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David Croley Broyles blasts off with his energetic rock anthem, “Hot Water,” a powerful two minute rock jammer that he wrote for the critically acclaimed feature film Ham on Rye, a coming of age story about a bizarre rite of passage at a local deli that determines the fate of a generation of teenagers.
“Hot Water” is Broyles’ first solo release and the first with his indie label, Major Six Records. He produced the track with Ham on Rye director Tyler Taormina and Jackson Wargo (Snowball ii), who also engineered, mixed, and mastered the song. This is the first solo release by Broyles after writing and performing with LA acts The Planters, Cloud, and Winter. Having shared the stage with the likes of Luna, The Relationship, DIIV, Broncho, and played historic venues including The Troubadour, The Roxy, and The Echoplex, Broyles brings a storied musicianship to his songwriting, and we’re thrilled to experience his newest work.
The compact song starts with an unforgettable “Yeah!” that ropes the listener immediately in. With thumping drums and driving guitars, the song is an irreplaceable rock anthem for the ages. It has an insane guitar solo that, paired with revelatory chorus harmonies, makes this track an instant classic. It’s like an amped up sister song to Big Star’s “In The Street” and sounds like it would have come out of a Led Zeppelin jam session.
Broyles portrays the character of Ollie in Ham on Rye, who is seen driving his brother and friends to the all important prom-like event, all while blasting his “Hot Water” song throughout the neighborhood. “My entire character was created after principal photography… we knew we needed more energy in the film.” Broyles spent a few days rummaging through Hollywood’s various wig shops for the perfect – but not too expensive – wig. The rest is history. Ollie’s memorable “No milk in the car!” line in the film is sure to earn its place in cult film circles.
The writing of the song came easily for Broyles. “When we filmed the scene, we played along to Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin. But we knew we couldn’t afford to license the song, so when I got home, I sat down and channelled the energy of the film.” Though the song wasn’t a sure bet for the movie. “I initially played the song for Tyler on the piano and the acoustic, but he just wasn’t buying it. It wasn’t until I fully demoed out the song that he was won over.”
Broyles’ artistic skills go beyond the guitar: in addition to acting and composing “Hot Water” and other trailer music for the film, Broyles produced and first assistant directed the picture. Ham on Rye is the first feature film from Broyles’ collaborative production company, Omnes Films. The film is a true independent project, shot for under $30,000 in roughly two weeks. It has gone on to capture the hearts of filmgoers and critics alike, with K. Austin Collins of Rolling Stone praising the film as “one of a kind and completely unforgettable,” and Glenn Kenny of The New York Times calling the film “impressive” and “poignant” in his Critic’s Pick review. It was listed as one of The New Yorker’s best films of 2020. The film toured festivals throughout 2019 and was released in 2020 via Factory 25.
The music video for “Hot Water”, directed by Broyles, features a hilariously massive band behind Ollie, and most notably a cameo appearance by Brian Bell of Weezer. Broyles says, “I always wanted Brian to be in the video, but I figured he wouldn’t be interested, so like a fool I didn’t bring it up. Happened to be that the day we were shooting, he asked me what I was up to! So we got him over as soon we could and shot his bit after everybody had left. It was meant to be.” Bell, hearing the music, comes out of his trailer and immediately demands someone sign the band.
It all plays into Ollie’s fantastic aura. “We had to take the idea of Ollie’s band to the audacious end. Of course he has two drummers, two bassists, two keyboardists, four guitarists, a banjo player, percussionist, horns.” The lively music video also features clips from the film projected on an outdoor screen, jokingly playing off music videos like Nickelback’s “Hero” from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man.
Broyles says that his Ollie character is “larger than life.” And we couldn’t agree more. “Hot Water” is just the beginning of this exciting chapter for Broyles, who shows us just how much talent he has with his first single. He plans to release a lot of music under his solo act and label, including another rock & roll song “Alright with Me” early this year. And there are plenty more films from Omnes Films on the horizon. For someone as talented as Broyles, we’re delighted to see where he brings us next.