HotLites

About HotLites

HotLites is a Los Angeles-based three-piece female-fronted rock band. With smooth, sultry vocals that can quickly morph into soul-tingling agro-raspy goodness, Shay Magro leads this power pop trio into the 21st century. The songs mix elements of indie, rock, electro and pop with winding guitars and keyboards drenched in warm, crumbling effects, swelling synths and raw-riffing rock. HotLites formed in late 2008 shortly after the lives of guitarist/vocalist Shay Magro, bassist/keyboardist Mike Wolpe and drummer Shane McLafferty collided in a visceral serendipitous explosion. The details are still a bit fuzzy, but they each recall it had something to do with late night diners, imaginary friends, cobblestone streets, fortune-tellers and a love-tester machine. Shay and Mike are old friends / ex-band mates, who had enjoyed a long, musical history together. Both from the Washington D.C. area, they had played for many years in several projects including the band Moodroom, which enjoyed numerous successes. Moodroom was signed to Fowl Records in 2000 and recorded their debut CD, Hung Up on Breathing, which enjoyed an impressive collection of reviews from Billboard Magazine, CMJ New Music, Time Out, New York Press, Alternative Press, The Village Voice, The Washington Post, and The Washington Times. During this period, they had the opportunity to record with acclaimed producer and Jawbox front man J. Robbins (The Promise Ring, Against Me!, Jawbreaker, The Dismemberment Plan & Clutch), as well as producers Don Zientara (Fugazi, Minor Threat, Q and Not U & Bad Brains) and Don Depew (Guided by Voices & Cobra Verde). Shay and Mike toured with Moodroom throughout the eastern US and Canada, and also spent some time abroad when asked to fly to Paris and headline a residency at the Chesterfield Café. Much debauchery occurred amidst the picturesque streets, eerie catacombs, historical museums and tourist attractions. Soon after Moodroom disbanded, Mike moved out to Los Angeles (Shay to NYC) where he formed a new project (Cowboy Robot). While looking for a drummer, he was connected with Shane through a mutual friend. Shane, originally from Miami, FL, had been playing in various bands around the south Florida area for years. One of his bands (Caught Inside) was signed to Drive Thru Records in 2001 and also enjoyed many successes. They completed 3 nationwide tours and recorded with punk rock super-producer Donnel Cameron (Blink 182, Bad Religion, The Offspring, NOFX, Sublime, Avenged Sevenfold, Rancid & Pennywise). After the band went their separate ways, Shane moved to Los Angeles in 2003, and continued to perform with bands in the Hollywood area. Shortly after connecting in 2006, Mike and Shane spent several months in Dublin, Ireland writing, recording, touring and performing with Cowboy Robot. The band was well-received and earned significant press and attention in national publications such as The Irish Times, Irish News of the World and Hot Press magazine. During downtime between playing shows, Shane and Mike also discovered a new-found appreciation for acoustic performances while busking in the streets of Dublin, which has played a significant role in inspiring the rock/acoustic duality of HotLites. After their adventures in Ireland, and with Cowboy Robot disbanded, Mike and Shane returned to the US where they quickly began working with Shay, who had recently moved to Los Angeles from New York, and had reconnected with Mike. Whether it was making distorted, mad-scientist melodic rock songs or performing more intimate acoustic shows, the chemistry was electric. The love-tester lights lit up and the songs quickly flowed. HotLites was born and it needed to be spanked. HotLites has just finished their debut 7 song EP ("Pawnshop Radio On") and is currently in the studio recording the acoustic follow-up companion called "Pawnshop Radio OFF.” Amidst rehearsing and writing, the band is also preparing to shoot a video for it’s first single, ”Unbelievable” and lining up dates for live shows and tours in the Southwest and beyond.