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The Transit War
The Transit War interview conducted August 2005 by Todd Dulawan, pictures by Travis White.| Let's begin
with the band in general. You may have answered this question before in
some other press, but what is the source of the name The Transit War,
and what ever happened to 3 Last Words?
Brad: Well...honestly Todd, I don't really know. That is |
 |
Jim: The Transit War is a metaphor for the type of world we live in. Picture of snapping turtles.
Mike: Well, first off 3 last words basically
evolved into The Transit War right before the addition of Jaime and Brad.
We have an awful time trying to name things but we definitely were never really
excited about 3 Last Words as a name. TTW came about from Anthony Levus (Flying
Douglas) just liking how the words went but since then I think its taken a
real meaning in the times we're living in. Look at gas prices, it's a war
our there.
Over the years, there has been some turnover in your band. I seem to recall
Bernie as the original drummer as well a different guitarist or two. For the
record, what happened to these previous members? Once upon a time there was
a rumor going around that some players left due to Jim's difficult ways.
Brad: As for the original or former members, they all have their own reasons
for leaving. Jaime and I have never encountered any kind of friction with
Jim or Mike. The song writing process is a total group effort and nobody's
ideas, no matter how different or obscure, ever get shot down. They may not
be used, but they are at least attempted. Jim is a teddy bear...give him a
hug!
Jim: Anthony Leveas (original guitarist) plays guitar in Flying Douglass now
and I think that the rest of our former members have moved on to bigger and
better things. Jim is a pain in the ass and no one likes to work with him.
Pretty much is true.
Mike: Bernie was the original TTW drummer for the first record. Bernie has
since gone on to pursue a career in graphic design and Anthony is having great
success with our friends Flying Douglas. We also had Jeff Hanson (Jealous
Sound) for a few weeks on guitar. As far as rumors about members and Jim it
stems from having different goals in mind for a band. The members that have
come and gone had seen TTW as more of a hobby and not a career and I think
that causes strife right away if everyone in a band is not on the same page.
Jim is very passionate about this music thing and maybe people take that the
wrong way. All and all there is no bad blood between any past members, we
love them all, and they have made us what we are today.
How do you feel about the current line up and busy touring schedules? Can you all ride in the same van for weeks and weeks without wanting to kill one another?
Brad: We love it! We feel absolutely useless
here at home. As cheesy as it may sound, we feel like we have found our calling
doing this whole touring thing. Yeah, the van gets tight sometimes but we
haven't had and battles or incidents where we have wanted to kill each other.
All I know is that we are in the process of booking more and more shows out
of town so we don't have to go back to those damn day jobs. I will say though...there
is no better place to come home to than San Diego.
Jim: The new line up is awesome! I love these guys like family and l love
playing music with them. Traveling the country playing the music that we enjoy
playing every night is such a great experience. We have grown so used to living
on the road together that when we are home in San Diego, we feel restless
and ready to get back on tour.
Mike: This is The Transit War, the only way you will ever see it from here
on out. The chemistry and companionship of this lineup makes it feel more
like a family then a band. It's funny because if you think you know someone
you should live in a van with them for 4 months, then you will really know
them in and out. Tour has made us stronger friends and better musicians because
of that very reason. We look forward to many more tours and many more good
times.
| Of the current
line up, at least three of you were previously in other bands. I'm not
sure in Mike's case as he is the member I know the least about, but Jim
fronted 3 Last Words, Jamie was in Shift, and Brad joined on drums after
the break up of The Classified. So far, TTW and the current line up seems
to be far more successful than any of the aforementioned bands. Would
you agree, and if so, what do you think has attributed to this? What is
different that the previous bands were lacking? Brad: Well I think that you are right about us being a bit more successful than the bands that we were in prior to the Transit War but it hasn't been handed to us. We are all on the same page and know what we need to do to get from point A to point B. |
 |
Jim: I agree. I think that the fact that we have all had experience in other bands has attributed to the success of the current line up... Making music with these people just feels right.
Mike: Actually myself and Jim are both the original creators of 3 Last Words. I moved here in 2001 after fronting a hardcore band Parting Shot and shortly after began playing bass with Jim. All of our past bands and experiences are what I feel is making this lineup so strong. We get the benefit of doing things right that we may have done wrong with other bands and we all have a mutual understanding of how much work being a DIY band can be because we've all done it in the past. I think coming from different musical influences has shaped what we are making today. I cant explain the initial success of this band except that maybe people can tell that we are just having fun with it and we have an appreciation for every day we get to play music.
Now on to the road... You guys have been traveling all over playing multiple dates on the Warped Tour as well as shows outside of that. How has that been going, and what has been the most memorable show since the release of Ah Discordia?
Brad: Most memorable.... that is hard. I would have to say for me it was our second time going back to the midwest, more specifically Nebraska. There were a bunch of people at the show and they were going nuts stealing the mics and singing. That is when I realized the importance of touring and going back to the same areas and developing a fan base there.
Jim: Small Doors... There was this house in Ohio where we stayed one night after a show... An attic... Small Doors and Costumes... All in this attic... It was probably one of the strangest houses I have ever seen... We played at an all ages venue earlier in the night that had a Pirate Ship built inside of it right off of the dance floor. Stuff like that has been cool.
Mike: Touring has been insane. Warped is a rough tour for the smaller bands, but well worth it because of kid's eagerness to hear new bands. We had a blast with it. Meeting as many kids as we could and hanging out with other SD bands along the way. I think the biggest disappointment for us on that tour was just the lineup. Lots of screamo and image and it got old real fast. Our most memorable shows were probably in the Midwest with Sloppy Meateaters. Some of the smallest towns in the country have some of the best scenes for music and kids are genuinely excited to see new bands.
This next question is mostly for my own amusement:
I heard that you guys bumped into good old Chuck Bryant formerly from San
Diego (now residing in Wyoming) at a show in Nebraska. How did all of that
come about? I think that only Jim & Brad knew Chuck from his San Diego
days, but how did it feel to see a familiar face from your hometown at a show
in the mid-west?
Brad: That ruled! Chuck was a staple at San Diego shows and to see him walk
through the doors after driving so far was incredible. I do believe that he
has a video of us making a drunk mess on stage. Let's hope that never gets
seen.
Jim: It was awesome running into Chuck in Kearny, Ne. That town is one our
favorite towns to play. It is always great to see a familiar face away from
home. And CHCUK IS THE SHIT!
Jaime: So good Chuck! It was always a good time going to shows here in San
Diego and seeing Chuck and seeing him in Nebraska was, well, shocking! Chuck
saw the show we had in Nebraska online, and decided that it was worth the
trip from Wyoming to come out so we we're pretty flattered and surprised.
In fact, he sent us a postcard after the show that just said in big black
Sharpee…"You Guys Rock!...love, Chuck" . Not quite San Diego,
but with him there it felt close…
Last question regarding touring. Are your plans to continue non-stop, or
is there a break that will bring all of you home for any length of time in
the near future?
Brad: Currently we are going to just take some short week or two jaunts through
Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and the Bay Area. We will soon do some more
national tours but for right now regional is our focus.
Jim: Looks like we will be touring on into the fall.
Mike: We plan to tour all fall and winter on the west coast mostly. Nationwide
touring has been a blast but booking it ourselves makes it tough during the
fall. We have some great shows coming up though including Edgefest 2005 in
Arizona. Along with that we have been writing a lot and we are excited about
starting some pre-production on those songs for a future release.
Moving on to the music...What's up with the new record? Ah Discordia!
Personally, I think the release is amazing! In summary, I'd say that the recording
quality is undeniably good, the songs are well written, energetic, heart felt,
and overall it is amongst some of the best work ever to come out of San Diego.
This is why I picked TTW for September band of the month. Despite my humble
opinion, the CD has endured some harsh criticism such as that from Regina
Sinsky at San Diego City Beat who compared you guys to Blink-182 and called
the music "tired & saggy". How do you feel about your work on
Ah Discordia, as well as any criticisms that may be circulating?
Brad: Well Regina was right on with her review.
In fact, she stumbled on to our little secret... All that the Transit War
really does is rearrange the chords of all our favorite songs change a few
lyrics and then they are our own hits. If you listen closely on "Kerosene"...we
use the word "THE" and blink uses it on all "THE" small
things. Oh shit...are people going to read this.
Jim: I loved making that record. I love the songs.
Mike: Thank you so much. We are very proud of this record and how it turned
out. We have amazing friends in Joe Marlett (producer/engineer) and Travis
White (art design) who helped make Ah Discordia what it is. These are
the first 8 songs we've written as a band, so to be playing them all summer
and still be excited about hearing them is a great thing. As for the critics
such as Ms. Sinsky, she is entitled to her opinion. It's just a shame that
her musical knowledge could only register a comparison to Blink 182 which
I think is fair to say we sound nothing like. Oh well, you win some you lose
some.
Jaime: I think one of her comments was that you needed to eat an entire box
of Samoa Girl Scout Cookies to get enough of a sugar rush to appreciate the
record or something along those lines… We should've sent her a box of
those cookies.
It is my understanding that the original pressing of Ah Discordia
has already sold out. How many copies was the original pressing, and how do
you feel about this degree of merchandise sales?
Brad: We feel great to be on our second pressing approaching the third. The
more people who buy or burn or download our music is fine with us. That just
gives us the reason and means to keep making more music.
Jim: You heard right!! 499,999,999!
Mike: Yes. The first press sold out which we are very happy about and we have
since pressed a second. For us selling 1500 cds in a summer is amazing considering
we booked it our self and financed it ourselves. What's gold 500,000? A couple
more summers of touring should get it there.
Do you have any releases aside from Ah Discordia that are still
available? I seem to remember an E.P. before Brad was in the band. Where might
this interviewer go to pick up a copy of any lesser known releases to complete
his collection?
Brad: Check you local music store for the blue album. Wipe the dust
off it and buy it. We need the consignment money. I will give you a little
saying that the rest of the band always uses to honor their musical god, a.k.a.
BRAD BOHENSKY..."Without BRAD, its just bad". Alright i am kidding
but let a man dream a little. I am actually a big fan of the old album.
Jim: I have one in the merch tub with your name on it Todd. Soma show, come
on out.
Mike: Yeah, we have a self titled EP that was before both Brad and Jaime.
It is a little different vibe but we love to listen and reminisce. We keep
them at the studio for coasters.
Before I end this, let's address "the buzz" once and for all. There
have been a lot of rumors about TTW and negotiations with major labels. From
the source, is this something that is in the works for you guys?
Brad: We have a solid indie label deal in the works right now. Nothing has
been signed yet, but it looks real nice. As for the major labels... We jumped
through their hoops for a while and we still talk to them. They are well aware
of what is going on in our world and have "left their doors open to us".
Mike: We have had some sit-downs with major labels as well as played some
great showcases in the past months."The buzz" is a funny thing to
us because although we are flattered to hear people interested in our band
we also understand that it doesn't happen over night. We love the position
of owning everything we've created and being self sufficient. But fuck yeah
we'd love total Global Domination!!!
To finish this interview on a San Diego based
band via a San Diego based website, I'd like to ask you guys to give your
personal "shout outs" to those other bands from your hometown from
who you snatched their opportunity to be the September band of the month but
would otherwise be worthy!
Brad: Spell Toronto, Larger Than Life, Reeve Oliver, Parker Theory, Buckfast
Superbee.
Jim: I dig Operatic, those guys are amazing.
Spell Toronto, Stupendous! First Wave Hello was pretty dope.. I was a big
fan of Funkopotomus...
Mike: To all those in the SD music scene we love you and what you do! Vote
for Flying Douglas "best new band" SDMA's and watch for the new
Spell Toronto record in the fall, two amazing bands! Thanks for the support.
Jaime: We truly are spoiled in this city with the amount of good bands there
are. I miss a lot of bands though, No Knife, Three Mile Pilot, Inch, Pitchfork,
Heavy Vegetable….but bands now like Operatic, Irradio, Buckfast Superbee,
Comfortable for You, Reeve Oliver, Spell Toronto make me smile quite a bit,
they're all brilliant bands.
Thank you guys so much for taking the time out to do this interview. I
look forward to what the future holds for you and I will now leave you with
that good ol' quote always seen at the end of your website updates: "long
days and pleasant nights!"
official website: http://www.thetransitwar.com
mp3s: http://www.myspace.com/thetransitwar
Interview by Todd Dulawan
Photos by Travis White
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