Premiere: The Hots go bang-bang in ‘Before You’ video

Women have been subverting popular music since the very beginning. But, as is often the case in the rule of patriarchy, history has been re-written countless times to downplay their contributions and leadership. Recent years have brought a reconfiguration and enlightenment about the truth of it all, and as you can tell by NPR’s Turning the Tables series, the evidence of women as true trailblazers is clear. Even with such initiatives to celebrate and honor music made by women, there are still miles to go in the war of equality. That’s where Australia born and bred rock band The Hots come into the picture.

Their debut single “Before You” is a flame-throwing, arena-sized head banger. Lead singer Foxie Kelly relinquishes a monstrous vocal that tears and claws its way over sizzling electric guitar, masterfully orchestrated by band mate Ronnie Simmons, who has previously played with Rose Tattoo, The Screaming Jets and Richie Ramone (of The Ramones). “Riding solo is fun, but it’s never enough / I need my partner-in-crime, my diamond in the rough,” Kelly sings on the opening verse, seemingly popping a can of gasoline and lighting the world on fire. “My possession this aggression isn’t off the cuff / I’ll make a deal with the devil / Times are gettin’ tough.”

The accompanying visual, premiering today, slides comfortably into the side-pocket of classically structured rock cinema. Images of Kelly ⏤ whose musical heritage includes links to Supreme Sounds show band out of Ireland and rapper Rob Kelly ⏤ toning up a supped-up muscle car are spliced between a makeshift performance-style display, illustrating the duo’s innate electricity, and a midnight rendezvous down the highway in a roaring, slickly-polished automobile. “Our vision was to capture the vibe of late 1960s Grind House and Russ Meyer’s films by portraying a strong and sexy female,” the band tells B-Sides & Badlands about the video, helmed by producer and director Vashti Rosenberg, known for her work with blink-182, Good Charlotte and Nickelback, among many others.

They add, “In conjunction with a wall of Marshall stacks, an American muscle car and a ‘larger than life’ feeling, we set out to revive the classic Hard Rock music video that embodies exactly who we are.”

“Before You” is playfully aggressive, shooting right for the stratosphere, and anchors the duo’s forthcoming, self-titled debut EP, out November 23.

Watch below:

Photo Credit: Tony Mott

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