Hot Stamp unleash irrepressible pop-rock on debut single, “Josephine”

The opening electronic pulses of Hot Stamp’s latest track immediately harkens back to The Fame era Lady Gaga. The crisp, pop vocals that punch through the blistering guitar-heavy production are akin to the work of Black Honey, or Baby Queen. The cinematic surrealism in their aesthetic conjures remnants of The Neon Demon, The Doom Generation, and Dark Shadows, as well as nodding to Goldfrapp and David Lynch.

Hot Stamp are as inventive as they are citational. Teaching themselves Logic in their childhood before attending music college to enhance their distinct visual and sonic scapes, the duo is grounded in all of the correct cultural beats; a Pinterest board of cult-loved flashes of time and emotion. Lying on the outskirts of the pop space they aim to incorporate new fringes, and push the boundaries of just how dangerous the genre can be.

Their debut offering, “Josephine”, tells the story of a friendship that becomes tragically toxic. An ungoverned obsession that teeters between dream sequence and horror movie slasher. “We really enjoyed magnifying the intensity of emotions with this track to create something that feels like your favourite memory stabbing you in the back,” Hot Stamp share of the track.

“It was written and recorded in a single day and almost felt therapeutic to write. We often throw all our experiences and anecdotes into the fire and see what jumps out as most resonant with the story. In this case, almost everything is autobiographical except for the murder.” Instead, it seems the only thing Hot Stamp have been killing is the London live scene, and now the band are ready to go global.