After a decade of going full tilt with THE HUMPERS , and O.C.'s seminal punks" THE BLEEDERS", Bassist MITCH "TRUCKER" CARTWRIGHT decides to take a break from touring. For three years he write's music, and jams with many friends, and musicians. It is out of these sessions that MITCH decides to roll the dice, and take a shot of fronting his own band "THE HITCHHIKERS". Along with ex-BLEEDER bandmate guitarist ERIK MAKI, and drummer MARTY SMITH they begin putting together a blistering set of pure , straight up, no surprise PUNK-RAWK-N-ROLL in the tradition of MITCH's previous bands. Only one problem. No lead guitar player. A few months down the line while hanging out at a "STITCHES" gig in Upland,Ca. MITCH runs into guitarist, and future song writing collaborator STEVE SWAILES (x-NEUROTONE, x-CONTROLLER). LINE UP COMPLETE! For three years they play extensively throughout Southern California building a steady following. Financing their own recordings, one produced by BOB MOON of VOODOO GLOW SKULLS fame, and the other by fellow X-HUMPER MARK "ANARCHY" LEE, and all around rock-n-roll badass GAVIN ROSS. In the summer of 2006, THE HITCHHIKERS, with no management, or record label land the song "I GOT MINE" into rotation on L.A.'s 1 rock radio station 106.7 KROQ, with other HITCHHIKER tunes showing up continually on variuos MTV REALITY SHOWS (thanks MR. DIABLO), but as usual in the world of RAWK-N-ROLL WITH MINOR SUCCESS COMES GREAT UNHAPPINESS....EXIT Erik Maki, EXIT Marty Smith.... ENTER guitarist PHIL "NAKED" JAMES (x-ADHD,x-COPOUTS), and drummer JORGE E. DISGUSTER (current DISGUSTER, x-MR. MIRAINGA).