Interview with Boy Hits Car

Boy Hits Car about "the fervent longing to bring ones dreams to life" – by Mel in Toronto

Passion is the best word to describe L.A. based alternative rock band Boy Hits Car. Without exaggeration, Boy Hits Car is one of the best live bands in the alternative rock scene. They stand out by their incredible energy, unique sound, intoxicating shows, and passion for music.

With three albums already under their belt and currently recording and touring, this band utilizes their passion and will definitely delight us with more of their music in the future. Made up of Craig Rondell - CRegg = Craig, the egg, as called by his friends - (vocals & acoustic 12 string guitar), Dusty Hunt (guitar), Bill Gower (bass), and Johnny Ransom (drums), this band is rightfully known for their incredible live performances delivered with an intensity only Boy Hits Car could pull off. Lead singer CRegg stands out not only in his ability to sing beautifully, but also in his ability to scream with intensity and passion.

Boy Hits Car first formed in February 1993 and according to CRegg their current incarnation has been "spreading the LoveCore for a little over a year now." LoveCore is a phrase coined by Louis Lenard, former bass player of Boy Hits Car, and it's for all those "who follow their hearts, and are passionate about music, especially Boy Hits Car and our philosophy," CRegg continues. The band's philosophy is powerful and inspiring: Stay true to the dreams of your youth.

CRegg explains that "inspiration is everywhere. Could be nature's beautiful subtleties that stir emotion, or the pain of a break up, or the fervent longing to bring ones dreams to life, that inspires this art." This inspiration results in vigorous songs about "Love, loss, and this burning desire to stay true to our dreams and get connected through music."

Their first album ‘My Animal' was released in 1998. The track LA PLAYA was written in 1996 "and was inspired by my years as an Ocean Lifeguard," CRegg remembers. With his blond curly hair falling into his face and tanned skin, it is not hard to believe that he was once a lifeguard.

In 2001, Boy Hits Car released their second self-titled album, which includes their hit single I AM A CLOUD. Already written in 1997, this song is about "a young man's struggle with who he is and where he fits in the world, and the fear of bringing another person into his uncertain life. He grapples with all the decisions faced in early manhood, while fighting to keep true to his dreams," this from CRegg, who writes all of the lyrics. The song LOVECORE (Welcome To) is about "when the love that two people share evolves into an obsession, it's become love-CORE."

Boy Hits Car's third 2006 release ‘The Passage' is a thoroughly outstanding album. The song ESCAPE THE WORLD "was one of the first tracks written for the new CD, and came about three months after 9-11. We were all dealing with the variance of the world as a whole, and the uncertainty of our future as a ‘working band', and just longed to connect with passionate artists, positive music lovers, and ‘escape' it all together," CRegg explains. The song BENEATH THE SEA'S BED starts as a very intimate song. Then the music and the vocals take you away until they explode at the end of the song, so that the listener can feel the passion and be right there with the band. The final song on the album THE PASSAGE is distinguished through its structure and its dynamic. CRegg says that "this track still amazes me, because the final version was put together the night before we recorded it. Conceptually, I had the idea for a couple years, but it really became what is heard today on our last jam, with the bass and 12-er feeding off of Lou's melodic chorus ‘lick'."

Throughout their live performances CRegg likes best "the release, and connecting with my band, and fellow music lovers." If you haven't yet, make sure to watch the video posted on Boy Hits Car's profile and read in the section below, how CRegg speaks for the first time to what went through his head at his legendary jump off the hanging speaker stack at the concert at Krockathon 10 in Weedsport, New York. Also find out how the band got to play for the troops in Kosovo and Bosnia, and what their experience at the biggest rock festival in Germany was like.

"In your own words" – ONE on ONE with Mel and CRegg

Mel: CRegg, your jump at Krockathon 10 in Weedsport, NY, is legendary. What was going through your head and were you scared?

CRegg: My intention was to climb somewhere with a good vantage point of the audience, nothing more. However, once I ascended the vertical support, I found myself in the rafters more detached from the crowd. So I shimmied along the metal, before lowering myself onto the speaker stack, which was hung from the roof support. Once there, I realized I was in trouble. The whole rig began to slowly sway from side to side, and I began feeling a bit queasy. If you watch the video, you can see that I'm reaching back up toward the rafters to try and pull myself out of the very bad situation I'd put myself in, but couldn't really reach. However, what you can't hear from the video is the whole crowd chanting "JUMP"-"JUMP"-"JUMP"! Figuring I had one way out, I asked the crowd if they wanted me to jump, and all I heard was, "YES"! and "JUMP"! So after directing them into place, I took a serious leap of faith. Luckily, no one was seriously injured due to my poor judgement. Dodged a bullet on that one.

click here to see jump: http://www.indiesolo.com/artists/Boy_Hits_Car/Vibe.htm#Video

Mel: CRegg, why do you perform barefoot?

CRegg: It's just natural for me because I almost never where shoes. I can also feel a better connection, if only mentally, to those performers who's blood, sweat, and tears have been shed on all those stages, and it makes me want to give everything I got to those brief moments up there.

Mel: Who are your influences?

CRegg: Musically, Boy Hits Car was initially influenced by bands like Quicksand, Jane's Addiction, Helmet, and The Doors. Then, in the mid 90's we discovered Middle Eastern music, and the entrancing sounds of the Sitar/Sirod, Tablas, Drone, etc.

Mel: How would you describe the difference between your three albums ‘My Animal', ‘Self Titled' and ‘The Passage'?

CRegg: In a word: growth. ‘My Animal' was structurally a bit all over the place with more ‘Camel Rides' - our term for songs that are like a journey across the desert, and don't follow traditional structure. ‘Self Titled' album was more concise and to the point, with virtually no ‘Camel Rides'. With ‘The Passage', we feel the CD offers the best of both worlds. Also, in ‘My Animal' I had not yet incorporated the use of the 12 string, which has become so vital in our sound.

Mel: Which artist would you like to record a song with and why?

CRegg: Whoa, that's a tough one. The first person who comes to mind is the famous Sitarist Ravi Shankur. It would be cool to put vocal melodies to some of his ‘licks'.

Mel: What would you like to achieve with your music?

CRegg: To express ourselves through this medium, while getting connected to others and hopefully inspire them to pursue their dreams and passions.

Mel: Which opportunities do you see with indieSolo?

CRegg: Hopeful exposure and the chance to get connected to fellow music lovers.

Mel: How did you get involved in playing for the troops in Kosovo and Bosnia?

CRegg: Lou's mom had a friend who knew the company that supplied the armed forces with entertainment. Lou submitted us, and the rest is history.

Mel: When did you play there and for how long did you stay?

CRegg: We did 5 gigs at various bases throughout the region from 12/18/05-1/4/06, I believe.

Mel: What impressions did you bring home with you and what did you learn?

CRegg: That having an international ‘peace' keeping force is much more productive in the re-structuring of a conflicted region than a military occupation; that we can never get used to playing to an audience with loaded automatic rifles, and that some of the Eastern European troops don't know how to stage dive (laughs).

Mel: What was it like when you played two of the biggest rock festivals in Germany: Rock am Ring and Rock im Park in 2001?

CRegg: Surreal. Over 8 years after playing our first gigs on the Sunset strip to virtually no one, there we were in a Football (Soccer) stadium, sharing the stage with Linkin Park, Kid Rock, and Limp Bizkit, an incredible experience.

Mel: Where do you see Boy Hits Car in 5 years?

CRegg: Almost 20 years old and ‘kickin' the LoveCore throughout the world!!!

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