Spotlight Sounds; Episode eleven with The drive.

Welcome back to Spotlight Sounds, a series by Secrets Behind the Sound celebrating the vibrant world of Irish music. Dive into the blend of tradition and innovation that characterises Ireland's contemporary music scene, featuring both established and emerging artists. Explore the influences and experiences shaping Irish musicians and join us as we delve into their creative processes, stories, and journeys. Through in-depth discussions, Secrets Behind The Sound recognises the groundbreaking contributions of Irish artists to global creativity. Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer, Spotlight Sounds invites you to explore the captivating realm of Irish music—a journey into the stories, sounds, and enigmas that make up Ireland's music scene.

Hailing from Cork's North side, the drive., a dynamic three-piece band, formed in 2018. This indie rock ensemble quickly caught attention, signing to Egg Twelve Records in 2019 and selling out their debut headline tour. With their influences rooted in Britpop and a nod to The Smiths and The Stone Roses, the band's unique blend of genres resonates with Spotify Editors, international radio, and national press. Recognised as one of Ireland's most promising young bands, the drive. is poised to steer the indie genre in the right direction for the modern age, making waves with their fusion of alt-rock and indie vibes. As they continue their musical journey, 2024 holds great promise for these three lads, cementing their status as a band to watch.

Can you start by introducing the band and your musical background?

'The Drive.' has been Eoin's project for years. Myself (Alex) joined at a later stage in 2020, and we're only now welcoming Aaron as part of the band. When it comes to our musical background and influences, I'd be a huge fan of bands such as Loathe, while Aaron is an avid Radiohead listener and Eoin derives influences from acts such as Sonic Youth and The 1975.

How would you define the genre you as a band primarily identify with, and how do you incorporate other influences into your sound?

That's a tough one for us, we can rarely identify a consistent genre between ourselves and in fairness we all believe that's an important part of our creative process as we can work and create without having to appease a preconceived genre that we've labelled ourselves as. Like any artists really, we feel it's important to evolve all the time and pull from various influences and ideas, nothing is off the table for us.

What are some of the challenges Irish artists face in today's music industry?

To be fair, the biggest challenge that Irish artists are faced with is one that all artists globally share, and that is streaming services. It increasingly becomes more and more difficult for artists of all sizes to make any sort of meaningful income from their art. In tandem with this would be the further diluting of music into a product, listeners are much less likely to grow and become attached to new artists because modern day streaming services are simply hurling so much at them, so often is the case for Irish artists like ourselves that once your song is removed from editorials, you're quickly forgotten about.

How do you think Irish music has progressed through the years?

Irish music has always been and will continue to be immensely prominent and impactful. From former acts such as Rory Gallagher, The Pogues, The Cranberries, and My Bloody Valentine, to current acts such as Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital, and Gilla Band. It's really encouraging to see that Irish music continues to be so prevalent.

Can you walk us through the creative process when writing and composing music?

So funnily enough, none of us have sort of formal background in music. We're all self-taught but we feel this really helps our creative process as we approach song writing, mainly, from an emotive perspective. Rather than mechanically constructing a song that must have "x" progression played in "y" time signature (although it is definitely necessary and has to be done at times), we try our best to just play what feels right or appropriate for what we're trying to convey.

It's always a group effort, any one of the three of us may come in with a certain song or idea and we all try to break it down and get to the core of what this song/idea is really about and what it's trying to say, simply moulding our parts around this core idea and building off it.

In your opinion, what role do live performances and venues play in the Irish music scene today?

Live performance, from our point of view, is the most important part of music. I think everyone can agree nothing can really top seeing your favourite artist live. All three of us have had an experience like this that has inspired us to do what we're doing now.

For Irish artists, live performance is so important in order to get yourself in front of new people, grow a fanbase, and most importantly build a relationship with fans. Being able to do this and progress by playing bigger and better venues is so integral for Irish artists.

Diversity is an important aspect of any music scene. How do you think your band's music contribute to the diversity of the Irish music scene?

Well, we all come from disadvantaged areas or backgrounds, and we make sure to incorporate these experiences into our music. It's so interesting seeing how these experiences are shared by fellow Irish artists yet can be expressed in such different ways, such as Bricknasty conveying and speaking of similar experiences but in the mode of Hip-Hop/Jazz Fusion.

As an Irish band, what advice have you got for other artists trying to navigate the industry and find their unique voice?

Just focus on the art, at the end of the day its great music that will always connect with people.

What can listeners expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming releases, collabs or projects you're excited about?

We've two singles which, hopefully, will be released fairly soon. It's exciting, this will be the first few tunes that we'll be releasing that Aaron's been a part of. And of course, there'll be a few shows lined up around these releases.

I am going to finish off by asking you, if your band was a flavour of ice cream what flavour would it be?

Ben and Jerrys Peanut Butter Cup!

In conclusion, the drive., a band from Cork's lively North side, is making waves in the Irish music scene. Their journey, marked by resilience and an eclectic mix of influences, showcases a unique blend of Britpop and modern alternative sounds. With insights from Alex, the band stands out as a catalyst for contemporary indie music, breaking away from traditional genre labels. Drawing inspiration from their diverse backgrounds, the drive., contributes to the richness of Irish music with raw, authentic quality. The drive. leave an unforgettable impression on the Irish music scene, establishing themselves as a band to watch in 2024.