Babies, Steers, And (Maybe) An Ending: An Interview With Boyracer

by Meghan Jones
08/08/2008

Stewart Anderson, mastermind and singer behind the indie-punk band Boyracer, has been involved with it in one form or another since 1990, starting in the UK and ending... on a cattle ranch?! Over the years, the band has had somewhere around 40 different members, called it quits numerous times and recorded positively ridiculous amounts of music. Despite all of the fast-paced changes that come with a musician lifestyle, these past few years have been a doozy: After Stewart and Jen (the bassist) married in 2001, the two moved to Arizona, learned how to run a cattle ranch and had a baby. And they still had time to record for Athens' own Happy Happy Birthday to Me records; the split album with The Faintest Ideas is out on pink vinyl! Stewart caught up with us via email to share a old story of a show in Athens, brag about a quite impressive new talent (hint: It involves a knife and a steer), and explain why this may be the last Boyracer show ever.

AE: I read on your "Boyracer board game" (which I loved!) that you broke both of your axles in Athens, Ga and had to pay $1100 bucks at PepBoys. What's the back story there? How long ago was it; where were you playing; did you get to do the gig or did the car trouble keep you from it?

SA: Well, it was after a show we played in Athens at the Caledonia in erm... 2003 I think. We had only just left Athens, and I think it was 4th of July weekend when we where flagged over by passing cars as smoke was billowing out of our back axle. The bearings had fused and we where actually quite lucky not to crash. Our good friend Ian from Fairmont Fair/Nana Grizol had to come and rescue us. However, our return to Athens and reclaiming of his living room ruined his romantic weekend, I think. We missed two shows in Texas. But I was much happier drinking PBR and eating pizzas than playing shows. Although when the car was fixed, we drove from Athens to Flagstaff straight, 30 hours non-stop.

AE: How did you come to live on a ranch in Arizona from your beginnings in the UK?

SA: I met Jen in 2000. She was touring with her band Rabbit In Red in the UK. We clicked, I moved to Philadelphia. It was getting serious so we thought, "Lets get married so we can be together for more than 90 days at a time." Unfortunately, we got married just a few weeks after Sept. 11th, so I was kicked out of the country whilst my visa was being processed, which took 11 months. We spent that time traveling and playing shows in Australia and Japan, etc., and were basically homeless for the year. When I was allowed back to the U.S., we had nowhere to go, so ended up in Flagstaff where Jen's family lives. Jen's father moved to New York and left us the family ranch to run. It has been a steep learning curve, but it's fantastic. We live very remotely: Solar power, wind power and well water. It's very rewarding, although six or seven days a week work. I do all the cliched cowboy things you could imagine. I wear a hat, ride a horse, rope cattle. And I'm pretty handy with a knife too- I can castrate a steer in 30 seconds.

AE: How did you get involved with Happy Happy Birthday to Me records?

SA: Mike just wrote to us and offered to put a record out. It was that simple.

AE: Do you think you'll have time to hang out in Athens before or after your PopFest performance? Who are you excited about seeing play?

SA: My friends The Faintest Ideas from Sweden I'm excited to see. We are also excited about playing in The Young Untold and Lognhalsmottagningen, which is a Swedish hardcore band, (honest). We will be doing lots of hanging out for sure. We'll have our baby with us, so will be easy to spot. Come and say hi...

AE: How is life these days touring with a band and with a new baby?

SA: Well, we don't tour any more. This is our second show in three years.

AE: Boyracer has gone through so many different formations and reformations; where do you think it will be in a year? Has the band moved to the backburner with your marriage and baby?

SA: Yes. I think this will be the last Boyracer show, probably for a while if not forever. Much as I like getting up on stage and making a racket, there are other more important things to me right now. Mainly cows and babies. I've also been doing Boyracer for so long, releasing records since 1991 (I'm now 36), that I don't feel like I have to do it anymore. We have something like 500 songs released as Boyracer. I think I have reached the pinnacle of my songwriting in terms of perfecting short fuzzy punk-pop songs. It seems a good place to stop. We have a new LP, pressed especially for the Athens show. Its a vinyl LP, only 100 pressed. It will be the last Boyracer I think, and possibly our best.

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