Bikini Truck Stop’s debut single, “Black Ice,” arrives with a heavy, brooding intensity that echoes the treacherous and unpredictable realities of life on the road.
Bikini Truck Stop released its first track on Jan. 24, kicking off its mission to highlight what it believed to be an overlooked profession: truck drivers. It created the name “Black Ice” after describing the song’s ominous and dangerous tone.The members also recognized black ice as one of the most dangerous hazards faced by drivers, especially during the winter months.
The band comprises sound recording seniors Bella Sera, drummer, and Garrett Stacha, guitarist/bassist. The two formed the band after they recognized how underrepresented the trucking profession is, despite neither having prior knowledge of or personal ties to the industry. Bikini Truck Stop built these connections and aimed to raise awareness of the trucking profession through its music.
“We are trying to get the average driver to listen to the song and understand the fear that some of the people they share the road with experience in these conditions,” Stacha said.
After forming a band and producing an EP, Sera and Stacha committed to releasing a single every month leading up to the EP’s launch. Stacha, who wrote the band’s debut single in February 2024, felt strongly that the track deserved a place in its upcoming project.
Throughout their process, Sera and Stacha visited the New Braunfels Travel Center and Black Bear Diner frequently to connect with truck drivers stopping by and station workers. They took the opportunity to talk with them, hear their stories and gain a deeper understanding of the profession.
Chance Womack, a truck driver for Central Texas Equipment, was initially confused about how a song could represent trucker drivers. He was also shocked to learn that students, of all people, wanted to honor his community.
“It is nice to know that people understand being a trucker is more than just driving sometimes,” said Womack.
Bikini Truck Stop’s music is instrumental and rooted in the progressive (prog) metal genre. Sera and Stacha draw inspiration from other prog artists and bands, such as Buckethead, Animals as Leaders and The Aristocrats.
For Stacha, writing instrumental music feels more natural than crafting lyrics. He sees it as a way to express himself, describing it as his most direct form of communication. While Stacha and Sera understand that this genre isn’t always what some listeners typically gravitate toward, they believe anyone listening will be able to interpret a story from it.
“I think that there is an emotional depth-ness that can be almost a little harder to convey through simply an instrument for most listeners,” Sera said. “So, if we pull it off in a well enough manner, listeners will be able to feel what we are feeling, and that’s our goal.”
Bikini Truck Stop’s single Black Ice is available on all major music streaming platforms. For more information on the band, visit its Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bikinitruckstop/.
