After meeting at university and cutting their teeth playing in a band together, Alex and Oli bonded over a shared love of '90s and early-2000s electronic music. What started as jams and experimentation quickly evolved into Hellcat Speedracer, a project driven by creativity, collaboration and a passion for making people move.
While electronic music remains at the heart of their sound, Hellcat Speedracer aren't interested in staying in one lane. Drawing influence from across the musical spectrum, they've developed a reputation for crafting songs that each have their own identity. No two tracks sound alike, with every release bringing a fresh story, unexpected twists and a unique point of difference.
At its core, Hellcat Speedracer is all about having a good time. Whether it's a euphoric dancefloor anthem, a genre-bending collaboration or an infectious groove designed to get a crowd moving, their music is made to connect people, create moments and keep the party alive.
Expect the unexpected. Bring your dancing shoes.
Hellcat Speedracer are here for a good time, and they plan on making sure you are too.
The Beginning
1. When did you guys first get into the electronic music scene, and what got you hooked?
We’ve always been hooked on electronic music. We grew up on all sorts, but electronic has been the mainstay the whole way through, and it’s only grown as our taste has. The 90s and early 2000s stuff is what really got under our skin. Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Groove Armada. Once you hear a proper rave tune on a big system, there’s no going back.
2. How did you two end up teaming up and becoming Hellcat Speedracer?
It’s a very long story, but we met at uni down in Wollongong and were both in a band called Good Lekker. During COVID we started jamming and writing more electronic songs together, just the two of us. We showed what we had to our now manager and the rest is history.
3. We’ve always thought Hellcat Speedracer is a killer name. What’s the story behind it? Were there any other names in the mix?
There were a few other stupid ones, but this one stuck and came pretty quickly. We’re notoriously good at bickering until something feels right, but this just fell straight into place.
4. For anyone who hasn’t heard of Hellcat Speedracer before, how would you describe the band and your sound?
Hellcat is a good time, for good people. If you fit under either of those categories, we’re the band for you.
The Music
5. Who are some of the artists that have influenced your sound over the years?
Chemical Brothers will always be our north star, but it spans across everything. The Prodigy, Justice, Calvin Harris, Flume, Nia Archives, even Rage Against the Machine when we were making JUMP! with Kobie. We never want to pigeonhole ourselves into one category, because then it just gets boring.
6. Where do your ideas usually come from? And how do collabs with artists like DZ and The Buoys come together?
We’re very sporadic when it comes to writing. We usually try to knock out three or four songs in a session to make the most of our time with whoever we’re with. Ideas normally come from the weird mistake that happens mid-song, and then that shapes the whole thing. For collabs, we just love to chat and love to write. When we’re hanging with musicians, especially ones outside the dance world, it’s a great chance to learn something new, so we never miss the opportunity to get them in the studio. With Shane from DZ, we knew he had a belter of a scream on him, so we built something rave enough to match it. Kobie we met properly at an ARIA after party, and KOATES was a couple of reds on a warm London day that turned into talking around a kitchen table until stupid o’clock. Most of our collabs start as a friendship first.
7. Do you have a favourite song you’ve made, or does it change depending on your mood?
They’re all our favourite tracks. Sounds like a boring answer, but when you put the time in, they all have their own little space in your heart. At the same time, once you release a song it becomes a bit less yours and more its own thing, so the unreleased ones usually become the favourite. If that makes any sense.
Life as Artists
8. Do either of you still have day jobs, or is music the full-time gig now?
Both day jobs. We make it work because everyone around us helps make it work. Our partners and family, our management Late Nite Business, the label team and our bookers. Everyone has our best interest at heart, so it’s just about working and continuing to work, because we know we’ve got something good here.
9. What’s the toughest thing about being an artist in today’s music industry?
It’s all tough. But that’s almost the funniest bit. A job should be tough if the rewards are massive. We always have to remind ourselves that at the end of the day, we’re doing this because we love making music, playing music and meeting amazing people who are all in the same boat.
10. How important has social media been in building the fanbase?
Performing live will always be where we build our fanbase, and it always should be. That’s where you win over the real fans. Everything else is just the cherry on top.
9. What’s the toughest thing about being an artist in today’s music industry?
It’s all tough. But that’s almost the funniest bit. A job should be tough if the rewards are massive. We always have to remind ourselves that at the end of the day, we’re doing this because we love making music, playing music and meeting amazing people who are all in the same boat.
10. How important has social media been in building the fanbase?
Performing live will always be where we build our fanbase, and it always should be. That’s where you win over the real fans. Everything else is just the cherry on top.
Live Shows & Festival Life
11. What’s been your favourite place or venue to play so far?
It has to be the last Splendour. It was so much fun, and the whole experience of doing it was another level.
12. And where have you found the craziest crowds?
New Zealand are absolutely loose. Rhythm & Vines especially. They’re a whole other level.
13. Is there an artist you’ve shared a stage with that you’ve had the most fun hanging out with, or who surprised you?
Kobie Dee, hands down. He pulled us up on stage at Yours & Owls to do JUMP! together and it was absolute chaos, in the best way. We ended up shooting the clip running amok around the festival. Supporting Pnau and Peking Duk was sick too. Watching how those guys run a show taught us heaps.
14. What’s the best part about getting up on stage and performing live?
The moment the room lets go. There’s always that point in the set where everyone stops caring who’s watching and just dances. No judgement, just humans jumping around with everything they’ve got. That’s the whole reason we do it.
15. Do you have any pre-show rituals, traditions or superstitions?
We have a special handshake that we do. That's the only thing and will never change.
16. What’s the dream gig? Is there a venue or festival still on the bucket list?
Glastonbury. We’ve spent a lot of time writing in London lately and the UK is where so much of the music we love came from, so playing a dance tent there would be a full-circle moment. And one day, opening for the Chemical Brothers. We’d probably cry.
17. What’s the weirdest gift a fan has ever given you?
No gifts, who wants to gift two sweaty yahoos anything other than their time and energy.
Quick Fire
● Favourite artist: The Chemical Brothers
● Favourite Australian artist: The Avalanches or Presets.
● Favourite football teams: Which football...
● Favourite album: No comment, too many to choose from.
● Favourite old-school song: The Chemical Brothers, “Hey Boy Hey Girl”
● Favourite post-gig meal: Whatever is available.
Looking Ahead
19. With the release of your new EP and an Aussie tour kicking off in October, can you give away what’s next?
forever never here. is not just our EP, it’s a state of being. It’s about the life we’ve been living in our 20s heading towards 30. The chaos, the reflection, a bit of hangxiety after a big night. We wrote it between Australia and the UK, and it plays like a night out from dusk to sunrise. The tour is where it all comes to life. Brisbane’s already done and dusted and it was a ripper. Next up is our Halloween Edition at City Recital Hall in Sydney on 31 October, where we’re turning the foyer into a full House of Horrors, then The Tote in Melbourne on 6 November and the Ed Castle in Adelaide on 12 November. After that, there’s plenty more music from the London sessions on the way. Keep your eyes peeled.
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