Escape the laboratory of the Monkey Scientist.
Based in South London, Hot Wife are a four-piece born out of two girls mutual passion for 90s alternative rock and pop culture heroines. Their sound is a slacker-grunge revival that wears its nostalgia proudly, drawing heavy from Riot Grrrl punk and 90s cult TV shows from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Goosebumps, with big, fuzzy guitars and hilarious lyrics. Despite only having a couple of singles on Spotify so far, they’ve already defined a clear aesthetic worthy of The Bronze stage in Sunnydale: nostalgic, witty, and fierce.
Hot Wife are already building a buzzing local following on the London indie circuit, Charmed by references to the band’s offbeat obsessions, and they’re scheduled to bring their slacker-punk anthems to the LOUD WOMEN Fest in London this coming September. With all the ingredients for breakout success, they’ve managed to tap into generational nostalgia with a cheeky, modern edge, perfect for anyone craving the spirit of ‘94 in 2025.
We spoke to Rachel Sneddon (guitar/vocals) about the past, present, and future of Hot Wife:
How and why did you settle on the name Hot Wife?
My amazing writer friend who was on Feeld at the time said to me - you should name your new band Hot Wife. And even though we had no music and only 2 members, we thought it was hilarious and perfect for the vibe we wanted to put out. And then I couldn't believe there were no other bands called Hot Wife, so it seemed like it was meant to be. I can't imagine us being called anything else.
When you first got together, what kind of band did you NOT want to be?
All white men. Or pretentious and too serious.
Your band is very clearly rooted in 90s alternative rock - which bands lit the fuse?
I'd say our combined favourites are the Breeders, Veruca Salt, Bikini Kill and the Cardigans. But we also love the 90s/early 2000s obsession with fictional tv and movie bands like the Hex Girls and Josie and the Pussycats.
You’ve already built a reputation for your live shows, what’s your mission when you step on stage?
Honestly I think we've always just wanted to make sure the crowd enjoy our shows. I think we have quite a varied set list and try to curate a vibe which is genuinely fun and unserious - and that hopefully surprises people too.
Let’s give the boys their dues, what do Ethan and James bring to Hot Wife?
They are both excellent musicians. We love them. They have definitely leveled-up our live sound - and knowing they are both great at what they do means we can relax and have fun!
What have been some of your best shows so far?
It's so hard to choose! They've all been great. But I'd probably say - supporting Hinds at the Boiler room in Guilford happened pretty early on for us and that was insane. We were shitting ourselves. Then Supporting The Pill at the Grace and I'd say playing the main stage at the o2 Academy Islington with Nirvana UK was mental too.
Do you feel like part of a wider movement right now?
Oh definitely. It's amazing to play with so many women and hear so many women's voices in music right now. I think people are genuinely interested and invested in the scene - we've met so many incredibly supportive people along the way.
What’s coming up over the next few months?
We are releasing our next single; No You No Problem on July 23rd and celebrating at the Old Blue Last with Jackie Sees Red and Cowboy Hunters. Then the next day we're back on the main stage at the O2 Academy Islingon supporting 90s legends Spiderbait! And on Sunday 27th July we will be heading to High Tide festival in Twickenham. Then a little hiatus before Loud Women Fest 2025 on September 6th.
What is the ultimate goal of Hot Wife?