HotWax: From School Corridors to Festival Stages
The young trio reflect on grassroots venues, playing in America, and their forthcoming debut album Hot Shock
Jan 29, 2025 Photography by Emma Jones
HotWax are a Hastings-via-Brighton trio whose electrifying live shows have garnered critical acclaim and a devoted following. Despite their youth, they’ve captivated audiences across genres and generations with their raw energy and magnetic stage presence. In just two years, Tallulah Sim-Savage (vocals/guitar), Lola Sam (bass), and Alfie Sayers (drums) have played over 150 gigs, toured with Royal Blood and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, made their U.S. debut, and graced iconic festival stages like Reading & Leeds, Download, and All Points East.
As we sat down to discuss their much-anticipated debut album Hot Shock, the band reflected on their journey so far—a story driven by resilience, reinvention, and an unrelenting love for making music for its own sake.
“To begin with it was just me and Lola at school,” Sim-Savage begins. “We didn’t have loads of other friends. We were like the weird kids who people used to throw their school dinners at, and we’d hide in corridors.” Music became their refuge, offering an escape and a shared sense of purpose. “Yeah, we started out in a band called The Kiffs, which took its name from the singer,” Sim-Savage explains. “At that time, it was quite indie rock. And we used to listen to Estrons and Hole and a lot of female-led guitar bands.”
In 2019, the band’s original singer left, leaving Sim-Savage and Sam at a crossroads. Instead of disbanding, they regrouped as HotWax, with Sim-Savage stepping into the role of vocalist—a bold move for someone who describes herself as “shy.”
Despite her nerves, Sim-Savage was determined to rise to the challenge. “When our singer left, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this, to push myself beyond my comfort zone,” she explains. “I’d always been quite insular, and taking on this role felt like a way to build my confidence.”
Much of the band’s early material was instrumental, but it wasn’t until they recorded “Stay Cool,” a track that demanded more vocal presence, that Sim-Savage truly found her voice. Her confidence grew further thanks to some unconventional coaching from Sam’s uncle, a musician who helped guide the band. “He told me, ‘Go into the toilet, scream and shout—let it all out so you can deliver it better,’” she recalls. “Once I got past that, my confidence really grew.”

HotWax spent their early days experimenting with sound. “When we began the band we were about 15 years old, and really into psychedelic music,” Sim-Savage recalls. “Our sets were completely improvised and relied heavily on guitar pedals. It was so much fun.” Those sessions laid the foundation for their creativity. “Starting out like that was amazing. It felt free and experimental, and we were still figuring out how to write songs,” she adds.
The current HotWax lineup solidified when drummer Alfie Sayers joined after meeting Sim-Savage and Sam at college. It was a no-brainer to team up with two such talented musicians, and soon they were gigging at local venues. These grassroots venues—currently closing at an alarming rate across the UK—played a critical role in HotWax’s early development. “We weren’t even old enough to go in as punters,” Sam reflects. “But we could go on and play. Over the years, we’ve mostly played in grassroots venues, so it’s awful what’s happening right now. Bands can’t afford to tour, venues can’t afford to stay open. What’s going to happen in the future?”
Sim-Savage agrees: “We wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing—we wouldn’t even be a band—without these venues. From the age of 12, we’d go to under-18 gig nights, and that’s how we met people who helped us out—recording us for free, shooting videos, taking photos, and putting on gigs. To be honest, there was no great master plan. Music is something all three of us have always done, regardless. For me, it’s something I need to do.”
Sam nods in agreement. “Yeah, there was no Plan B for me. But even if nothing had happened, it’s just something I’d always want to do.”
The band continued to gig relentlessly without thinking about the bigger picture when they crossed paths with their future manager. “We’d met a few times to talk about the band in a really informal way,” Sim-Savage explains. “Then, when I was working behind a bar in Hastings, I got a message. She said, ‘I want to do this properly. Would you want me to manage you, or whatever?’”
That moment changed everything. “Suddenly, I realised, ‘Oh my God, we could actually be a proper band’—even though we already were, because we were playing all the time. But having someone believe in you who isn’t just your mate or something really… changes things.”
Fast forward to 2025, and HotWax are now gearing up to release their wonderful debut album, Hot Shock—a record that channels the heart, power, and raw talent that have come to define the band. To bring this vision to life, they teamed up with Catherine Marks (Wolf Alice, Boygenius), a producer renowned for crafting some of the most groundbreaking albums of recent years.
“I think she first heard our music through our publishers, Transgressive,” Sam recalls. However, it was their explosive live show at London’s Blue Basement in July 2023 that sparked the collaboration. Sim-Savage paints the scene: “Catherine came up to us after the gig and said, ‘I need to record your album with you. I want it to sound like the energy in this room. It needs to feel like a party.’”
The majority of the album was recorded live, which Sayers describes as something of an experiment. But Hot Shock really does capture the band’s exhilarating youthful exuberance.
“We did some pre-production, so we knew exactly what we were playing, finalised all the parts, and then just recorded it live, adding a bunch of overdubs and extra touches. But we really wanted it to sound like a three-piece all in a room together,” Sim-Savage recalls.
“Some bands layer on a lot of guitars, which can sound really cool, but we just didn’t want to do that with this album.”

The band also collaborated with an all-female production team, including Steph Marziano (Hayley Williams, Let’s Eat Grandma), alongside additional recording sessions with Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint in Joshua Tree, California.
“It wasn’t intentional to work exclusively with women at first,” Sim-Savage reflects. “It just kind of happened that way.” Sam adds, “I think there’s something really powerful about being surrounded by women as a female musician. It’s not that we’ve had bad experiences working with men—most of the guys we tour with are fantastic—but recording with women just feels different. There’s no sense, even unintentionally, that you’re not being taken seriously. Everyone is on the same page, focused on achieving the best sound, with no egos involved. It turned out to be exactly what we needed at the time.”
Sim-Savage chimes in, “Yeah, and working with other women, the main thing I found was just how incredibly inspiring it was.” Sam continues, “And working with Steph (Marziano), who is still quite young, was incredible too. They’re really paving the way for women producers. You can’t be an ‘average’ woman producer—you have to be twice as good at what you do to be taken seriously in this industry.”
The band also speak fondly of their experience working with Stella Mozgawa while touring in America, which represented a huge cultural shift for them. Sam explains, “Coming from somewhere like Hastings it was mad playing gigs in the U.S. The crowds were so appreciative. I guess with us British people, we can be quite serious and reserved at times, but American crowds really throw themselves into it.”
Sim-Savage picks up the story: “We’d been in Vegas for a radio showcase, and even though we were underage and technically couldn’t do anything, Vegas was just amazing—super intense. Then the next day, we headed to Joshua Tree, which was completely different - magical and so peaceful. I’d never been anywhere like that. It was just incredible.”
“Working with Stella was fantastic,” Sim-Savage continues. “She has this really cool studio in her garden, and her garden is basically in the desert. No gates, no fences—just desert! It was a bit surreal. We were kind of freaking out when she mentioned how tarantulas casually crawl up her outside walls. We were like, ‘Oh my God!’ Then there was a sandstorm, so we had to wear bandanas—it was insane. But the studio was awesome, and we recorded two songs, “Pharmacy” and “Lights On”—the more acoustic-based ones—there.”
Writing the album posed a challenge for the band, who were juggling a relentless touring schedule and composing whenever time allowed. Initially, there wasn’t a clear concept, but Sam explains, “I think when we’d written three or four songs, we were like, ‘ah, this makes sense now.’ Themes started to emerge. It’s about just how intense everything’s been, you know—coming out of your teenage years and then being on this crazy journey.”
Sim-Savage adds, “When we started touring, we were barely 19. We wanted the music to sound raw and unfiltered, capturing that energy and openness—what it’s like to live in the moment, feeling so exposed. When you’re on tour in wild situations, there’s a mix of vulnerability and excitement that can be almost self-destructive but thrilling at the same time. That rush lasted for about two years, and it wasn’t until Christmas, when we had a two-month break, that I looked back and thought, ‘Oh my God, we’ve been on this constant high.’”

One of the most striking developments over the past few years is the band’s growing cross-generational appeal and their ability to connect with a wide range of musical tastes. “It’s brilliant to connect with such a diverse group of people,” Sayers reflects. “It’s also opened doors for us to play completely different festivals. Last year, we did both Download and End of the Road festivals—how many bands can say they’ve played both?”
Their ascent has been fueled by tireless gigging and a growing word-of-mouth buzz, leading to a series of unforgettable live moments. “I loved playing Glasgow Barrowland supporting Frank Carter,” says Sim-Savage. “That room is just incredible. I was feeling particularly angry and emotional that day, and it brought an extra intensity to the performance. But our recent release show for our single “One More Reason” was on another level. Instead of just playing a standard gig, we incorporated a fashion catwalk. There’s this young designer I met in a Brighton Wetherspoons bar—tiny, with big blonde hair—who created the outfits for the music video. We showcased her work during the show, and it was amazing.”
Sam concludes our conversation with a laugh, “And so the plan is—get the album out, tour as much as possible, hopefully head back to America, and just don’t stop!”

Hot Shock is released on March 7th and can be pre-ordered HERE
HotWax Live Dates
March 3, Music’s Not Dead, De La Warr Pavilion - Instore
March 4, Slice of Vinyl, Gosport - Instore
March 7, Resident Brighton - Instore
March 8, Rough Trade Nottingham (Midday) - Instore
March 8, Rough Trade Liverpool (Evening) - Instore
March 9, Rough Trade Bristol - Instore
March 10, Vinyl Whistle Leeds - Instore
March 11, Rough Trade East - Instore
March 12, Vinilo Southampton - Instore
March 13, Truck Oxford - Instore
March 20, Trix (Bar), Antwerp
March 22, EKKO, Utrecht
March 24, MTC, Cologne
March 25, Urban Spree (Rough Trade), Berlin
March 26, Hafenklang, Hamburg
March 28, Where Else?, Margate
March 30, Forum, Tunbridge Wells
March 31, Face Bar, Reading
April 1, Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
April 3, Polar Bear, Hull
April 4, Nice n Sleazy, Glasgow (Random Rules)
April 5, Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh (Random Rules)
April 6, The Georgian Theatre, Stockton-On-Tees
April 7, Kanteena, Lancaster
April 9, DeadWax, Birmingham
April 10, Bunkhouse, Swansea
April 11, Burdall’s Yard, Bath
May 31, Temple Newsam Park, Leeds, Kaiser Chiefs + Cribs All Dayer
Subscribe to Under the Radar’s print magazine.
Most Recent
- 20 Best Songs of the Week: The WAEVE, Anika, Deep Sea Diver, Destroyer, Andy Bell, Doves, and More (News) —
- Wings of Desire Share New Single “A Few More Years” (News) —
- Marinero on “La La La” and the Angeleno Life (Interview) —
- Andy Bell of Ride Shares New Eight-Minute Song “apple green ufo” (News) —
- The WAEVE Announce New EP, Share Video for New Song “Love Is All Pain” (News) —
Comments
Submit your comment
There are no comments for this entry yet.