When people think of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, you can bet that indie music isn’t usually what springs to their minds. However all that is about to change, thanks to the four strapping young lads who make up the indie favourite Hot Hot Heat.

“I think you spend your whole life trying to reflect who you are a little bit more every time, but it’s tough because who you think you are is changing all the time,” explains Bays who with drummer Paul Hawley pick at room service hotel food between questions & answers. “So as a musician, you’re always chasing this idealized view of yourself. In the end, the less you need to worry about how to express yourself, the closer the fans will get to who you really are.”

Formed nearly 10 years ago, Hot Hot Heat is constantly looking for reinvention and has reached a time of “transition,” especially in their music. The band is led by Bays (keys, lead vocals), a skinny guy with an affinity for afros and melancholic lyrics, and complemented by Paul Hawley (drums), Dustin Hawthorne (bass) and Luke Paquin (guitar). Releasing Happiness LTD. under Sire Records, Hot Hot Heat now seeks artistic independence.

“As we get older, we’re into producing our records ourselves,” Bays says. “Not because the people we bring don’t bring anything to the table…but now when I think of the song, I don’t just think of the part I’m writing. I think of the drums and I think of the bass, the vocals, the guitar and the keys,” he continues. “And so the more in touch you are with each part of the process, the more fulfilling it is for you and the better the final product is.”

This is all Bays has ever wanted, both for himself and the fans. The task was not easy, but over time Hot Hot Heat has found maturity and experience to be their greatest ally. However, obstacles such as touring, genre pigeonholing, and the all-time predicament of indie vs. major label representation did create some friction in their path.

“I don’t know my view on the benefits of a major label, it is kind of always changing,” Bays says. “It’s taken me awhile to realize this, but the more you do on your own, then the more complete the vision is and the less the fans will care what label you’re on. Because if you’re producing it yourself, if you’re doing your own artwork…and your friends are directing the video treatment that you wrote, then why would anybody care what label you’re on?”

In town for the V Festival and to play a string of sideshows with Modest Mouse, the band are welcomed back to Australia with open arms. Last visit saw them sell out every show across the country as a part of the Elevator touring cycle.

“We are very fortunate to have a great booking agent, as he never makes us play in a venue that we will not sell out!” Paul explains picking at his potato chips with pesto dipping sauce. “We love Australia – i could defiantly live here – i love the weather, the fans, this tour is great because its with bands we adore. This really is paradise”

Hot Hot Heat did exactly this, when they released the video for their newest single, “Harmonicas & Tambourines.” After seeing a Blood Brothers music video they enjoyed, the band hired the help of Roboshobo, the director.

“Why spend a bunch of money on a big budget video, when people only see it on YouTube and it looks all pixilated and fucked up, Bays explains.” “We thought, – œLet’s make this next video look insanely cheap and weird and kind of like a super low budget karaoke video.’”

The “Harmonicas & Tambourines” video indeed has a low-budget feel and at times even seems like an 80s infomercial, where the products on sale ranges from odd things such as straight iron curlers, cake mixers and honey—yes honey! In a way it’s a way to poke fun at themselves, all while keeping their sanity.

“It’s gotten a lot of bizarre reactions, which I like,” Bays says. He then returns to a constant theme throughout the interview, “The goal is to be yourself as much as possible and let people into your world. You can tell when bands are full of shit and you can tell when they’re not being themselves. No matter who you are, it’s going to come across somehow, so I think on this record we just wanted to speed up that process.”

About 90% of the bands most current offering Happiness LTD. was co-produced by Hot Hot Heat. Currently constructing a studio in Downtown Vancouver, Bays hopes to record the next album without the need of outside producers. He laughs, “I want it to be super crazy, weird and challenging. I want it to have a weird signature and the arrangements to be subversive. Less – œverse, chorus, verse, chorus’ and more – œgo where the song take you.’”

Speaking to Bays, you’d imagine he was always a “take control” and calculating guy. On the contrary, he was hesitant in becoming Hot Hot Heat’s keyboardist and even more frightened of being the band’s frontman. In previous bands, Bays would play guitar, be the screamer and had a passion for drumming. He enjoyed the drums because of the, “the mathematical precision of it” and liked that you “knew when you were doing a good job.”

This all changed when Paul Hawley bought a vintage keyboard. Bays was the only band member who knew how to play and some of the bands he admired began implementing the keyboard to their lineup also. It is only in the last few years that Bays became comfortable as the band’s leader and like many other greats, he has mastered the role and has his own interpretation on how to execute it correctly.

“I definitely feed off the crowd, but I also feel that a lot of that is an ego thing. And the more you rely on that, the more dangerous of a position you’re in because then you’re being told how good the show is going to be; as opposed to…telling the crowd how important the show is going to be.”

These hard lessons were learned after countless grueling hours at sweaty clubs and in front of nasty fans. “I used to be scared shitless of touring, Bays says. He laughs, “The first time we opened up for a band, it was No Doubt, and I remember they were throwing tampons at us on stage.”

Things always have a way of working themselves out, but Bays remains fervent in his passion. “I think we take the artistic side to what we do extremely serious. But in every other aspect in life, we’re pretty laid back guys.”

Happiness LTD is OUT NOW through Warner.