HotWax Announce 2026 UK and EU Headline Tour
Backed by Music Venue Trust and Independent Venue Week, the Hastings trio take ‘Hot Shock’ on the road
Riding high off the acclaim for their debut album Hot Shock, Hastings-born rockers HotWax are hitting the road in early 2026 for a 22-date UK and EU headline tour. The first four UK dates are tied into Independent Venue Week, while the remainder of the home-leg comes in partnership with Music Venue Trust, marking a serious commitment to grassroots venues and community stages.
Support across the run comes from Jeanie and the White Boys and Slag, a bill that promises energy, chaos, and catharsis.
Hot Shock, released in March 2025, made an immediate impact—No.1 on the UK Record Store Chart, a Top 40 UK Albums debut, and Rough Trade’s Album of the Month. The album landed at No.16 in Rough Trade’s Best Albums of the Year list, celebrated with a limited silver vinyl of their high-octane Rough Trade East in-store gig.
“That next great guitar band has arrived.” – NME ★★★★★
Born on Stage, Forged in Sweat
Produced by Catherine Marks (Boygenius, Wolf Alice) and Steph Marziano (Picture Parlour, Cassandra Jenkins), Hot Shock was crafted to capture the live-wire energy that has made HotWax a must-see act. The band recorded much of the album live at RAK Studios with a crowd of friends, while also squeezing in sessions with Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa during a US tour stop in Joshua Tree.
“The sweatiest gig we’ve ever done” is how vocalist Tallulah Sim-Savage described the show that sparked it all—HotWax’s appearance at Third Man Records’ Blue Basement, where Marks first approached them with a vision for the album.
Unstoppable Momentum
Having clocked over 200 live shows in just 18 months—including sets at Reading + Leeds, All Points East, Mad Cool, and Download, plus support slots with Royal Blood, Deap Vally, and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes—HotWax are no strangers to the road.
Their live reputation is one of total release, sweat-soaked euphoria, and razor-sharp musicianship. That relentless energy is now being unleashed in full, with a record that mirrors the chaos and clarity of life on tour.
“There’s also a feeling of knowing that the more life experience we gain, the more fearless we become,” says bassist Lola Sam. And Hot Shock reflects just that—messy, loud, honest, and full of heart.
