Interview: Jason Black of Hot Water Music Talks 2025 Oz Tour – Spotlight Report

Few bands embody the spirit of hard-hitting punk quite like Hot Water Music, and in February 2025, the legendary Floridian punks are finally bringing their energy back to Australia and New Zealand.
With The Flatliners joining them for the ride, this promises to be the punk rock tour of the summer.
Ahead of the long-awaited return, we caught up with bassist Jason Black to talk about the band’s journey, the thrill of playing for their Aussie fans again, and what to expect from these upcoming shows.
SR. Reflecting on 30 years as a band, what has been the most rewarding part of this journey, and how do you think Hot Water Music has evolved both musically and personally over the decades?
JB. That’s a lot to get into. I feel that the most rewarding part of the journey is that we’re still here and we’re still relevant. That’s not an easy feat, and we do not take it for granted that people still care about the band.
As far as our personal evolution, we were all around 18 years old when we started the band and now we’re all close to 50. To say there has been personal evolution would be an understatement . The most succinct way to put it would be simply that we have grown up, literally and figuratively.
Musically, we’ve always been a very open-minded group and that continues to this day. It’s hard to trace that evolution as it’s continuous.
SR. Your latest album, VOWS, features an incredible lineup of guest appearances. What inspired you to collaborate with artists like Daniel Fang, Brendan Yates, Dallas Green, and others, and how did their contributions shape the sound and direction of the album?
JB. We’re fans! and everyone was asked to be a guest on VOWS and we were very lucky that everyone we approached said yes. The contributions didn’t really shape the direction of the album, as the songs were already completed when the guests were added on. They did, however, massively elevate each of the songs.
“…The contributions didn’t really shape the direction of the album, as the songs were already completed…”
SR. You’ve toured Australia several times over the years. What’s been your favorite memory from playing shows here, and what can fans expect from your 30th-anniversary tour set-list?
JB. Australia has always been great to us. I don’t think there’s one specific memory that really stands out, but our first tour with 28 Days was incredible. One thing we all love about touring is going to new places and the first trip to anywhere is always exciting.
We do our best with the set-list to make sure there’s something for everyone in there. With 10 albums worth of material to pull from, that can definitely be challenging, but we do our best.
SR.As you celebrate three decades of music, what are your hopes for the future of Hot Water Music? Are there any new projects, collaborations, or goals you’re particularly excited about?
JB. We’re currently working on a documentary that should see the light of day in 2025. We’ll also be working on new music this year. Overall, we’re just continuing to move forward and are thankful that we still have all the opportunities that we do.
SR. Can you share with us any funny tour story?
JB. Too many to share! I think the latest one is Chuck falling asleep on a box of donuts? We’re pretty tame these days.
SR. Just to finish. Any message for your Australian fans ahead of the tour?
JB. Yeah – sorry it’s taken us so long to come back!
HOT WATER MUSIC
LIVE IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA 2025!
With The Flatliners (Aus Dates Only)
Tickets on sale via sbmpresents.com
Tuesday 11 February
Valhalla Tavern, Wellington NZ – Tickets on sale now**
Wednesday 12 February
Double Whammy!, Auckland NZ – Tickets on sale now**
Friday 14 February
King St Bandroom, Newcastle
Saturday 15 February
Crowbar, Sydney
Sunday 16 February
Crowbar, Sydney
Tuesday 18 February
The Baso, Canberra
Wednesday 19 February
The Triffid, Brisbane
Thursday 20 February
The Gov, Adelaide
Friday 21 February
170 Russell, Melbourne
Saturday 22 February
Torquay Hotel, Torquay