Hotwire

Hailing from Newbury Park, California, Hotwire featured Rus Martin on guitar and vocals, fellow guitarist Gabe Garcia, bassist Dan Hartman, and drummer Brian Borg. The quartet coalesced after separate stints in assorted metal, punk, and hardcore outfits during high school. Under the Hotwire name their music shifted toward riff-driven metal whose vocals and dynamic shifts drew influence from post-hardcore acts such as Refused and Quicksand. After cutting several demos they began performing throughout Southern California’s suburban expanse, appearing alongside Incubus, Linkin Park, Hoobastank, and Audiovent, all of whom later landed major-label contracts in the search for the next loud act. Hotwire soon received its own break, signing with RCA in December 2000. Following sessions with an array of prominent producers the band put out a promotional four-song EP in late 2002. The recording stirred anticipation for the group’s debut full-length, Routine, which appeared in June 2003. Its release was coordinated with Hotwire’s performances on that summer’s Ozzfest.