HotKid play a blazing, kick-ass brand of rock'n'roll. The first time I saw 'em, I nodded to myself as soon as I witnessed singer/guitarist Shiloh Harrison strap on her Flying V — this is very much a Flying V sort of band. HotKid is the sound of Saturday night, which should make their headlining set at WL 560 a special occasion. I had a virtual sit down with Shiloh, Peter McIntosh (bass) and Robbie Butcher (drums) to talk about Cambridge, rock'n'roll swagger, and putting the band back together.

Wavelength: The band got its start in Cambridge, which is not known (at least outside of Cambridge) as a big music centre. Were you inspired by other stuff going on there, or was the band a “nothing else to do” sort of reaction?

Shiloh: At the time we were first putting a band together the Constantines were starting to get some attention. They were based out of Guelph at the time and some of the members were from Cambridge. There was a real shift in Indie music then with Three Gut Records and the like. Canadian Indie was becoming more viable and innovative. Will Kidman of the Cons & Woolly Leaves is a Cambridge/Ayr kid and was part of a local crew that put on shows and made records and zines... it was a boredom meets “wow shit is happening” sorta thing I guess.

WL: Some folks at this show might be surprised to see three people playing instead of two. But Peter McIntosh (now on bass) isn't just a new member — how did this come about?

Shiloh: Yeah, Peter was the drummer in HotKid for many years. He is like a brother to me. We clocked a lot of hours touring the east coast in HotKid’s early days. Peter sort of took a break from the band to build his family and I was lucky enough to find Robbie, who is super talented, supportive and full of amazing ideas. Recently we were looking to make something different and continue to build the band and the sound. Peter was interested in becoming a part of that again which is really exciting. We should have something new recorded for the fall and we will be able to really explore this new dynamic.

WL: Does having a bass player in the group change how you're playing or approaching the music?

Shiloh: Having a bass player and adding recorded elements to the band is both freeing and a can be a little restrictive at the same time. With only two people, guitar and drums, If I want to go off the rails and play a part longer or go into the crowd and do something crazy, it’s maybe a little easier for a drummer to stick with something like that. Adding the bass though gives me more freedom with playing some of the more challenging guitar parts and arranged parts that we come up with in the studio when creating and recording the songs. The tracks and the bass let us make that multilayered, psyched out sound that we can get in the studio a reality for our live shows. And we can still go off the rails from time to time!

WL: Your Courage to Fight EP just came out on Bandcamp. It follows another EP (Under the Streetlight) — are four-song bursts a good way to give people a taste of the band's energy without overpowering them? Is it a struggle to make a “mature step forward” without, well, losing your edge?

Shiloh: I think the “mature” bit comes from just moving toward more production in the recording, taking more time with making the songs sound interesting sonically. I'm not a super prolific writer to be honest and it costs money to record long records, short EPs are less expensive to make and you can edit out filler and keep it to the best tracks, ideally anyway.

WL: Peter, how do you fit yourself in to these songs? Are you going to swagger along with the rest of the band, or just lay down a foundation?

Peter: Right now I just do what feels right for the songs and try not to overthink things. It's tricky because HotKid has never had a bass player, so this is all new territory we're exploring. While part of me wants to justify my existence in the band and HK's decision to add a third member, I think it's more about finding our sound as a three-piece and looking ahead to the possibilities this arrangement can bring. We've got some really cool ideas in the works. And I'll admit I'm looking forward to ‘swaggering’ along with these dudes.

WL: With the bands playing in a halfpipe, Soybomb is a bit of an unusual venue. What's the strangest place HotKid has ever played?

Shiloh: When HotKid was Peter and I we once played a show in North Bay with BA Johnston, in what you might call a “booze can.” I think the building had originally been some sort of municipal court or office building so there was a little semi-circle stage where I imagine the Judge would have been. There was maybe twenty speakers stacked one on top of the other, reaching up to the 15 foot ceiling and only on the right hand side of the stage. There were those big wooden spools used for wires set up as tables and the place was thick with cigarette smoke. It was an interesting show.

WL: If HotKid could have a piece of unique merch to sell at gigs besides a record or a t-shirt, what would it be?

Rob: Something people use every day would be nice, like a HotKid toothbrush. Or a HotKid travel contact solution case.

WL: Rob, you keep a pretty close eye on the local scene. Who are some Toronto bands people should be listening to right now?

Rob: The Beverleys are far and away the best up and coming band Toronto has seen in ages.

WL: Thanks, folks. I will see you in the halfpipe on Saturday night.