Minneapolis indie pop band Bad Bad Hats are returning toSouth by Southwestto start promotion for their upcoming fourth LP.
Your website says that you like to sample the best local cuisine when youre on tour.
Is there anything in particular that youre looking forward to getting while youre in Austin?
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KERRY ALEXANDER:Veracruz [All Natural].
CHRIS HOGE:I was thinking Veracruz tacos.
KA:I love the Veracruz tacos.
I like the migas tacos from there with the tasty salsa.
Even though, whenever Im there, there is like, a bird actively trying to get my tacos.
And you kind of have to wrestle with them to eat.
But its always worth it.
We havent been in a while, but I also really enjoy Juan and a Million.
We went there several years ago, and I thought it was so, so good.
What was it like looking back on that time period and putting together that new package for the release?
We feel like we have much, much more to go.
We had just graduated college and just started dating.
I guess thats kind of like whatmusicdoes, right?
There is a new album coming.
This is going to be your second record with Don Giovanni Records.
How have they been to work with as a label?
CH:Theyve been great.
The history of albums that theyve put out is amazing.
Your last album,Walkman,is a very pop-minded, hook-focused record.
Is that a similar vibe to what we can expect from the upcoming record?
And thats how I like to work in the studio.
I dont like to inhibit myself.
But it did make it somewhat difficult to perform the songs to their truest extent.
So its maybe even a little dancier.
CH:Were going to have a four-piece band again.
So our hope is to cover it with four people.
KA:We might have a synth on stage for the first time ever.
Weve never done that, even though synths are all over our albums.
So were hoping to fill in the blanks with a four-piece.
You guys are self-producing the new record.
Did you find that to be a challenge or artistically inspiring?
KA:I think what helped was actually that we accidentally got into it.
So we did pop-punk month, and we did country month.
And it was fun.
Were still doing it.
Before we knew it, we just had so many songs that were like, Wow.
Some of these are actually kind of cool, and I think could actually be on a record.
So we had a few of those songs that were our guiding light of what the album could be.
Like, How about a little bit of this?
Or a little bit of this?
Yeah, that sounds good.
It has a scrappiness to me that only the basement could have given it.
Can you tell us a little bit about your experience with South by Southwest?
So I really enjoy that aspect of it.
Its like I get to be with all my coworkers in the same room for a week.
Dont love hauling my stuff up and down hills.
That part can be hard, but its good exercise for me.
