Brad Racine is the thunderous force behind hard-hitting hardcore hunks Firestarter. The Los Angeles straight-edge punk band offers intense, pounding riffs. Check out “The Distance” to hear how far the belligerently brutal rock can go. He is also the engineer and owner of Local Man’s Recording Studio, and has produced songs for other hardcore heavyweights like Face Facts, Killfloor, God’s Hate and others. Firestarter is set to perform on Saturday, March 7, at the Holland Project in Reno, opening for Stateside. For tickets and more information, visit hollandreno.org.
What was the first concert you attended?
It must have been Willie Nelson or Eddie Money at the Victorville (Calif.) fairgrounds!
What was the first album you owned?
American Psycho by the Misfits. Got that at Rhino Records. I love Graves-era Misfits, and y’all can suck it.
What bands are you listening to right now?
Momma, Lamb of God, and Face to Face. Kinda crazy vibes, ha ha ha.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
The 2000s screamo scene. That shit sucked back then, and it still does now.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Sublime with Bradley Nowell. Easy answer.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t know if I have a guilty pleasure. Maybe sad girl music like Michelle Branch or Gillian Welch.
What’s your favorite music venue?
Chain Reaction! (The venue, in Anaheim, closed in December 2025.) I always loved how it sounded when I played the drums on that stage.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“Because I’m hard hittin’, always bitten, cool as hell,” “Slow Ride,” Beastie Boys.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
Blink-182. Travis Barker is my literal icon—badass bald tatted dude with a rich wife.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
Not a question, but more of a thank you and a handshake to Bill Stevenson from the Descendants. I love that man.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” by Neil Young.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
40oz. to Freedom by Sublime.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
The Set Free demo by the band Set Free.