W: Rachel June. I: Olly Bromidge
Hot Property are an exciting new band with dreams to raise rock-n-roll to new life. The band comprises Jonny Webber, Gabriel Corrigan, Luca Arshad, Brad Hopkins & Tyla Challenger. Their sound? Reminiscent of bangers from the best years of music. Think 70’s and 80’s rock-n roll. An era yearning for revival - their sound matches their style. Satisfying strings, dauntless drums, and heavenly harmonies swim around vivifying vocals. Their recent single ‘Ain’t That A Lotta Love’ is beaming with good energy - the type of song you’d listen to on a road trip where adventures are limitless. The riffs are addictive and make you smile, quickly prompting a hit of the rewind button. Perfectly suitable for a headbang (which helps as they have the hair for it), they describe their music as “Feel-good, modern rock 'n' roll with a real, retro energy & attitude”. The nostalgia is real, but Hot Property have their own thing going on.
The name of the band was admittedly a “very long process” to come up with. “The name Hot Property captured the essence of our collective personality and music. It's a little tongue-in-cheek, but it gives us something to live up to.” They laugh, “Don’t get us started on Luca scanning an entire dictionary in one night”. Each of them have been inspired by someone different. They appreciate the “big name performers like Rod Stewart, James Brown, Jagger & Bowie” appreciating their “performative and entertaining elements on stage”. They express that this is something “missing in a lot of live music nowadays.” They add, “It's no secret that rock 'n' roll hasn't been at the forefront of modern music for a long time, so we want to bring it back better than ever - inspired by those mentioned, with a modern twist to it”.
Live shows are where it comes to life for Hot Property. Before they take to the stage, they spend “ungodly amounts of time getting ourselves looking & feeling ready”, followed by “a drink or two & getting relaxed so that everyone feels their best when the curtain falls”. They were asked about worst performances yet, which was met with a refreshing, “We see no performance as being our worst, you learn from every gig so there’s no down sides to fucking up. You've gotta embrace the mistakes, it’ll only make you better performers in the long-run.” Spoken like a band that’s not afraid to mess up, or better yet, own it. A genuine challenge for Hot Property? “Trying not to all wear leopard print at once.”
When asked, Where do you feel you fit into the music landscape? Hot Property admits, “We're not really sure that we do fit. We couldn't really see anyone else paving the way for people like us, who want to see the resurgence of authentic rock n roll - both in the attitude & flamboyance, as well as the music itself”. They wanted to “plug that gap ourselves & hope that something can start to build around it for years to come”. Inspiration-wise, their tastes are “pretty eclectic & we all love different things, but rock is what brings us together. We find inspiration from all corners of music & art. Some favourites are the likes of Primal Scream, Faces, Led Zeppelin, T-Rex, Dire Straits, even the likes of The Cure & ELO in places”.
Their songwriting process varies, but at the moment, Jonny & Gabe write song ideas and lyrics, and then the band adds their magic. Their dream collaboration is Andrew Watt: “His work is phenomenal & he seems to transcend genre. Especially on the newest Rolling Stones album”.
An obstacle they face is, retably, “Money. We're usually skint. Tyla & Brad live outside of London right now too, but it just shows the collective dedication to get down here each week & make sure we're working together & making progress, whatever the obstacle”. Passion for what they do stems from their genuine love for it. They tell us, “We're all so passionate & driven. We feel like there's seriously something great to be achieved here, & we're all united on that goal & will each do what we can to make sure that happens”.
Hot Property are new on the scene but have the passion, drive, and confidence to bring back authentic rock-and-roll with a bang. They say to expect “More music, more shows, more Hot Property.” ASBO are here for it, are you?