Wait, what?

At least one fan of Bang Camaro thinks the tracks “Bang Camaro” and “Push Push (Lady Lightning)” are two episodes of an epic rock opera about conception in the back seat of a Camaro.

Bryn Bennett, co-founder of Bang Camaro, recently shared this fun fact while answering a few questions about life on the road with 20 guys, the band’s use of videogame soundtracks as a means of exposure, lessons learned, and much much more.

This interview is a must-read for all fans of Bang Camaro, as well as any artists on the fence about joining the Rock Band Network.

Here is the full interview, courtesy of RockBandAide:

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to say you are a big fan of Rock Band, and if you are a big fan of Rock Band, you’re not only familiar with Bang Camaro, you’re probably a big fan of them, as well. But for those not in the know, Bang Camaro is “anthem rock” at it’s finest. With a small army on stage, Bang Camaro’s unapologetic, in your face, hard rock typically blows the roof off of any venue they play. Most are familiar with them through video games, as their music can be heard in Guitar Hero 2, Rock Band, Rock Band 2, The Sims 3, and Madden NFL ‘10. They’ve also performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, as well as Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

And coming soon, Bang Camaro will be putting four tracks on the Rock Band Network with the help of Rock Gamer Studios: ”Revolution,” “Push Push (Lady Lightning), “Swallow the Razor,” and “Blood Red Rock.” I was able to ask Bryn Bennett of Bang Camaro a handful of questions about the band, the Rock Band Network, and what we can look forward to in the future.

RockBandAide: What impact has Rock Band and Guitar Hero had on your success?

Bryn Bennett: The games put Bang Camaro in front of a huge audience that would have never heard of us otherwise. Better yet, it allowed people to interact with the music in ways that traditional listening doesn’t allow. There are a lot of people out there that know every note (or at least rhythm!) that we play because they have been playing along with us. It’s actually a bit nerve-wracking when you see people air-guitaring along with our solos, and we realize that they are actually playing the video game parts. That means they definitely know if we flub a note!

Another interesting thing we’ve found is that music game fans are not necessarily traditional music fans. A lot of people we met told us that our show was the first one they had ever been to. Hopefully in the future, more music fans will start playing the games, and more gamers will go out and listen to the music live.

RBA: How much input did you have on what songs were selected for games and how they were being used?

BB: Harmonix is a company full of musicians who all would like to have their songs in the games. The way it worked here (I’m a programmer at Harmonix) is that people would send their music to members of the audio team, and they would decide what songs would be best for the game. (Not to be mistaken for the “best songs” which would be entirely different.) So, we submitted songs like “Pleasure (Pleasure)” and “Rock Rebellion” and we were lucky that they were picked.

Working with EA and Artwerk was slightly different. We signed a publishing agreement with them, so they could pick and choose what music of ours they wanted to use for their games. They chose “Revolution” for The Sims and Madden 10.

RBA: Since a major portion of your fan base has discovered you through video games, do you think they outnumber your fans that have discovered you through more traditional means?

BB: Definitely. We are always a little surprised when we hear that people heard about us from somewhere other than games, since Rock Band and the others put us in front of so many people. We have played some high profile shows like Lollapalooza and the Download Festival as well as Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, so people have definitely heard about us from other places.

RBA: What’s it like to have that large portion of your fan base that has an interactive, intimate knowledge of your music?

BB: Like I said earlier, it’s terrifying if they are staring at your fingers when you’re playing a solo. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that. On the other hand, it’s cool to have a huge portion of the crowd singing along with every word in a song. I always find it funny when people are surprised that we are not all Rock Band masters. There are some people in the band who have never even played it!

RBA: How soon upon first hearing of the Rock Band Network did you decide on making some of your music available?

BB: Right away. It was never a question that RBN was a great idea, and a perfect way for us to get more music out there. At first, I was planning on doing the charts myself, but quickly realized that I didn’t have time to pull it off. Luckily, we have known Miguel and the others at RockGamer Studios for quite a while. They were always the crazy ones at our NYC shows. We knew we’d be in good hands if we worked with them.

RBA: For bands that may not be as well as known throughout the Rock Band community, what level of success is possible for them on the Rock Band Network?

BB: Since RBN has not officially launched yet, I can’t say anything for sure. I am incredibly excited about it though. I’m sure that if a band gets known for having awesome songs that play well, a ton of people will want to pick them up. People are always looking for new songs that they want to play. Hopefully I’ll learn about some great bands through this new means.

RBA: How much Rock Band do you guys play? And are there any bands that you would like to eventually see in Rock Band, either through traditional means or through the Rock Band Network?

BB: There are a number of guys in the band that play quite a bit. Morgan and Glen have Rock Band set up at their places. Personally, I “Play” all day, every day at my office… but replace the word “play” with “add features, fix bugs, and then hear from the testers.”

I was really excited when the Electric Six pack came out a few months ago. We did a tour with them, and I was blown away with their music and shows. Of course I could always be into more Ozzy. Playing “Bark at the Moon” on the original Guitar Hero was awesome. It made me go home and learn the real solo!

RBA: Do you feel that Rock Band has an impact on a player’s interest in playing a real instrument at some point?

BB: Without a doubt. I have met a lot of younger people who say that they became interested in playing an instrument because of Rock Band. I believe that it’s because of GH and RB that younger people became interested in guitar based rock again. I mean, what 12 year old knew who Deep Purple was before the games came out.

On the other hand, I hope people take the inspiration from the game and try to do something new and creative with it. Do we really need any more shredders out there? I think Tiago Della Vega has already taken it to its logical conclusion.

RBA: Vocal chorus aside, is there a certain aspect of your music that you think defines you as a unique artist?

BB: Alex’s rock faces.

RBA: What is your favorite song to perform live? Are there any covers that you like to play live?

BB: I always look forward to “Rock Rebellion”, “Blood Red Rock”, and “Push Push (Lady Lightning).” We haven’t played many covers live because we never wanted to be thought of as some hard rock cover band with a bunch of singers. We did “In the Meantime” by Space Hog once, and it was pretty epic. We also played “It’s Not Love” by Dokken at Rocklahoma. It was pretty funny because a lot of the parents were rocking out, and their kids probably thought it was a song of ours.

RBA: Do you have any specific tracks that you are particularly proud of?

BB: There are different songs that I like for different reasons. I thought that “She’s Gone (Critical)” was well crafted and had nearly a Simon and Garfunkle quality to its harmonies. I like the somewhat strange arrangement to “Miss Illusion” that was atypical of most of our songs. I think the lead up and then the kick off of the solo in “Rock Rebellion” is probably the most exciting point in our live show. I’m also proud of finishing “Swallow the Razor” because all of the singers were so drunk in the studio that they don’t even remember being there. If you listen closely to the track, you can hear someone randomly screaming “RAZOR!” in the chorus.

RBA: Which one of your songs has the most meaning to you?

BB: Well… we’re a band that prides ourselves on 2 word choruses with no verses…. So I’m not sure if I can answer that.

BUT, there was a time when a fan found some meaning in our music. We had released “Bang Camaro” first on the internet, and then didn’t know what to do with a 20 person hard rock band. So, then we went back into the studio and recorded some more songs. When we later released “Push Push (Lady Lightning)”, someone figured out that it was 9 months between “Bang Camaro” and “Push Push.” He was pretty sure that we were writing a rock opera that dealt with an immaculate conception that started in a Camaro. We kept waiting for him to figure out what the rest of the songs meant, but I don’t think he ever did.

RBA: Is there any aspect of your musical history that you would change?

BB: Sure. From the beginning, Alex and I tried to handle everything ourselves. We were very DIY. We ran our own record label, produced the music, negotiated business agreements, etc. We were learning as we went, and definitely made some mistakes. The additional difficulties of a band with so many members didn’t help. I’m proud that we have accomplished as much as we have, but if I could go back in time I think we would be able to do better with what we know now.

RBA: Any chance of a Bang Camaro: Rock Band? And if so, how many instruments would be included in the bundle?

BB: Just a lot more microphones…

RBA: What does the future hold for Bang Camaro?

BB: Traditionally, touring with a band costs the band money. That’s why record labels have what they call “tour support.” Since we ran our own label, we didn’t have that support. Plus, having 15 guys to pay while driving around the country doesn’t help. So, we’ve definitely learned that touring is not a way for us to keep ahead. Fortunately, we have been able to get our music in front of a lot of people through alternate means like video games, TV, commercial placements, etc. Hopefully, moving forward we can take better advantage of that… RBN will hopefully be a big part of it. But, we never want to totally give up on the live show… that’s what Bang Camaro is all about.

RBA: Thanks, Bryn!

For more info about Bang Camaro, check out their website at BangCamaro.com or on Myspace. Below is the official video for their song “Revolution,” featured in the Sim 3, Madden NFL ‘10, and soon for the Rock Band Network.