Chris Cresswell Details Five Lessons From Joining Hot Water Music

Chris Cresswell has a unique perspective on being a member of Hot Water Music, as he’s also in the band The Flatliners. And this month, he’ll be playing with both bands as the former headlines a tour across Australia.

Since 2017, Cresswell has been a member of Hot Water Music – a band that was already 20+ years into their career when he joined. It has to be challenging but also invigorating to become a member of a group with so much history. For Cresswell, those feelings might have doubled since he’s described Hot Water Music as one of his favourite bands.

Hot Water Music are heading to Australia for the first time in fifteen years in support of their latest album, VOWS. 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, as well as 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.

Ahead of the band’s massive Australian tour, The Music caught up with Cresswell to find out five things he’s learned as a member of Hot Water Music. You can learn more about his journey below.

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Five things Chris Cresswell has learned as a member of Hot Water Music

Serve The Song

My involvement with Hot Water Music has given me the ultimate peek behind the curtain of one of my favourite bands. My first couple years in the fold were strictly on the road, but when it came to starting to make albums with the band, I quickly learned that we, as a band, ultimately serve the song. Whatever is best for the song is what should happen in the studio. In a band that now features three vocalists, three guitarists, a genius of a bass player and a musical director of a drummer, you’ve got five very different people all contributing to the songwriting.

Just because you wrote this part on guitar doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the one to execute it on the album. Same goes for lyrics, vocals, arrangements, everything. It’s a truly open process of collaboration that sees everyone touch every idea and leave their mark. To me, songwriting with Hot Water Music is a team sport. The one who serves up the spark of an idea may not be the one to spike the ball in the end. But we’re all a part of bringing these songs to life and giving them the best shot at being released into the world. Serve the song.

Time Management

Perhaps not the sexiest skill to learn from a road-tested force like HWM, but it’s the damn truth. Splitting my time between Hots, The Flatliners, a solo career in music, running a business at home and enjoying married life is A LOT. But I get to exist in a world where my main goals every day are to write and play music, explore the world, explore myself and the relationships around me, and utilize an outlet I’m fortunate to have to keep creating art. It all adds up to a beautiful thing, and that beautiful thing can take you in a lot of different directions.

But it can also end up spreading you pretty thin. Being mindful of the most valuable thing we all have in this lifetime - is something I’ve gotten much better at. Making sure my mind can keep up with my body while I travel all year and split time between multiple touring musical outfits is the challenge. I enjoy being busy, and being busy while staying organized about my life has been an absolute game changer.

I Suck At Math

It’s inevitable when always engaging in internationally diplomatic conversations between Canadians (me) and Americans (the rest of the band) that things like Celsius vs. Fahrenheit and Kilometres vs. Miles arise. The plain truth is I don’t understand the difference and am resigned to thinking I never will. Sorryyyyyy.

Where A Song Should End Up

I’m always working on new ideas in one way or another. It could be a collection of riffs, lyrical scraps or bits of a melody that pile up while I’m out on the road. It could be a more defined idea or a demo while I’ve got time at home to put that together. I’ve released more stripped-down and pop-centric music over the years with my solo projects, which were always ideas I could more easily throw into a different pile than the ones intended for a big, loud punk band.

But when I first started writing music with Hot Water Music, I realized that most of my loud, rocking musical identity were the songs I’d written with The Flatliners over many years. That comes with its own set of habits, tricks and go-to practices when writing new ideas. In making two albums with Hot Water Music, I’ve learned pretty quickly to trust my gut on where a new idea should go. Is this for the Flats or is this for the Hots?

There’s no real actual method to the madness, but more the confidence in doubling down on the different corners of my newfound musical identity in splitting my time and efforts between both bands. And sometimes there’s a whole lotta riffs to rifle through.

The Long Haul

Witnessing the communication between these grown-ass men in HWM is inspiring. Through their trials and tribulations over their many years, it seems to me that there’s been an amazing lesson learned in being there for one another and in dedication through its many forms. You can feel the bond walking into a room with these guys, it’s one that has been tested over time, but has always remained and one that has evolved. Doing anything for 30 years is a massive accomplishment. Being in a band for that long is almost unbelievable.

Hot Water Music will return to Australia this month with special guests The Flatliners.