Indie psychedelic rock at its finest, Hot Freaks have dropped the addicting new single, “Boyfriend”, as a taster for their recently announced forthcoming second studio album, titled “Hot Freaks Forever”. The band have also dropped a relatable visualiser which also includes the lyrics of the song, making it also a lyric video. This release acts as the follow-up to their previous single “Let’s Start A Country”.
Hot Freaks, a five-piece band hailing from Minneapolis, emerged from the shadows almost a decade after disbanding when their ten-year-old single “Puppy Princess” unexpectedly went viral on TikTok, thrusting the once-obscure gem into the spotlight. Frontman Leo Vondracek, guitarist Darin Dahlmeier, bassist Sarah Darnall, drummer Cody Brown, and keyboardist Celeste Heule had already been considering a reunion show, but the overwhelming response from their newfound online fanbase demanded a full-fledged tour alongside pop-rock sensations the Rare Occasions. With seamless ease, the Freaks rekindled their musical synergy, and are currently preparing for an upcoming tour with the Happy Fits, armed with a mix of freshly minted compositions and unreleased early works from their vibrant history. Their sophomore album, aptly titled “Hot Freaks Forever,” exudes triumphant energy, channelling their signature high-gloss dancy disco pop infused with indie-rock influences from MGMT, Of Montreal, the Carpenters, and Mitski. The band has amassed over 100 million Spotify streams, with their debut self-titled studio album, released in 2013, driving the majority of the streams. Surprisingly, “Puppy Princess” became a viral sensation, amassing an impressive 60.6 million streams, and their track “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” also gained significant traction on the platform with 28.1 million streams, to date. Hot Freaks’ resurgence serves as a testament to their enduring musical prowess, solidifying their place in the spotlight and captivating audiences once again with their radiant and infectious sound.
Written by Cody Brown, Darin Dahlmier, Leo Vondracek, and Sarah Alfano with Elliott Kozel acting as producer, “Boyfriend” is a heart-melting smitten track telling the story of a young woman who is awake in bed looking at her sleeping boyfriend, thinking about how the relationship will be ending soon as she plans to set off to college on the east side of the country. Bassist Sarah Darnall adds “It’s kinda like a country song cuz she has big dreams, but he’s stuck in the small town, she’ll leave but he’ll always pull on her heart—we’re like that country song too, breaking up the band and going our separate ways just to get back together, but at least we’re touring now.”
Watch the visualiser for “Boyfriend” by Hot Freaks here:
Full of heart and soul, Hot Freaks have managed to tell a minute but relatable story really transporting the listener right into that bedroom where the woman is having all these thoughts while her boyfriend is sleeping. It’s rare to be transported into such an imaginary visual, that the band have managed to describe the situation, set the scene, and really allow us to relate to the characters – no this is not a novel, it really is a song, but it’s lyricism is beautiful. Supporting the awesome lyrics and the passionate vocals is an imaginative psychedelic indie-rock backing track that truly takes the essence of what we know and love of Hot Freaks’ ten-year-old music and amplifies it, bringing a 2023 sound whilst still allowing for a nostalgic Hot Freaks feel.
The visualiser takes the single cover artwork, which is a pink psychedelic amalgamation as the background while there is a skeleton hand and arm, which has Hot Freaks wristbands on, and in the hand is a camera. As the song plays, the arm moves in time to the beat, pressing the camera button and creating a flash. The lyrics appear at the bottom of the visualiser in a black marker pen font.
Stream the newly-released single on Spotify here:
“Boyfriend”, by Hot Freaks, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Diamond City and Many Hats Distribution. Look out for their forthcoming sophomore album, “Hot Freaks Forever”, which is set to drop on September 15, 2023. Also, don’t miss your chance to see them perform live as they are set to tour across the US with The Happy Fits, tickets are available from their official website.
Tour Dates:
- September 19 – Harrisburg, PA – HMAC
- September 20 – Albany, NY – Empire Live
- September 22 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
- September 23 – Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall
- September 24 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
- September 26 – Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27
- September 27 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
- September 29 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
- September 30 – Columbus, SC- The Senate
- October 1 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
- October 3 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
- October 5 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
- October 6 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
- October 7 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
- October 8 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Hall
- October 10 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
- October 11 – Sacramento, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
- October 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union