They’ve toured across the country in a shabby van, crashed in cheap motel rooms, slept on rock-hard floors and experienced a setback with a band member’s departure—yet indie pop rockers Hot Panda continue to have a damn good time pursuing their passion.
It’s not the lavish lifestyle, but this power quartet doesn’t exactly fit into the definition of “typical.” The group strives to differentiate themselves from other musicians by shedding convention and embracing their originality.
“We don’t have any rules of what we can or can’t do in Hot Panda,” energetic front man Chris Connelly said over the phone. “I listen to a lot of other bands, but I don’t try to sound like other bands.”
Edmonton based Hot Panda is led by vocalist/guitarist Connelly and fused together with Maghan Campbell on drums, Catherine Hiltz on bass and Heath Parsons on keyboard/accordion. Soon after forming, they began playing shows and catching the eyes of representatives from their current label, Vancouver Mint Records. According to Connelly, “it was one of our first shows outside Edmonton, and they were there. It was the right time, the right place and the right people.” After landing a recording contract, everything seemed to fall into place for the foursome. Until the band suffered a minor upset with the departure of Keith Olsen, a founding member. It was a bittersweet time for the group as they lost a band mate and welcomed Hiltz into the mix. Since Hiltz’s arrival, the band has maintained a tightly woven bond. Connelly said the key to cultivating the band’s harmony lies in their ability to stay positive, respectful and light-hearted.
“Giving people faith and not being too pushy with ideas or personalities, even though you are around them all the time,” he said. “We keep it fun and have a good attitude.” Hot Panda have been touring incessantly across North America and Europe for years. Once, they even found themselves playing a stage that had been occupied by another famous foursome. For Connelly, it was one of his most memorable experiences while touring.
“Our first show in Europe, we had just landed, it was in Hamburg, Germany,” he said. “It was so surreal, right before we went on stage, we were told it was the same stage The Beatles played on.”
The band’s reaction?
“Holy shit, this is crazy!”
Connelly’s early musical influences derive from his father’s classic record collection.
“My dad was really into British stuff,” he said. “I actually still love that … I’ve got really eclectic taste.”
Eclectic could be one of the many words used to describe the creative influences embedded into Hot Panda’s records. One of the most admirable qualities of the band is their willingness to experiment with their sound. Compared to the likes of other genre-jumping acts like The Talking Heads, the Pandas wrap pop, swing, rock, opera, lo-fi and glam into unequivocally catchy melodies. Connelly stressed the band’s attempt to integrate the unexpected, while staying true to the quirky spunk that defines them.
“Bands don’t always have to be serious or funny,” he said. “I like when they change expectations. I never like when a band is in a box or a genre.”
As for what to expect for the band’s upcoming album How Come I’m Dead?, Connelly said the band doesn’t limit themselves.
“We don’t want to say we can’t do certain things with the band. I want people to go on iTunes and be surprised by the album or by the next 30 seconds of the song,” he said.
How Come I’m Dead? is a return to where the group was in their earlier days and is reflective of the constant touring that separates them from their loved ones.
“This record is about not having a place as a home … and feeling kind of bad about that.”
Kicking off the fall with a new album and tour, the band’s future is continuing in a direction worth watching. While Connelly is currently taking things “one song at a time,” he hopes the band will embark on further recording and continue to evolve. Although it’s uncertain where the quartet will be heading in the future, one thing’s for sure—they’ll be having fun.
Hot Panda play the Mansion tomorrow with Boats and Dave Borns at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8 at the door.
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