The Canadian Alternative-Pop quartet Hotel Mira launched their international campaign this past late spring with the release of their most prominent single to date - 'Waste Away'. Released at the end of April, which lead up to three stellar UK shows (The Great Escape, the legendary Moth Club and The Victoria - both in London), this string of shows are perhaps the icing on the band's cake after also performing at SXSW earlier this year.
Hotel Mira's frontman, Charlie Kerr, who embodies the phrase charismatic pin-up, said from LA, where he is based "'Waste Away’ tells the story of domestic abuse. The tendency to blame oneself. The confusion and backwards way we justify abusive behaviour. The way things can escalate slowly over time in a way that we don’t recognise until it’s too late. And of course, the trying to gather the courage to leave a partner and the very real threat of violence if you do. It is a love letter to the courage and resilience of survivors. Myself and close friends included.”
Despite the tense subject matter of the single, the track itself delivers a solid gateway for new listeners. This is intellectual alternative-pop, delivered with panache and a certain nuance that defies expectations.
The overseas crusaders are the aforementioned Charlie Kerr alongside Mike Noble on bass guitar, Cole George on drums and guitarist Clark Grieve, with Clark and Charlie meeting when they were in their teens. This bond and talented partnership is not just on display on 'Waste Away' - a delve into Hotel Mira's back catalogue reveals evidence of something really special, most notably on tracks 'Speaking Off The Record' and 'Jungle'. A guitarist who can deliver blistering guitar solos and a frontman who is theatrical and charismatic in equal measure is a solid blueprint for any band and the ongoing construction of Hotel Mira into international dominance has certainly started with aplomb.
Hotel Mira are an important band who hopefully will be returning to these shores in the near future. In the meantime, 'Waste Away' serves as a souvenir of their visit, a song that we have returned to constantly these last two months.
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