Hot Mulligan’s post-emo magic

Homegrown heroes Hot Mulligan have been a mainstay in the alternative scene for almost a decade, pushing boundaries and garnering praise with their brand of emo music. The band released its fourth record, The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still, last week, and are gearing up for a 26-date headlining tour which includes a Dec. 6 stop at the Fillmore in Detroit. Metro Times caught up with guitarist Ryan Malicsi to talk about the new release, the upcoming tour, and the potential for a Tigers’ appearance in the World Series.

In 2014, Hot Mulligan emerged from Lansing and started taking the emo scene by storm, with their tongue-in-cheek track titles and exciting approach to the genre. After releasing two EPs, Fenton and Honest &Cunning, they were signed to No Sleep Records, where they have remained — continuing to release albums, touring through the U.S. and Europe, and writing the entrance theme song for the All Elite Wrestling professional wrestler Kyle Fletcher.

Malicsi explains lead singer Nathan Sanville took inspiration from the song lyrics. “We love pulling names from lyrics on the record, lyrics from the songs,” he says. “And we had such a list of just like one-liners off the record that that sounded like maybe they encapsulate like, themes or feelings, or just really get a good grasp of what it’s all about.” He continues, “I think that’s just what we landed on was, you know, it kind of pushes the message that he was trying to get across in the songs and the themes that kind of encompass all of them. And I think we just landed on something that sounded good, wraps it all up in one line.”

The lead single “And a Big Load” has reached more than one million streams since its release, Malicsi says. It’s something to celebrate, and while the band doesn’t get too wrapped up in the numbers, there is excitement for the album release. “I’m just happy to see it do well, and excited to see how the rest of the record turns out,” he says. “I don’t want to say that I’m anticipating one thing or the other, but I’m just excited to see how people like it.”

As emo music continues to evolve, Hot Mulligan coined the term “post-emo” as a joke, but the genre has adopted it. “Other bands are saying it, so that means it’s real,” Malisci says. “I would say that post-emo just means that your core influences live in emo, whether it’s like, you know, American Football emo, whatever wave that is — you cannot pay me enough to dig into the politics of emo.” Malisci explains that the DIY ethos contributes to the foundation of post-emo, along with pop influences that create a crossroads of interest. “I’m sure if you ask the five of us, all five of us would have different answers,” he says. “Or, you know, if there’s ever to be a real definition of it, I’m not sure, but I guess to me, that’s where the post-emo magic lies.”

The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still came together after a tour of the U.K. and Europe, and while Malisci doesn’t cite returning home as the inspiration for the record, coming back allowed the band to set their sights and attention to writing and working together. “We just got in a room together, and we all picked up our instruments and we just jammed like we just got it, and we weren’t going in with the intention of, you know, we’re going to write our most emo record, or we’re going to write our most pop-punk record, or we’re going to write our catchiest one,” Malisci says. “It was just, let’s get in the room. Let’s play music that feels good. If we land on stuff, we land on stuff.” According to Malisci, after a decade of playing together, the music comes naturally, calling it a “return to form.”

After 10 years, Hot Mulligan has matured in sound. Malisci specifies the band has improved on writing vocal melodies, with its latest release showcasing its players’ natural growth. “We’re like a different band now, but I think when you listen to it, you can kind of tell that we’ve all gotten better at what we do,” he says. “We’ve all gotten better as a team and as a group, and that’s a huge part of it, too. Making a record is an exercise in teamwork and trusting the people around you, and trusting their tastes and their opinions as much as you trust your own.”

He continues, “We’ve been a team for so long. We know how we think, and we know how each other is going to react, and we trust each other’s tastes and opinions, and it just works out. It’s a push forward for us.”

Malicsi happened to be wearing a Tigers hat during the interview, and Metro Times needed to know if Hot Mulligan believes the Tigers can make it to the World Series. The band’s official statement: “Hot Mulligan believes we’re making the World Series. Hot Mulligan believes that we’re going to start swinging the bat in the following weeks. And if we could do that, we’ll see you out there.”