In a world where we all literally live on social media and our brains assume much of what we see and hear is instantaneous, one can be forgiven for assuming that your new favourite song was in fact written and produced in the last few months. However, in 2020, this is actually a surprisingly rare occurrence. For Hot Minute, the all-female, Mancunian synth-pop powerhouse, their third single ‘Drive’ is not by any stretch what a fan/stan might call a ‘new song’.
It turns out that ‘Drive’ is a song that the girls have been sitting on for some time (“a few years at least,” states frontwoman Keely – above, centre), but only now has it felt right to release. “Drive is about wanting to pack up and go, in a literal sense”, outlines Bella (above – right). Thematically, the latest release from the Northern trip feels surprisingly on point. Despite the song having taken some years to finally come together, it is oddly suited to the numerous global movements that have rather ominously dominated the start of the new decade. “I think everyone can relate to needing to escape sometimes – like you could just leave in search of something bigger”, suggests Courtney (above – left). Keely sums it up on a more spiritual note: “We really wanted to get across the romanticised relationship of the high you get while chasing what feels like an impossible dream – but at the same point, if you just need to escape the house at 2 am to get some white chocolate cookies from Asda, we’re also ok symbolising that! It’s the escape you want it to be.”
‘Drive’ has all the potential to be one of those tunes you’d play on repeat whilst driving around at night with your mates. “We always envisaged the song to be super 80’s when it was done and everything started to come together when we got down what became the badest-ass sax solo we’d heard in a while – which we didn’t actually add until midway through 2019”, states Bella. “It was important for us that ‘Drive’ was completed in a way that really hits you in the feels, both audibly and visually.”
Listen to ‘Drive’ – BELOW:
Aesthetically, the release once again plays into the band’s vested commitment to the empowerment of women, particularly in the music industry. The option to experiment with a Charlie’s Angels X The Matrix theme for the campaign was floated, but it would clearly need a dose of Hot Minute’s unique empowerment spray. Keely directs: “You can be a bad bitch AND your own boss. You don’t need a ‘Charlie’ and you don’t just have to be one specific thing or another. You don’t have to answer to anyone. In our case, this applies to us as women, but the message is universal – don’t underestimate yourself, you don’t need permission.”
Hot Minute – ‘Drive’ is released on all digital platforms on 22 January 2020 via Hotter Than Hell Records (on all digital platforms)
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