San Francisco band Hot Flash Heat Wave rose to prominence in the Bay Area music scene in 2015 with the release of their ‘Gutter Girl’ music video, from their debut album Neapolitan, with its accompanying video eventually trending on Reddit. Their versatile sound, at times reminiscent of dreamy psychedelia, power pop, and post-punk, demonstrates a dynamic range of songwriting prowess centered around consistently infectious, sun-soaked melodies and guitar hooks.

Hot Flash Heat Wave is Adam Abildgaard, Nick Duffy, and Ted Davis. The trio hails from Davis, California, where they met in high school through a shared interest in music. Maintaining a DIY ethos instilled by their teenage roots in the Davis/Sacramento punk scene, the group still creates most of their artwork and merchandise themselves.

Continuing their habit of self-reinvention, the band has garnered growing attention with the early 2019 release of a short-but-sweet EP, titled Mood Ring, and a self-made music video for its leading single ‘Glo Ride’. An ambitious blending of genres, the EP is a definite divergence from anything we’ve heard from the group to date, diving deep into themes of introspection and emotional turmoil while still managing a flavor that is uniquely theirs.