In April 2025, Swedish garage-rock band The Hives—whose albums like Veni Vidi Vicious (2000) with hits such as "Hate to Say I Told You So" defined the early 2000s punk revival and earned them cult status—delivered an exclusive set at KCRW Studios in Santa Monica, California, as part of the Live From HQ radio series. Their 40-minute performance, brimming with infectious riffs and Pelle Almqvist’s charismatic frontmanship, blended classics with the first live renditions of tracks from their upcoming seventh album, The Death of the Hives, released that August, evoking a high-octane rock show in a studio setting. Recorded before a small audience, the session stood out for the band’s signature humor and spontaneous chemistry, underscoring their evolution from underground rebels to seasoned rock veterans capable of igniting even an intimate format.