Texas-based dark synth-pop band Night Drive is set to release their EP "Position II" on August 4 via Chicken Ranch Records. They have shared the first single, "Summerwaves," along with its accompanying video. The track captures a sense of freedom and nostalgia, drawing inspiration from the coastline. Night Drive formed after meeting in Mexico City, bonding over their love for synth soundscapes. The band's upcoming album reflects the uncertainties and emotions of modern times, exploring themes of longing, hope, and discovery. With infectious melodies and pulsing dance beats, Night Drive's stylish and energetic sound has earned them recognition in film, TV, and radio. They have toured with notable acts such as Crystal Castles and CHVRCHES, showcasing their captivating live performances.
How did the band form?
We met in Mexico City, at a movie screening. The movie was Beyond the Black Rainbow, which has become a sort of aesthetic cornerstone for the band. One of the songs on our first album is called Arboria, which is named after a character in that movie.
What are your previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
Rodney was previously in a band called Motel Aviv, and Brandon was previously in a band called Glasnost. These bands had both broken up shortly before we met, so circumstances just happened to be arranged right for everything to come together. Rodney has been involved in music most of his life, and Brandon got into making music after college, pretty much by accident.
First concert that you ever went to?
Rodney's first concert: Bel Biv Devoe
Brandon's first concert: Dinosaur Jr
Can you explain what your writing process is like?
The process can take many forms, but it generally starts with Brandon composing an instrumental piece. Rodney then takes it and constructs vocal melodies and lyrics, which influences the further development and arrangement of the song. We both work on the arrangement, which can really go in any direction from there. We kind of see the vocals as one chemical and the instrumentals as a separate chemical, and when they're dropped into the beaker it's unknown what the resulting mixture will be.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
Wild Nothing, Black Marble, and Part Time - We own pretty much the entire catalog of these three bands, they're all different musically but capture certain feelings that we're very in sync with / The David Byrne song was added because its vocal harmonies were partially an inspiration for one of the songs in the upcoming EP, it's the first Night Drive song with a three-part vocal harmony / Crystal Castles - Empathy: we went on a brief tour with these guys but I don't recall them ever playing this song, which is one we really vibe with / French Films - this is a band that our drummer Nick introduced us to, they have a great energy and a surfy kind of sound / On the Beach - The Chameleons: for the obligatory 80s song we included this band because they had a unique sound but never had the US following that they should have / Steve Moore is an ambient artist whose excellent analog synth sounds create a great otherworldly mood / Eyedress and Enjoy are just bands that start with E that we're really digging at the moment
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
Playing live is a pretty great thrill and since we're not really a "jam" type band, for the most part we try to capture the recorded sound when performing. However that's not an unbreakable rule, as the longer we play the songs live, the more they change. When we play Drones (our first single) live, it has additional melodies and fills and harmonies that aren't in the original recording. Those changes are just as much for us as they are for the audience. We think there are no rigid unbreakable rules about how music should be written, performed, or consumed. That is one of the great things about music, it is the most abstract of the art forms and defies all attempts to be confined by intellectual boundaries.
What has your touring experience been, best shows? Worst shows?
We're fortunately not yet at the "burned out on touring" phase, we still enjoy it and it's been a fun experience overall. We can't think of a best show right now, but the best moment right before a show would be our first time in San Francisco. We were crossing the golden gate bridge at sunset, listening to Roxy Music -The Thrill of it All, it was one of those profoundly surreal moments where you feel like you're in a movie. Worst show would probably be a certain music festival where our previous drummer didn't show up and we had to play the show with no drummer. We fired him.
What's up next for the band?
We're releasing all the music that's been simmering in the vault for the past few years, it's been ready to go but we just needed the right team to get behind us. Mike at Chicken Ranch Records has been a great help and we're really glad to have those guys on board.
https://nightdrivemusic.bandcamp.com/