INTERVIEW
Why Soulcracker? "For some reason it sounded good," says vocalist Beastie Ulery, who got his nickname when he was the only living Beastie Boys fan in Phoenix, Ariz. Named in the heat of a fire drill at Northern Arizona University, the quintet moved to San Diego and like their heroes Fishbone and the Police, built on a fierce live reputation while surviving delivering pizzas. "We're best friends and we actually get along and being on the road for us is fun," Ulery says. "It's what we want to do."

The group said yes to Bands on the Run after someone at an Internet record label sent its demo to VH1. The start-up is now history ("The guy who sent VH1 our stuff, I've never even met him"), but Soulcracker won't let imminent fame break them. "We're not Rocky when he gets all glamoured out and has juggling clowns at his gym," laughs Ulery. "We're trying to stay like Apollo Creed."