HotWax

HotWax are an alternative rock trio from Hastings, known for blissfully bruising, grunge-inspired guitar anthems delivered with raw energy and emotional depth. The band is made up of Tallulah Sim-Savage (vocals, guitar), Lola Sam (bass) and Alfie Sayers (drums).

Tallulah and Lola met at secondary school in Hastings, when a music teacher placed them in a group together, and they quickly became close friends. Drawing on the gritty sounds of 90s grunge and alternative rock, the band cut their teeth on the live music scene of the South East of England, where their explosive shows soon caught the attention of the industry.

After signing to Marathon Artists, HotWax released their debut EP, A Thousand Times, in May 2023. Its lead single, “Treasure,” captured their signature sound: buzzing basslines, commanding beats and raucous guitars that flick between melodic verses and riff-heavy breakdowns. A second EP, Invite Me, Kindly, followed later that year.

Over the next eighteen months, the trio played more than 150 shows, including Reading & Leeds, Mad Cool, All Points East and Download, as well as support tours with Royal Blood, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Deap Vally.

It was at one of those gigs, a packed show at Third Man Records’ Blue Basement, that producer Catherine Marks (boygenius, Wolf Alice) saw the band and set out to capture their party-like live energy on record. The result was their debut album, Hot Shock, released in March 2025. Recorded live with a crowd of friends at London’s legendary RAK Studios, with an all-female production team of Marks and Steph Marziano, and additional sessions with Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa in Joshua Tree, it is an album made to be played loud and with abandon, while revealing a vulnerable, softer side that runs beneath the noise.

Released in 2025, Hot Shock is HotWax's latest album. The next chance to see them live is on 16 October 2026 at Electric Brixton, London, supporting Gina Birch.