Crash Boom Band: Car Crash Hearts

Car Crash Hearts is the fruit of Alda Tan’s frustrations. For quite a few years now, the 25 year old bassist has sessioned for various Malaysian acts like Cosmic Funk Express, Broken Scar and Shelley Leong. Yet all too frequently, a key member would relocate to another country and the band would just dissolve, thus snipping off all aspirations.  

Seizing the reins, Alda posted a notice on his Facebook profile in August that read, “Alda is looking for a punk rock band.” Within weeks the outfit was completed by Collin Chin (vocals, guitars), Aliff Zulkifli (guitars) and indie veteran Waffiey Hassan (drums). And just a few months later, Car Crash Hearts has emerged with eight songs, a couple of YouTube videos, and visions of conquering airwaves at home and abroad.

“We want to be more commercial, more realistic, because all this ‘underground’ sh*t I don’t believe,” says Waffiey (who also plays for the iconic Ben’s B*tches). Having been involved in the scene since the early 90s, he has discovered that preserving musical “purity” isn’t worth squat if no one is prepared to reward you for it. “Back in 1994, the most common thing I heard from organisers was, ‘This is a charity gig,’” he says. “Charity is fine, but when there is money–be real lah.”

The band’s unapologetic allegiance to the poppiest facets of rock is fully evident in the two songs released on YouTube so far. Flowing from the same cosy womb that spawned Estranged’s ‘Itu Kamu’, spunky guitars and lollipop choruses populate ‘Sixteen’ and ‘Rahsia’, both built on songwriter Collin’s daily observations of “the younger generation that gets on the bandwagon–a lot.”

The band’s name draws its origins from a line from Fall Out Boy’s ‘Thriller’, off 2007’s Infinity On High. Yet while Alda acknowledges that the American pop punkers inspired him to start this band, he asserts that the choice of moniker goes beyond mere fandom. “Car Crash Hearts is [about] being reckless–a bit gung ho–about how you feel,” he says. “You know how people say to wear your heart on your sleeve? That is one personal trait that Collin and myself have.”

Like any band at its birthing stages, Car Crash Hearts remain fully DIY. Collin writes the music, Aliff handles the visuals and video editing, Waffiey oversees public relations and practices are held at a studio where Alda works. And yet the band refuses to use that as an excuse for shabbiness. “We try to do it right the first time,” says Aliff. “Being ‘indie’ doesn’t mean sacrificing video quality, CD quality or recording quality.”

An EP is on the horizon sometime next year together with gigs, music videos, merchandise and whatever else comes to mind that fits in with the overall agenda. “We want to get serious about our music. We want to go big,” says Collin plainly. “Freaking blunt, isn’t it. There’s the sh*t right there.”

A start-up band with mainstream ambitions, set against the backdrop of indie’s sometimes elitist and self-preserving façade–it is both shameless and strangely refreshing. “And why, you ask?” sniggers Collin, already dismissing the anticipated criticism. “Because music is universal, man. You either live with it or make a living with it.”

Words Chris Photo Linda Roos & Opy

www.carcrashhearts.com

*Taken from JUNK's January 2009 issue