Track of the Day: Hotgirl - 'Jam'

Drogheda and Dublin outfit Hotgirl have stepped onto the Irish music scene this week with their atmospheric debut single 'Jam'.

The group sees Jake Hurley aka Local Boy on bass teaming up with vocalist Ashley Abedeen, guitarist Sophie Boxwell and drummer Nick Stanley.

Produced by Hurley, 'Jam' begins as a slow, punk-fuelled grunge effort with Abedeen's compelling vocals opening the narrative before the full band join forces.

With twinges of Irish/Dutch duo Fräulein and Tallaght-raised, London-based emo/pop act SPIDER, Hotgirl have a distinctive sound and lyrical style.

"You said there's a party, starts at your apartment / Seven in the morning we're just getting started / Bartered my way in to stayin' for the weekend / You said bring my friends you wanted to meet them, Ashley begins, telling the story of a blurry house party that goes from room to room. "We're getting hot and heavy on the bathroom tile / Can't get enough, no / So just take my hand and we'll boogie to the music for the final jam."

It fuses the magical noise from all instruments together in a crashing finale, full of crunch and warped guitar fuzz.

Beginning as a bedroom project by lead singer/songwriter Ashley Abedeen, the music transformed from lo-fi trip hop-inspired origins into post-punk/alternative/grunge terrain once she introduced Sophie, Jake and Nick to the band.

Boxwell entered the mix through an Instagram ad, while Stanley and Hurley stumbled across Hotgirl’s demo version of ‘Jam’ when scouting for their monthly ‘Burner Records’ showcase gig. Eager to book the band, they reached out and were informed the band were drummer and bass-less. "They happily filled in and due to their chronic unemployment, found themselves with enough free time to stick around," the band's Spotify bio explains.

The band have played a string of shows across the city and beyond in 2022, alongside acts such as Cruel Sister and Search Results.

Stay tuned for Hotgirl's forthcoming EP of songs performed during their sets.

Listen to 'Jam' below.