'A Love Letter To Our Fans': Hot Water Music Detail New LP 'VOWS'

Influential American punk rockers Hot Water Music are back with their tenth album (and fourth since the band's reunion in 2008), VOWS. To celebrate the release, they’ve gone track-by-track for The Music.

A 12-song emotional journey, VOWS finds Hot Water Music teaming up with their friends, including Thrice, City And Colour, Calling Hours and The Interrupters, with Brendan Yates and Daniel Fang from the buzzy hardcore band Turnstile. The results? Powerful, cathartic, fist-pumping punk rock from a band that hasn’t missed a step in their 30-year career.

VOWS also celebrates the band’s 30th anniversary, offering their devoted fans a “love letter” for their continued support. Never sounding trite, VOWS is as energetic and intense as ever.

Read on for a detailed track-by-track from vocalist and guitarist Chuck Ragan, bassist Jason Black, and guitarist/vocalist Chris Cresswell.

Menace

Jason Black: We had a lot of discussions about how to open the album, but I'm glad we went with Menace. This one hits like an old friend with a nice new coat of paint. It would fit on any other Hot Water Music record, but it would definitely be one of the best songs on there.

Chuck Ragan: In this day and age, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day frustrations. What isn’t easy all the time is recognising our ability to choose our mental state. We own the power to slow down enough to be present in our anger, realising the paths away from hatred and preparing ourselves for the next time we cross ways with menace.

Searching For Light

Jason Black: This was constructed from an old acoustic skeleton that Chuck had lying around. Obviously very different from the starting point, it was a contender to kick off the record before we settled on Menace. It was nice to have this sort of groove come back into the mix. It's been a while since we've had a song with this feel. 

Burn Forever

Jason Black: Burn Forever is about processing grief, about allowing it to happen, and about the things we learn to help us through it. This is the first song out of this batch that gave everyone 'the vibe,’ and we knew we were on the right track once we had this in the tank. 

After The Impossible (featuring City And Colour)

Jason Black: Luckily, we got Dallas Green to sing on this one. The song is about being away from home and people missing each other, which lends itself really nicely to almost being a duet because it's like Dallas and Chuck singing to each other. This song took some work, and it almost didn't get made, but I’m glad we got it there. Fun fact: the bridge was originally meant to be the chorus.

Remnants (featuring Daniel Fang and Brendan Yates)

Jason Black: Part of the goal for this record was to make our 30th Anniversary a celebration/party, and this song perfectly encapsulates that vibe. Being able to get the homies Daniel and Brendan (Turnstile) on this really elevated things and made this a special track for us. This is a song of friendship and what it means to be a true friend to a person dear to us, even through the toughest times of our lives. 

Chewing On Broken Glass

Jason Black: We almost released this song via The Draft many years ago. Brian came across it while going through some old demos, and we gladly resurrected it. Written in darker times, it’s about feeling like you’re not in control of your life and how this can leave you struggling against the bitterness that comes with it all.

Fences (featuring Thrice)

Jason Black: We’ve been friends with the Thrice dudes for so long, their first tour was with us, and last year they had Chuck sing on The Artist And The Ambulance - Revisited. Being on each other’s records is a nice full-circle moment for us and them. This song is about how one of the toughest things in life is remembering and recognising the importance of living in the moment. With so many distractions in our day-to-day lives, it becomes easy to get lost in the noise of this society and lose focus of our true and present purpose. 

Side Of The Road

Chris Cresswell: Side Of The Road is a song born from the all-too-familiar feeling of life tightening its grip and, in some cases, not letting go until it’s gone too far. Sometimes, along the way, the journey becomes the detour becomes the abrupt halt at the side of the road, and you’re left pondering the meaning of all your miles travelled.

Wildfire (featuring Calling Hours)

Jason Black: This was super cool because we got Popeye Vogelsang from Farside now Calling Hours to do the spoken word bridge part. Farside was hugely influential on us when we started out, so it is a big deal to have him be a part of the record. I really like that we have a spoken-word bridge. It’s a throwback in such a cool way, and it’s nice to hear something like this again. 

Bury Us All

Jason Black: It all started with the triplet guitar intro, which is an idea Chris Wollard has had for a very, very long time. Brian wouldn't let it go and has been trying to murder him into making it a song. He was right to keep on it.

Touch The Sun

Jason Black: Wiry and frenetic, this one is a perfect penultimate track. Just as the record starts to close out and wind down, you get lit up. I love this song because it's just crazy. It’s a quintessential Cresswell song that reminds me of Drive Like Jehu and Rocket From The Crypt.

Much Love (featuring The Interrupters)

Jason Black: This is a love letter to our fans to say thank you for 30 years. It felt like a nice way to tie the record up. Chunk had done a bunch of shows with The Interrupters, so he hit up Aimee Allen to see if she would sing on it. Kevin Bivona also added some keys. It came out awesome.

Hot Water Music’s new album, VOWS, is out now via Cooking Vinyl Australia. You can buy/listen to the album here.