Box Car Racer

Box Car Racer

Group from United States

Genres: emo, emo pop, pop punk, post-hardcore, punk, punk rock, rock

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blink-182 +44 Angels & Airwaves Tom DeLonge New Found Glory

About Box Car Racer

Box Car Racer was an American post-hardcore band formed in San Diego, California, in 2001. The band was a side project of Blink-182 members Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker, with David Kennedy of Hazen Street joining for studio recordings. Anthony Celestino later joined as a bassist for live performances. The project was created by DeLonge to explore darker musical ideas that he felt did not fit with Blink-182. The band recorded its only album, "Box Car Racer", over six weeks beginning in December 2001, primarily at Signature Sound in San Diego. The album was released by MCA Records in May 2002 and reached number 12 on the Billboard 200. Singles from the album included "I Feel So" and "There Is", with "I Feel So" reaching number eight on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Box Car Racer toured across North America in the fall of 2002, with supporting act The Used. The project influenced Blink-182's subsequent self-titled album, released in 2003, and was officially ended by DeLonge in mid-2003. Some material later contributed to his band Angels & Airwaves, which also featured Kennedy. Between 2018 and 2021, DeLonge and Barker worked on a new song under the Box Car Racer name, which was later adapted as the Blink-182 track "Terrified", released in 2023. The formation of Box Car Racer followed delays and cancellations of Blink-182 tour dates in late 2001 and early 2002, partly due to DeLonge's chronic back pain. The initial concept developed from acoustic recordings during sessions for Blink-182's 2001 album "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket". The project underwent several potential names before settling on Box Car Racer, a name previously associated with a band Barker had been in shortly after high school. The original intention was to create an acoustic record inspired by the style of Violent Femmes, but the sound became more electric and heavier as Barker and Kennedy joined. DeLonge maintained creative control over the material, with sessions reflecting a do-it-yourself approach. During the recording of the album, DeLonge experienced significant back pain, which influenced the themes of the music. The band’s lineup for the studio album included DeLonge on vocals and guitar, Barker on drums, and Kennedy on guitar, with DeLonge handling bass parts. The album was completed quickly, with minimal changes during recording. MCA Records monitored the sessions and approved of the recordings, leading to the decision to release the album commercially. Tensions arose within Blink-182 due to the side project, particularly with bassist Mark Hoppus, who contributed vocals to one track but was not fully involved in the project. Box Car Racer performed its live debut on April 1, 2002, with Celestino joining as bassist. The band performed a series of shows in California before Blink-182's Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day and Jimmy Eat World. Box Car Racer concluded its headlining tour in December 2002. DeLonge ended the project in 2003, stating that it had fulfilled its purpose. The sound of Box Car Racer influenced Blink-182's subsequent work, with the experimental tone carried over to the 2003 self-titled album. Material from the band also contributed to Angels & Airwaves' debut album "We Don't Need to Whisper" (2006), and the band has occasionally performed Box Car Racer songs live. Rumours of a revival circulated from 2017, with DeLonge and Barker reportedly recording a new song between 2018 and 2021. In 2023, Barker confirmed that the track would be released as part of the Blink-182 album "One More Time...", rather than under the Box Car Racer name. Blink-182 included a portion of "There Is" in their performances during the One More Time Tour in 2024. Studio albums Box Car Racer (2002)

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