The women of Hot as Sun, Jamie Jackson and Deborah Stoll, met and bonded at a destination far from their L.A. home—at the Integratron, a New Age-y destination in Joshua Tree touted for its rejuvenating “sound baths.” Those sonic-healing sessions must have made a deep impression on them, because Jackson, a composer, and Stoll, a journalist, decided to form a band, becoming Hot as Sun. After independently releasing a self-titled EP in 2010 and playing gigs at small venues such as the Satellite in Silver Lake, singer Jackson and “megaphonist” Stoll rounded out their spunky, dance-y girl group with a guy, songwriter and guitarist WAZ.
The band’s first full-length record, Night Time Sound Desire—self-produced by Jackson, and recorded in the band’s basement in Glassell Park—was released on Last Gang Records last month. Hot as Sun claims influences as diverse as the Chordettes, Harry Nilsson, the Beastie Boys and gospel music (Jackson, who hails from Mississippi, has roots in the genre), and fans of female-powered bands such as Dum Dum Girls and Metric should find something to sing about on Night Time Sound Desire. The infectious, sing-songy, hand-clap-ridden “Dahnce to the Beat” is the record’s first single.
For being launched on a small label, Hot as Sun appears to be getting plenty of industry attention. It has already opened for Australian superstar Gotye, Phantogram and L.A. hometown heroes Foster the People. They also took the stage at Art Basel in Miami Beach and Concept L.A. Fashion Week.