By Tamsin Kemp
Swamps, prairies, bison and alligators. Skies alive with egrets and blue herons. Water, water, everywhere.
It’s a landscape not typically synonymous with punk and hardcore, but that’s Gainesville, Florida; the heart and home of veteran punk rock band, Hot Water Music. Going three decades strong—line-up changes and breaks along the way notwithstanding—their music and ethos embody Gainesville’s motto: “Citizen-centred. People empowered.”
Their 30th-anniversary tour kicked off last year with an Aussie stop breaking a decade-long drought. On the German leg of their global gigging, I caught up with founding member and bassist Jason Black.
After ten studio albums and numerous EPs, Hot Water Music has grown a healthy following, playing the likes of Riot Fest. And yet, I note, they are playing modest, some quite petite, venues.
“Our happy place is clubs,” Jason states. “Our biggest shows are in Germany, with 1200 to 2000 capacity in some places. But 700 to 1200 is the super sweet spot; you can still feel the energy from people.
“I feel bad saying this, but I hate playing festivals,” Jason continues. “I mean, they’re fun; you see a lot of bands. But your show can be super detached due to all the space. And God forbid you have a bad set, or no one shows up. If you don’t have hit singles, it’s not the easiest crowd… and we’re not exactly rated.”
Not sure fans would agree, Jason. In fact, their fondness for smaller venues is why they ARE rated, aligning with that punk/hardcore ethos of crowd connection and energy generation. But how does one maintain that garage mentality as the audience sizes grow?
“We can’t help it,” Jason muses. “It’s who we are at the core. We couldn’t fake it or get lost in production… Well, that said, a few times we got starry-eyed and tried new things. And it fucking failed every time. So, we’ve just said, okay, this is not for us.
“Obviously,” Jason continues, “some would disagree, ‘your first record’s your best’ and all that. But staying true hasn’t ever been a struggle… We’ve been a band for a long time, with a slow and steady growth. We’ve had to ‘gut check’ ourselves and ensure we want to be here and do this.
“That slow climb allowed us perspective… When we talk about old shows, we realise there were only 30 people there… and it was the best show in the world.”
After breaking up in the 2000s, I asked if they better understood how to function as friends/bandmates upon reforming. Jason is typically candid.
“Most males are terrible at communication; improving that has been the hardest thing for us.
“But it is also the most helpful thing,” Jason enthuses. “We get better each time. I was 19-ish when we started. We’re still the same people on some level but super different on others. We have our own families, some with kids. This all comes into decision-making, and touring gets complicated.
“We can still be idiots who can’t communicate. It’s super easy to make a passive-aggressive comment instead of sitting down and saying, ‘Hey, I just want to say these things to you.’ There was this one blowout phone meeting where everything got aired out.
“It’s easier when we’re all on the same page. We’re in a place now where we can talk like relatively mature adults.”
Good job guys. Also, Relatively Mature Adults is a great band name.
Speaking of the page, let’s talk writing. Emotion runs rampant in Hot Water Music songs, which exude a sound teetering on the edge of wreckage but not without hope. There’s an energy in the music and the storytelling that feels intimate.
“Our songs are all personal experiences,” Jason says. “There’s obviously political content intertwined. But it’s all based on something someone’s gone through.
“Things may seem terrible, but if you persist, try to keep your head above water, it will change. Sometimes, it has to get worse for it to get better.”
Too right. And how has this philosophy manifested in the latest release, Vows?
“The big theme of the record is to be a nurturer. Be a helpful person; try to make things grow and have life.”
And this life-affirming philosophy will be spread to us nurturing Canberrans.
“I’m excited!” Jason enthuses. “We’ve never been to Canberra. We’re getting to a few new places, which always makes for a more lasting impression.”
Hot Water Music play at The Baso on 18 February. Tix $79.90 via Oztix.
