The band’s conception was first shaped in 2001 from an appreciation of their local music scene, and inspiration from bands such as No Knife, Three Mile Pilot, and Inch. Guitarist and vocalist Jaime Solis explains, “The band came together from the remnants of several other defunct local bands. Except for Mike, who grew up outside Philadelphia, San Diego was a total music playground for us.” However, although they’ve obtained success, their earlier years weren’t cut short of painless experiences, and failed endeavors. One illustration of this is the number of line up changes the band has been through, which ironically foreshadowing their name, has kept them in transit.
The original lineup united around current lead singer, guitarist Jim Hughes and bassist Mike Frey, with the addition of guitarist Anthony Levas and drummer Bernie Tiano. When they began recording their first full-length album, Ah Discordia!, with Harbor Records, Levas and Tiano were replaced with present guitarist Jaime Solis and drummer Brad Bohensky. This change has proved to be a success for The Transit War, as Solis clarifies, “It was just like finding that perfect ingredient you never knew was missing. Where the band might have had a couple of drivers and a couple passengers before, we’ve ended up with a connection between four people who really belong behind the wheel.”
The band underwent another change when they switched labels for their most current release, Miss Your Face, from Harbor Records to the comfortable and productive Orange Peel. “Harbor wasn’t really much more than a kiss and a good luck handshake for us. Orange Peal is a place where we can grow and function as a band,” Solis says, as the band has always kept in good spirits about any hardships or changes. “We’ve always said The Transit War motto was, whatever can go wrong will go wrong. We love what we get to do in this life and know we’re lucky to be doing it at all, so all the blood, sweat and tears are given very willingly.”
Miss Your Face was inspired by many elements including alcohol, storytelling, regret, tour, families, shortcomings, and the music from which the band members derive their influence. Recording this record was the first time they were able to be attentive in creating the music, as most was written on the road together as a band. When they were recording Ah Discordia! it was more of an impulsive time, as Brad and Jaime were unsullied to the band. For Miss Your Face they were able to center more on songwriting, different instrumentation, and creating significant melodies and harmonies.
The experience of recording Miss Your Face and being on tour has solidified The Transit War’s current line up, brought its members close together, and has also formed an appreciation for the bigger picture. “I’d say we’ve grown into a family - a family with a ton of branches. We’ve spent so much time on the road together living in our box that it was inevitable really,” Solis remarks. “But it’s the kind of environment we thrive in, to the point where family means our families at home, all of our fans and friends, even the people we work with business-wise. Everyone’s related at this point.”
The Transit War’s valiant efforts, upright attitude, and dedication to their music have earned them many accolades and industry nods which have been beneficial to exposing the band to new fans. One of their more notable honors was winning MTVu’s The Freshman contest for their video “Kerosene.” They’ve also been nominated in the Best Rock category for the San Diego Music Awards, and have been Spin.com’s Artist of the Day.
The band is currently out on the road with Self Against City, doing a stretch of dates throughout the West Coast. Select dates also feature Quietdrive and The Fold. For The Transit War, bringing their songs from the studio to the stage is what they live for. “We enjoy dynamics in music and try to build a set the same way. If you’re coming to a show you can expect a lot of energy, not so much shtick, and some quality harassment from the four of us to check out the new lamp at our merch table.”
This is a band with a positive reception to what’s been thrown at them, the state of flux and transit they’ve endured, and a general respect for the situation they are in.
An additional great quick story is from Rollin Stone online:
http://www.spin.com/articles/transit-war-avoid-tornado-write-track
Mayday
The Transit War Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I think we're going down
Your coming in loud and clear
About twenty feet from ground
But it's to late to bail out softly now
I can't believe this is happening to me now
Maybe our sights we're all wrong but I know we're going down
Let's burn these bridging together and enjoy disaster
Let's burn these bridges and think of it after
The lyrics to The Transit War's song Mayday describe a dire situation where the singer and those around them are on a doomed path. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song - the people involved in the situation are unsure and afraid. The imagery of a "Mayday" call implies that they are possibly in a plane, and the use of "sights" conjures up a sense of machinery and urgency as the singer realizes something is not right. They know that they are going down, and everything is happening too quickly to fix.
The lyrics take a more fatalistic turn when they sing "Maybe our sights were all wrong but I know we're going down." The singer seems resigned to their fate and perhaps reconciled with the fact that there's nothing they can do. They suggest "burn[ing] these bridges" and "enjoy[ing] disaster" knowing that they're falling apart. The singer seems aware of the gravity of the situation but finds solace in the idea of companionship in the final moments.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of impending doom and the uncertainty that comes with it. The singer finds some sort of comfort in the shared experience, even if it ultimately leads to their demise. It's a commentary on the fragility of life and how something like feeling close to someone can make even the most dire moments a little more bearable.
Line by Line Meaning
Mayday our sights are all wrong
We are in a state of emergency because we have misjudged our direction.
And I think we're going down
Our situation is dire and I believe we will crash.
Your coming in loud and clear
I can hear your message easily and without interruption.
About twenty feet from ground
We are perilously close to hitting the ground.
But it's to late to bail out softly now
We are too far along to make a safe retreat at this point.
I can't believe this is happening to me now
I am in disbelief that this situation is happening to me at this moment.
Maybe our sights we're all wrong but I know we're going down
It is possible that we have misjudged our direction, but I am certain that we will crash.
Let's burn these bridging together and enjoy disaster
Let's remove any chance of retreat and face our impending doom together with acceptance and enjoyment.
Cause I think we're fallen apart
Our previous plan has failed and we are now disintegrating as a group.
Let's burn these bridges and think of it after
We should remove any chance of retreat and deal with the aftermath later.
Contributed by Taylor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.