Photo credit: Mala Kras
To “bury the hatchet” can be to end a quarrel or conflict; to even become friendly with the other person. On their 2023 debut album ‘Hatchet’, Melbourne’s sibling-fronted trio Hot Glue have done just this, taking melancholic indie & combining it with gritty angst to drive forgiveness from themselves & those around them. ‘Hatchet’ sees the three-piece all combining eloquently to elevate their intrepid indie-rock sound & piece together a ride of forgotten grudges, apologies & heartfelt conflicts. Whilst ‘Hatchet’ appears only in name on track ‘Honey’ & ‘Forgive It All’, its themes are consistently felt throughout.
Recorded across various points of 2022, Hot Glue used St Kilda’s iconic Hothouse Audio (Jet, Motorace, Ash Grunwald), to track the record, in-between university semesters & European jaunts. With most tracks having been played live in-front of audiences already, the studio brought a whole new life to the songs, with Hot Glue embracing a big rock, fuzzy sound across the album; conscious of the certainty that this was their sound. With father Craig Harnath (Kylie Minogue, Jack Howard) an industry stalwart in his own right, the band entrusted him with mixing & mastering duties for the album.
“‘Hatchet’ began only with the intention of putting together the songs we had been playing live for the last few years. It became apparent very quickly that we were writing about forgiveness. Forgiving, holding grudges, being sorry, needing someone else to be sorry. The eponymous “hatchet” appears by name only in ‘Honey’ and ‘Forgive It All’, one of the first and last songs written for the project, but it was clearly haunting every other track. You find it, you bury it, you forget, you dig it up, you carry it around, you regret it.”
Pearl Harnath, Hot Glue
“We recorded the whole album at Hothouse Audio in St Kilda at different points in 2022 in-between uni semesters and European holidays. It was really great having a space to come back to and be creative together. The process felt so different to recording in the past, now with Henry as our permanent drummer, and working on songs we had heard living and breathing in front of audiences for months, some for years. I feel like we really embraced a big rock, fuzzy sound on the album, with more certainty of what Hot Glue sounds like.” Lily Harnath, Hot Glue
Artwork by: Henry Lucas
Having traveled all across Naarm, from Northcote Social Club to the Esplanade Hotel, Hot Glue are looking to celebrate a massive year & the release of ‘Hatchet’ with an album launch show at The Gasometer Hotel. Joining them for the night will be local favorites Polly and the Pockets, as well as Kincaid. The three-piece are itching to share the album & its cuts, live for the first time post-release with their friends, family & fans.
“After a hugely successful launch for our single ‘The Knife’ hosted at The Retreat Hotel, we eagerly began planning the album launch. This year has been a big year for us performing all over Naarm, from the Northcote Social Club to the Esplanade Hotel, supporting a whole swathe of amazing bands along the way, and it’s all building up to this September. We can’t wait to officially launch our debut album at The Gasometer Hotel, one of our favorite venues to play, and are very grateful to be able to share the stage with Polly and the Pockets alongside Kincaid. It’s gonna be huge!” Henry Lucas, Hot Glue
Undoubtedly familiar to anyone within the Melbourne indie scene, Hot Glue have forged a name for themselves across a multitude of years, with relentless gigging & a captivating live show earning them slots alongside Body Type, Bad Bangs & Jess Rebeiro, as well as performing at The St Kilda Festival. A loyal following saw the band sell out The Esplanade Hotel for a headline performance, with a consistent audience wherever they go. Now with 60,000+ streams across DSP’s, as well as airplay on triple j (Home & Hosed, Weekend Breakfast), and support from triple j Unearthed (rotation) Hot Glue are perfectly poised for national attention, bringing their dynamic, forthright & stormy debut album ‘Hatchet’ along for the journey.
HOT GLUE ‘HATCHET’ ALBUM RELEASE SHOW
Thursday, September 7th The Gasometer Hotel Melbourne, VIC w/ Polly and The Pockets & Kincaid
PRAISE FOR HOT GLUE
“I love the way this song drops you immediately in the moment and keeps you gripped until the very last second.”
Abby Butler, triple j
“Hot Glue have a really gripping way of welcoming you into their world, sharing their story and taking you along for the entire journey… It’s been a whole 3 minutes and 3 seconds and I’ve been wholeheartedly invested <3”
Anika Luna, triple j Unearthed
“Empowering anthem[s] at full kick”
Claire Mooney, triple j
‘Hatchet’ is out Now
Hot Glue: Official Website | triple j Unearthed | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
