Hot Water Music


Hot Water Music is an American punk rock band formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1993. The group consists of Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard on shared lead vocals and guitar, bassist Jason Black, and drummer George Rebelo.

Early history

Ragan, Black, and Rebelo initially met while living in Sarasota. Black and Rebelo had played together in jazz bands in school. Ragan and Rebelo met while working at eateries on the same street, with the corner becoming a frequent gathering place for Sarasota musicians. As Wollard was based in Bradenton at the time, he met the other three at a storage facility which was frequently used as a rehearsal space for both Sarasota and Bradenton bands. Frustrated by the lack of musical opportunities in their respective hometowns, Black, who had been attending Florida State University for a year, recommended that the other three join him in Gainesville, a city known for its historic and contemporary music scene. Upon moving to Gainesville and variously filling in as performers in each others' bands Fossil and Thread, the four joined together as Hot Water Music. The band's name was taken from the collection of short stories by Charles Bukowski of the same name.
After rapidly releasing a series of singles splits, and EPs, the band released their first two LPs in 1997, Fuel for the Hate Game and Forever and Counting, the latter of which was released under the temporary moniker The Hot Water Music Band due legal concerns on the part of the band's label Doghouse Records regarding an unrelated record titled Hot Water Music by Elektra Records band Hot Water that same year. After two years of rigorous touring had exhausted the band's members and strained their relationships, they announced that they would be breaking up following a farewell show at the Hardback Cafe in Gainesville. Their intention to disband was evidently short-lived, as, during the show, Ragan announced to the audience, "I'm sure a lot of people here came a long way tonight because they heard this was our last show. I don't know what to tell you guys...we're trying to keep it going." The performance from this show was recorded and released as the live album Live at the Hardback.
After releasing No Division on No Idea Records in 1999, Hot Water Music signed to Epitaph Records, releasing four more albums, including fan-favorite No Division in 1999, 2001's A Flight and a Crash, their commercial breakthrough Caution in 2002, and their final record The New What Next, before disbanding in 2005.

Hiatus

In late 2005, Hot Water Music announced through the No Idea Records website that they would be going on a hiatus following Chuck Ragan's departure, citing "family" reasons. While this was initially intended as a temporary hiatus, the band announced in 2006 that the break would be permanent. The three remaining members then started a new project, The Draft, whose first album, In a Million Pieces, was released on September 12, 2006. Chuck Ragan continued with a primarily-acoustic solo project, releasing his debut record Feast or Famine in 2007.

Reunion

Less than two years after announcing their hiatus, the band announced that they would be reuniting for a handful of shows in 2008 to commemorate the release their B-sides compilation record Till The Wheels Fall Off. The band continued to be semi-active, sporadically performing and touring over the next few years.
In 2011, the band announced that, after releasing a 7" single to support their European tour with Make Do and Mend, they would be releasing a new LP of original material through Rise Records. Hot Water Music released the album, Exister, in 2012.
After the release of their 2017 record Light It Up, Wollard announced that he was taking a break from the band to focus on his health. The band continued to play previously booked shows with The Flatliners' Chris Cresswell and Chris DeMakes of Less Than Jake filling in for Wollard at several dates. Cresswell also filled in for Wollard for the band's 25th anniversary tour in 2019. While Wollard is not currently performing live with the band, he is still involved in their studio endeavors, playing and singing on their 2019 Shake Up The Shadows EP, with Cresswell joining the recording on backing vocals.

Other Projects

Prior to founding Hot Water Music, the band's members played in several other groups, including Yellow Section, Burial, Kelly Green, Thread, and Fossil. From 1998 through 1999, Ragan and Wollard joined Samantha Jones for the acoustic side-project Rumbleseat, which released four 7" singles and contributed several songs to compilations, later releasing an eponymous compilation in 2005 after their breakup.
Following Hot Water Music's 2005 hiatus announcement, Chuck Ragan began a solo career, releasing several records, as well as various collaborative efforts with other artists, including a collaborative live acoustic project called The Revival Tour, featuring several punk rock, bluegrass, and alt-country performers with Ragan's goal to "sharing music together" and "bringing it to people in an extremely honest and grassroots fashion." During this hiatus, Black, Rebelo, and Wollard formed The Draft, which released an LP and two EPs before disbanding as Hot Water Music Reunited. The Draft reunited for a reunion tour in 2013. Wollard's first solo effort, Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves was released in 2009. Jason Black joined Senses Fail in 2008, playing on their record The Fire before departing in 2012. Rebelo joined Against Me! in 2009, playing on their 2010 LP White Crosses, leaving the band that same year. Rebelo has been a member of The Bouncing Souls since 2013, playing on their 2016 record Simplicity.

Discography

;Studio albums
;Compilations
;Live albums
;EPs and splits