Giving music back to the musicians.
FULCRUM
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Zumanity
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Hey Vampires
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Friday Nov 21, 2008
Transit Inc | Interview
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, the pop-rock trio Transit Inc got their start in an unusual way. While brothers Anthony Castellano (bass, vocals) and Mark Cass (drums, vocals) had been jamming together for years, it was when they met Rob Russ (guitar, vocals) at a garden centre that the seeds of Transit Inc were planted. “He was helping us load some plants into our van and he saw the gear,” recalls Mark, “and we realized we all played music. Rob came over for a jam one night, and then just kept coming over. It wasn’t till many months later that we thought we had something cool going on.” Mark attributes much of the band’s musical evolution to Rob’s impact; his influences, which greatly differ from Anthony and Mark’s, brought new strength and variety to Transit Inc’s songwriting and is a key ingredient in the band’s success.
Influenced by a wide range of artists, including the likes of Bob Dylan, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Queens of the Stone Age, and compared to groups such as The Killers and Modest Mouse, Transit Inc’s songs are high energy and guitar-driven with just a touch of disco for dancing. This diverse sound can be traced to the shared songwriting responsibilities within the band. “Sometimes a member will bring their songs to the table and sometimes writing together also works well with Transit,” says Mark of Transit Inc’s writing process, “We tend to like the group songs a bit more because there is a bit of all of us in them, and our influences blend to make something that feels unique to us.”
Mark credits this closeness as a group to time spent in the studio. He explains that, unlike many bands today, Transit Inc recorded their debut, full-length album over a period of two years giving them time to bond as a band over the common goal of completing their album. Mark also feels this unity as a band and their passion for music, along with an enthusiastic crowd, is why Transit Inc loves to play live. “We love to play live,” bluntly professes Mark, “it’s the energy, the people, the sound combined that makes a great show, we always give 200%. What we really like are audiences who get into it and share the experience with us!”
However, a downside to live performances is the bootlegs made from Transit Inc’s shows. Mark’s qualm with bootleg footage is that the true nature of the band’s sound and the energetic atmosphere of their show is lost to poor quality recordings or being caught on an off night. “It’s kind of embarrassing to have stuff like that out there,” Mark admits, “…we know we are much better than what the footage shows.”
As for future live shows, Transit Inc is currently arranging dates in the coming months to promote their self-titled, debut full-length album. After this, they plan to head back to the studio next year to record their next album.
Jessica Davis
Associate Editor
Aralie.com