Love Scar: Rising Rock Ambition at The Whisky

Love Scar: Rising Rock Ambition at The Whisky

There’s a certain electricity that hits the room when a young band steps onto the stage at The Whisky — that sense of history, ambition, and raw hunger colliding under the lights. Boston’s Love Scar brought all of that and more during their recent performance, delivering a high‑energy set that proved exactly why their cross‑country tour has been turning heads.  Fresh off the stage, the band sat down with Highwire Daze to talk about their origins, their songwriting process, life on the road, and what comes next for a group determined to carve out their place in modern rock.

Alrighty, we are here with the members of Love Scar. Introduce yourselves and tell me what you do in the band.
Darren Chraplak: My name’s Darren Chraplak. I’m the frontman, lead singer, and rhythm guitar player.

Jake Wakstein: I’m Jake Wakstein, the drummer.

Elliott Judy: I’m Elliott Judy, lead guitarist and background vocalist.

Oscar Lohr: I’m Oscar Lohr, bassist and background vocalist.

Where are you guys based out of, and what does your music scene look like there?
Darren: We’re based out of Boston, Massachusetts. We all formed at Berklee College of Music. Honestly, the rock scene’s a little dead compared to where we’d like it to be. That’s why we took a big risk going on the road — branching into different markets across the U.S. But it’s been really good. A lot of fun. Really successful.

You guys just did an amazing performance here at The Whisky. What was going through your head right before you went onstage?
Darren: Just remembering all the bands that came before us — Van Halen, Metallica, Led Zeppelin. All those guys started off here. Following in their footsteps is a dream come true.

Oscar: It’s such an honor to be here. The Whisky is so integral to the history of hard rock. Playing where our heroes played is a full‑circle moment.

Elliott: It’s very sick and awesome.

Jake:  Led Zeppelin is my all‑time favorite band, so being able to say we’ve shared the stage they played on back in 1969 — that’s a dream come true.

So overall, how has this tour been going so far? What have been some highlights?
Darren:  Seeing the country, meeting new people, connecting with fans through our music — it’s been amazing. We’ve had some really good shows and fun moments all across the country.

Jake: We met so many friends — people in bands, people who came to see us, people from all different backgrounds. Two of us grew up in Massachusetts, so seeing life down South, up North, out West — being immersed in it — has been incredible.  We booked this tour ourselves, got in the van, drove across the country, and made it happen. A lot of bands can’t say that. We’re 20 and 21 years old, in college, and we made it happen.

What goes through your minds knowing this is the end of the tour?
Oscar: It’s a blur of emotion — bittersweet but fulfilling. We feel accomplished. We played so many shows, hit so many states, and worked hard. We’re ready to go home, and we’re very appreciative of what we’ve built.

Your latest single is Bop. What’s the inspiration behind that song?
Darren:  My ex‑girlfriend. That’s the answer. She’s a bop, bop, bop, shoo‑bop. All you need to know.

Let’s talk about Untouchable.
Darren:  That’s about another girl. But lyrically, it started as a joke. I was struggling to write rock lyrics because I came from a metal band — darker, more heartfelt stuff. Rock lyrics are more playful. So I said, “I’ll write a song about cheating — that’s rock, right?”  Jake said, “Dude, that works.” He came up with the guitar riff, and we built the song around it. It was the first song we fully put together as a band.

Now let’s talk about Taking You Down.
Darren:
It started with a riff Jake sent. I built on it, and the lyrics came together in ten or twenty minutes. It felt more in my element — darker, heavier.

Oscar:  Lyrically it was quick, but structurally it took forever. We went through so many versions. I found old voice memos of early run‑throughs, and each one was drastically different.  It took a long time to settle on the final version, but we’re happy with how it turned out.

Let’s talk about Heal.
Darren: That’s my favorite song we’ve ever done. People message us saying it’s their favorite song — of all music. That’s insane and inspiring.  Elliott was in a cast when we wrote it, so I’ll let him tell it.

Elliott:  I had just gotten a wrist injection, but I went to rehearsal anyway. Jake said, “Let’s jam something in 6/8.” Oscar came up with the bass line. Darren played chromatic descending power chords as a joke — and we kept them.  For the chorus, I couldn’t play, but I said, “Play F major with an open B and E string, then G major with an open B and E string, then A minor.” And that was it. The rest is history.

Is there new music on the horizon?
Darren:  Yeah, we have about four singles recorded, mixed, and mastered by Elliott. They’re coming out soon — just a matter of scheduling. Lots of cool stuff coming.

If Love Scar could open for any band — past or present — who would it be and why?
Darren: Metallica. James Hetfield is my biggest influence.

Jake: Past: Van Halen.  Present: Dirty Honey. I love those guys. I’ve met them, talked to Mark LaBelle about opening for them. We’re not quite there yet, but I’d love to make that connection.

Elliott:  Guns N’ Roses — Slash is my original guitar idol. Or Jeff Buckley.

Oscar:  I’d be worried about following the bands I love because they’re unbelievable musicians. But I’d love to open for Soundgarden or Rush. As for current bands, I don’t listen to much modern rock, but playing shows with some of those guys someday would be awesome.

The tour’s over — what’s next?
Darren:  We’re taking a break in August to wind down and see our families. We came straight out on the road after the semester ended, so we haven’t had much downtime.  Then we kick everything back up on Labor Day weekend. We’re playing The Big E — the biggest fair in New England — in my hometown. It’s going to be a huge show, and we’re excited.

In Conclusion

Love Scar may be young, but they’re already proving they have the drive, discipline, and creative spark to push themselves far beyond the Boston scene they came from. With new music on the way, a growing fanbase across the country, and a relentless work ethic, the band is carving out a space in modern rock that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new.  Their performance at The Whisky was a milestone — but judging by their momentum, it’s only the beginning.

(Interview and Top Photo by Ken Morton – All Other Photos by Karyn Burleigh of Rock Edge Photography)

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