An Interview With Hotkid's Shiloh Harrison

Toronto-based band Hotkid is only days away of their show this Saturday, at l'Espace des Mêmes, alongside Walrus and Miesha & The Spanks, presented by Analogue Addiction and yours truly, CJLO. We at the station had the chance to catch vocalist and lead guitarist Shiloh Harrison and ask her a few questions on Saturday's show, the band's upcoming album, Late Night Mornings, coming out May 5th, and more. 

Your new LP, Late Night Mornings, is soon hitting the shelves. What can you tell us about it? 

Well, this is our first LP as a three-piece band, so you can expect to hear bass on the record! We've also done a limited run of 150 pink and 150 white vinyls, so the wax enthusiasts out there may be interested in that. 

I was doing some research, and stumbled upon the (very good) song "Neck," which clearly has a message in it, tackling the Ghomeshi issue from a few years ago. Are there any other current themes explored in your new album?

Oh jeez, yeah, the Ghomeshi song. I was so upset by the hypocrisy of that trial. It was so revealing about the silent sexism and harassment women often deal with every day and just brush off, or feel guilty on some level for inviting. I wanted to write a Bob Dylan "Hurricane"-style song—only, in this case, the protagonist of the tune is the bad guy.

Late Night Mornings took shape over the last couple of years, so time is a big theme. It's also about relationships, growing out of relationships and friendships that don't work for you and coming to terms with that; growing up, I guess. It's also about escaping the everyday [life] and finding those moments that let you appreciate... existing, I guess.

Hotkid has been around for a while now, congratulations! What would you say is the one inspiration that keeps your passion going?

Yeah, HotKid has been a band for over 10 years now. The music and the lineup have changed over that time, but I've been so lucky to work with and collaborate with talented and supportive people. Robbie [Butcher] and Peter [McIntosh] are amazing bandmates, and our producer Adam King has been a huge part of making this record possible. I think, at the root of it though, [it's] really an overwhelming desire to express ourselves on some level and connect with people.

You're back in Montreal this weekend. How do you feel? What do you like best about Montreal's crowd?

We can’t wait to be back in Montreal! We haven't played here in years. Montreal crowds are beautiful and wild and we're super pumped.

What can people expect from the show this Saturday?

We have a little bit of a DIY light show happening, which is exciting. We are also playing a bunch of new tunes from the album, which we are pretty pumped about. I think people can expect to dance and have fun and get into the groove, ya know?

Catch Hotkid this Saturday, April 29, at l'Espace des Mêmes! Check out the band on their websiteFacebook, and Bandcamp.

Image credit: Amanda Dickson.