Hit By A Bus

After touring for four months in the summer of 2007 Hit by a Bus went right into the studio with the now grammy-nominated producer Sylvia Massy-Shivy (System of a Down, Tool) to record new songs which would be combined with the Detonator EP for a full-length album. The Optimist's Handgun, released in June of 2008, is an amalgamation of hard rock prowess and indie rock sensibility, complete with metal guitar figures and drum beats and competent lyricism. One of the more fierce tracks, "Detonat...

After touring for four months in the summer of 2007 Hit by a Bus went right into the studio with the now grammy-nominated producer Sylvia Massy-Shivy (System of a Down, Tool) to record new songs which would be combined with the Detonator EP for a full-length album. The Optimist's Handgun, released in June of 2008, is an amalgamation of hard rock prowess and indie rock sensibility, complete with metal guitar figures and drum beats and competent lyricism. One of the more fierce tracks, "Detonator", will be featured on the After After Party Compilation, which will be played and distributed at participating McDonalds in 50 cities. That same track has gotten radio play on college stations and internet radio all over the country. Right now the band is gearing up to tour in the summer and beyond. The band is also looking for a label to provide support for distribution of The Optimist's Handgun. This group is dedicated to the road. Guitarist and vocalist Skreech has often said, "we'll play anywhere with four walls and an electrical outlet." On their last tour, Hit by a Bus would sometimes find themselves playing in people's backyards, church parking lots, dive bars with only one electrical circuit, and skate parks. But for the band, the location doesn't matter. "Playing for hundreds like at Summerfest was great and we sold lots of merch, but playing at the smaller places, I feel like we've made some lasting friendships and met people that will support you every time you visit their town again," says Gio, vocalist and keyboardist. With their refined sound providing a solid foundation, Hit by a Bus has found their niche. Appearing nationwide, Hit by a Bus played festivals, tours, and took opening slots for household-name bands. The year 2006 had the band traversing the festival circuit--The Vans Warped Tour, SXSW, Milwaukee’s Summerfest, Tulsa’s DFest, and Albuquerque’s Hyperactive Festival. That same year, Hit by a Bus toured with Greyscale and shared the stage with Alien Ant Farm, Trapt, and Authority Zero. In the first half of 2007, the band opened for Flyleaf and Dropping Daylight and performed at SXSW, Hyperactive Festival as well as the San Diego Indie Music Festival. The rest of that year was spent on the road and in the studio. Looking back, the band has learned a lot of lessons on how to keep afloat in a business that seems to be saturated with DIY musicians. One lesson has been to just stay true to what you want to do. The music that Hit by a Bus writes is the way it is, period. It is complex, but accessible. It is personal, but identifiable. It is as good--if not better--live as it is recorded. There is no posturing, no matching outfits, no personas. It's all about the music.