Hot Flash Heat Wave is the brainchild of four best friends from Davis, California. During their high school years, they met and bonded through participation in a small, tight-knit community of musicians that put on a slew of DIY shows in parents’ garages and local venues, at the time each playing in a variety of different projects. After leaving Davis for various cities in California, the four eventually reunited in San Francisco to write and record under the same roof. Their debut LP Neapolitan, released in 2015, quickly launched them to the forefront of the Bay Area music scene with its candied hooks, fuzzy guitars and tunes reminiscent of The Smiths gone new wave.

The boys have wasted no time following up with their sophomore release Soaked (LP and cassette out June 2nd on OIM Records), introducing a more diverse and groovy approach to their shimmering dream-pop sound. The album was recorded at Skyline Studios in Oakland with producer Jeff Saltzman (Hot Fuss, Green Day) and mixed by Eric Broucek (The Drums, Cut Copy, DFA Records). Where dirty guitars and speedy garage rock anthems once held the reigns, Soaked brings forth a colorful array of tones and instrumentation over compositions filled with sweeping emotion, achieving a higher level of production value and pop sensibility. It is apparent how the band’s sound has grown while still retaining loyalty to their classic, melody-centric songwriting.

After tirelessly gigging up and down the west coast and opening for acts such as Alvvays, Daywave, Mild High Club & Surfer Blood, Hot Flash’s growing reputation for energetic live performances has brought audiences together from across Northern California to sing, dance, and have fun together. The group will embark on their first national tour with the release of the album this April. See the story unfold in a city near you. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.