Song

Automatic

Artist

The Hot Damn!

The Hot Damn! backstory

The Hot Damn! have history with Rushonrock dating back almost a decade — to a chance meeting with drummer Josie O’Toole in a deserted Newcastle nightclub.

Back then she was starring for the fabulously named Tequila Mockinbyrd and, at around the same time, Gill Montgomery was tearing it up with The Amorettes.

We loved both bands.

And when we saw six stringer Laurie Buchanan flanking brother Aaron in the Cult Classics, it felt like the UK scene had never been blessed with so many feisty female rockers.

Just imagine if they ever joined forces, we thought…

Well, they did.

In 2021 those three iron maidens roped in bassist Lzi Hayes and The Hot Damn! was born.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride ever since with high profile supports, festival triumphs and warm praise for their catchy, technicolour rock.

Now The Hot Damn!’s debut album is on the horizon and it feels like the sky’s the limit for this classy quartet.

In Josie O’Toole’s own words

Automatic is a bit of a different vibe for us.

“Just when you thought you had us pegged as either very angry or far too happy… we’ve had another mood swing.

“And so here we are with a big fat slice of grit and determination, sprinkled with glitter and chaser of cowbell for good measure.

“I think it’s one of our most relatable songs yet.

“It’s basically a stern pep talk to yourself — when you’re in a funk but desperate to get back to best. We’ve all been there!”

The verdict on Automatic

Kicking off with some meaty, Lizzy-esque riffing, this blast of super cool summer fun morphs into an instant pop rock classic.

Joan Jett meets Blondie — with a sprinkle of Go-Gos for good measure — as the pace quickens and the glitter metal comes to the fore.

And not for the first time in their brief but brilliant career, The Hot Damn! turn up the dial and defy expectation on another bona fide banger.

This fantastic four have a happy knack of upping the ante with every fresh foray into NWOCR territory.

And the poster girls for post-pandemic optimism are at their unifying best on an anthem for the ages.

Making modern rock this good is far from Automatic.

But Montgomery and co. make songwriting seem so Damn! easy.

What’s next for The Hot Damn!

Debut album Dancing On The Milky Way drops in September via Fat Earth Records.

The Hot Damn! play Manchester and Kettering next weekend.

And the quartet kick off a UK headline tour on November 1 in Cardiff.