Interview: A Bear With A Car On Top

A Bear With A Car On Top answers some questions I had for them about their starting up and their new album thats gonna drop soon.

So first thing first I gotta know what the names all about guys? Brian Whipp - The name is pretty random it's an object you can pick up on one level in the japanese video game "Katamari Damacy." We always make up and hear new versions of it though. The other day we were introduced as "A Beer On Top Of A Car." I think that's the most hallarious one yet.

When and how did you guys start playing? Brian - I was trying to start a band in college and none were really coming together until I met Brendan and Alex Lurhman my sophmore year. I was starting to write reggae songs instead of just punk and Alex really kinda guided that transition. He was this crazy kid from Spain who eventually got kicked out of school and went on to take classes in Santa Barbara and work at a cannibis collective. He was hella good at guitar and we wrote a few songs together and would jam. He pretty much taught Brendan to play a reggae beat. Since then we've just been playing alot and getting alot better and things have been going really well since we got Jeff on bass. Our playing is super solid and things are going really well.

Jeff - Ive been playing music since i was in 3rd grade and when i moved out to cali from AZ i had played with numerous bands off and on until i met brian and brenden and we hit it off, the jams were Dope and are evolving into some really heavy shit. Our live show is where its at, we love the energy and the improv.

What are your guys influances/inspirations musically? Brian - My biggest influence and musical inspiration is Bradley Nowell for sure. I'm pretty much always listening to sublime. I am also really into Tim Armstrong and Jack White. I think Michael Jackson should definitely get alot of props. Led Zeppelin. Eminem.

Jeff Laos - I would have to say for bass it would be Aston Family man barrett and john frusciante all around. i love Fat Freddy's drop, flea, omar rodriguez lopez and the mars volta, Passafire, Salmonella Dub, minus the Bear, dub trio, lee perry and king tubby, madlib, oh and tatanka im really digging their shit. there are so many i love music as a whole, it inspires me.

How does the song writing usally go down? Brian - Songwriting could happen any way. I would say most of the songs we play started with a Jam. We develop it a little an come up with parts then we record it and I kinda freestyle and skat around some lyrics,

Jeff - Improv Jams for the most part for sure. we jam it out to get the vibes right and usually the more you jam and feel it out it will just come together naturally. but i think its best to approach song-writing in every way possible.

Brian - other times me or Brendan or Jeff will just come to the table with a full song done that we had written on our own with all the parts and then teach it to the other guys or have them add to it.

Whos been your favorite band and best spot to play shows with so far? Brian - I love playing at Kilkenny's. It's cool because you can go get crazy beers at Najas, then check out Andy Walo next door, and get some crab for dinner or some live sea urchin. Some bands I'm always down to play with are Meet Me At The Pub, Stinky Pinky, Ease UP, Seedless, and Sand Section.

Jeff - Yea Kilkenny's on the redondo pier is always dope cause i live right up the street and get to make good use of the free drink tickets, haha. i still dig to play the house partys, its just good vibes, we played a dope pool party in the hollywood hills with the sickest view of all of LA. I really dug playing with seedless, those dudes killed it, as well as the movement, Stinky pinky, and the homies Ease up.

What have you guys been jamming lately? Brian - Been jamming Sublime, and Bob.

Jeff - ive been jamming Fat freddys drop for the past 3 years as well as tatanka big shout outs to them, minus the bear, passafire, flying lotus, madlib, classics

Pipes or Blunts? Brian - Pipes and Blunts!!!

Jeff - Whatevers Clever, Vaporizors!!

So I hear you guys are about to drop your first full length album soon? Brian - The album! Yeah I'm psyched for it. I've been working for the last week on the album and we are doing alot of planning for the album release. We started this project in March 2008! It's the longest I've ever worked on anything in my life and its gonna be awesome to see it finished. Its been quite a struggle. Here is a preview of our album art, i have been working on it for the past week, check it out

Jeff - Be on the look-out for it, its a sick record. its not gonna be your typical reggae rock release. Lots of hard work put into it and its only the beginning. Im really stoked to be apart of it!!

How was recording the album and did you guys run into any challenges while recording? Brian - We lost our bassist pretty much right after we started, and Brenden got sick with some strange stomach syndrome and went home to Deleware for like 6 months. At one point I was living out of my car and I found out we hadn't paid rent on our practice studio in a month and a half, which had all our equipment in it. But we've come a long way and I think all the time we put into it is really gonna pay off.

Jeff - Yea there is alot of heart in this album, you can hear it. i was really stoked that right after i joined the band i got to get right to work in the studio.

Whats the next move? Jeff - Tour, tour, tour

Brian - Next move is touring/partying!

Anything you wanna say to your fans/peoples? Brian - Come to our shows!!!!

Jeff - We got love for you, come out to our shows and kick it with us. and check us out online @ www.rastabear.com and www.reverbnation.com/abearwithacarontop