SOLARPOWEREDRACECAR started when Ed Lee (singer and guitarist) had a dream about playing guitar one night when he was 17 and attending UCLA. The dream proved itself to be an omen when he was given a classical guitar later that same day. He quickly and obsessively taught himself to play the Beatles, Weezer, Bush, Nirvana, lots (and lots) of Smashing Pumpkins, and began writing many tunes as the years progressed, most of which were stylistically grounded in 90’s grunge.

His first band, Bluesquare, released a demo in 2005 and played a few shows around LA before disbanding about a year later. After another year of trying to start a new project he met Marcus Verwoerd, a drummer originally from Louisville, Kentucky. His unique style—a blend of jazz, soul, and rock influences—is thanks to his eclectic taste in music which ranges from Sade and Tori Amos to Steely Dan to Massive Attack. Together, they formed SOLARPOWEREDRACECAR (SPRC for short), and spent the next several years writing and perfecting songs before playing their first show in 2012.  And fate had more in store for SPRC, it seemed, because in the audience was Justin Pederson, who was invited to the show by an acquaintance of Ed’s. Very impressed after their set, Justin introduced himself to the duo, mentioning that he was a bassist and would like to fill out the band’s sound. With his love of bands like Primus, Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age, and Napalm Death, he contributed a hard rock undertone to the band’s melodic alternative sound.

Each of SPRC’s members brings a very different set of influences together to form a sound that ranges from airy and soulful to gritty and grungy, with lyrics about every aspect of the human condition: love, loss, sadness, hope, rage, disconnection, life and death.  They are very aligned on their main goal: to make music from the heart, with the soul and for the world.

They live in Los Angeles.