The Floor’, production kudos from pop heavyweight Katy Perry, and the respect of contemporary pop artists the world over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cxry9cLFQI

It seems, however, that this pressure of Hot Chip’s successful tenure, is somewhat lost on Al, who ahead of headlining shows across Australia, isn’t dwelling on audiences’ expectations of the band.

“Well I definitely haven’t been feeling any pressure. I don’t think I’ve experienced any of that kind of pressure for probably many years. If people know the songs then you can really go through it with them. We’re curious to see how it is in Australia, but we’re quietly confident that it will be okay with the new stuff. It seems to fit really well with the old material and everything seems to flow really nicely.”

Al’s confidence in their new material is well-founded, and never has the bands’ distinctive sound been more prominent than on their most recent ‘A Bath Full of Ecstasy’; a lush indietronica LP whose signature blend of synth and pop pulls from widespread electronic influences like house and disco.

“The new album is definitely not a radical departure from anything that we’ve done before. It’s got lots of sort of big dancey moments and big breakdowns and quite propulsive beats. But I think that the sound has also become very kind of upfront, quite raw and quite exciting.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24XoV5kSkks

This more rock-leaning sound, Al explains, is borne from the bands’ recruitment of outside producers this time round, whose contribution led the band down unexplored avenues. “I definitely think it was a good decision to have got some producers. It’s really kind of liberating, to make the whole process kind of flow in a much more productive way, and the band is sounding really, really good at the moment.”

While it is this readiness to keep things fresh that has undoubtedly sustained Hot Chip’s critical and commercial relevance, Al explains how it is also the bands’ non-assuming, organic love of music that has resonated with audiences all these years. “We all listened to a lot of music, and we’re big music collectors. I mean we’re not like desperately looking for the newest thing and, you know, trying to remain relevant. If you try and do that, you’re on a losing edge really.”

“It’s been quite nice that we’ve never had to suddenly jump on the bandwagon or change our sound. It’s sort of in the sense that we haven’t really actively thought about it that much, and that’s just by virtue of being genuinely excited about a lot of new stuff that’s going on, and that inevitably sort of filters into what we do.Yeah, I’m not going to sort of question it too much. It ain’t broke. It ain’t broke.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOnMZALLQPk

One such feature of Hot Chip which has remained perfectly untouched throughout the years is its distinctive visual aesthetic, of which they have widely become recognisable. Indeed, the optics of a disparate collection of uniquely-dressed 30-somethings on stage has been a major point of difference for the lads.

“When you look at this onstage, there’s five guys who look as though they should not be in a band together. I think the people kind of dial into that because it takes away the artifice of it in some ways. There was never a unified kind of look or feel to us as a band, and I think that we’ve always been playful with the visual side. All of the videos are just supposed to be fun and deliberately provocative. That keeps things quite fresh within the band as well.”

For Al, the end of the decade signals a new era for a group of musicians who intend to just keep doing what they’re doing. “We’re excited for what’s to come. We are winding down our tour, finishing it off in Australia. Then we have another big run in America around Coachella, which will be exciting for us . And then we’ll be just sort of seeing what happens with everything else.”

It is this morsel of wisdom that seems to define the band, and with headlining shows slated for March, it’s a mantra that’s clearly worked for them this far.

Just see what happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDJKgi2e-Aw

HOT CHIP

WITH SPECIAL GUEST HARVEY SUTHERLAND (LIVE)*

MARCH 2020 TOUR

GENERAL SALES: 9AM FRIDAY 25th OCTOBER LOCAL TIME

Head here for tickets: SECRETSOUNDS.COM