The Racer

The Racer, an independent band from New York’s Hudson Valley consisting of Peter Marotta (vocals, keys), Mike Esserman (guitar, keys), and Eric Sosler (bass, keys) has been undergoing a transformation from rock to alternative to indie and experimental over their last 3 releases. The traditionally album-focused band has shifted gears of late, and expects to continuously release a slew of self-produced singles directly to fans for the foreseeable future.

Even though the The Racer has always preferred to keep as much of their operation “in-house” as possible, the mission of self-producing their own music didn’t begin in earnest until after the 2016 release of their Kickstarter-funded third LP GIANT, produced by Dan Hannon (Manchester Orchestra). Throughout the promotion of GIANT, the band began experimenting with using the studio as an instrument, exploring new sounds and techniques, and growing more musically mature. Guided and inspired by the expertise of their past producers Mike Kalajian and Dan Hannon, proficiency came surprisingly quick, and the results are a breath of fresh air to the members of the band - the realization of a DIY dream many years in the making.

The Racer's independent catalog also consists of 2010’s Strangers We’ll Become and 2013’s Passengers and they’ve graced the stage at Milwaukee's Summerfest, Austin's SXSW, and Albany’s MOVE Music Fest. They’ve played everywhere from Whisky a Go Go and The Key Club to The Mercury Lounge and The Knitting Factory, opening up for bands such as Matt and Kim, The Spill Canvas, Say Anything, and Collective Soul. And they’ve secured licensing deals that have garnered placements on MTV, CBS, and a host of television commercials.