Rain City Drive: When It Rains It Pours
Sold-out shows around the world, records getting the attention they deserve, and hitting the road across the USA, and Europe. RAIN CITY DRIVE are ending 2024 with a bang!
Things Are Different Now has been out for a few weeks, but RAIN CITY DRIVE lead singer Matt McAndrew highlighted some struggles when it comes to album releases. It’s no longer just about a single or two released as a teaser. Before the full LP gets all the notoriety it deserves, often half the tracks will be released as singles prior to release. With the evolution of streaming and TikTok’s rise in popularity there appears to be a bigger market for hit singles over albums. Keeping streaming numbers up and algorithms happy can be difficult when it’s a full-length album.
However, there are still music fans who are still hungry for the whole shebang! They want the lore of the album art, little Easter eggs to be found, and songs paying homage to previous albums. Not to mention the rise in demand for tangible music, the limited edition colourful vinyls and beautiful artwork to be framed and hung on walls. It’s as if there are two hungry mouths to feed. Some fans crave a catchy single to be the soundtrack to a particular month and not thought of again.
Others thrive off albums, a full-length record that tells a story or takes the listener on a journey. McAndrew pondered this during his chat with us. “I think, maybe the album is a little bit of a lost art form at this point. it’s a very single-dominated market. But there are still those fans that really like to listen from top down. I want it (Things Are Different Now) to also be regarded as a strong album, and not just a collection of strong songs.”
It’s become more and more commonplace to see multiple releases on albums on vinyl. Sometimes there’s a unique album art on each iteration, or more often than not there are different colour vinyls. Gone are the days of queueing outside the high street music store to pick up a brand-new album and flicking through the little booklet inside the cover. However, as streaming and digital consumption of media rises, slowly so does the demand for the physical again. People may not even have a vinyl player but still collect the different versions of the album being released. The artwork on albums can sometimes be just as big a part of the album’s legacy as the songs are. McAndrew touches on the importance of making the vinyl releases into something special for the fans. “People are hanging up stuff now. We have Frozen and other songs that evoke more icy imagery. So we thought it’d be interesting to do an ice pyramid. We worked with Cameron Burns, he did the art for the last record as well. So shout out to him.”
Often people look to music as a getaway. People find solace in lyrics, the value in an artist’s ability to open up and be vulnerable is cherished by many. Songs touching on sensitive or tough topics can resonate with many and soften the feelings of loneliness. McAndrew echoed these sentiments both as a music fan and an artist himself. “I did have a moment going into this record, I was wondering how I came across. Sometimes being vulnerable, seems like it could be perceived as being weak but I just decided that I don’t care.”
Strong emotions and hard times can feel like the most isolating time in someone’s life. Hearing a stranger write lyrics that resonate with thousands across the globe reiterates the sense of community that comes with music. “I had a moment of doubt, and then I listened to other artists that I really enjoy, I feel like they do the same thing.” A little reminder that those who are creating music, also have their favourite creators and musicians.
Hearing a new album that hits home is always a special feeling, but nothing beats getting to hear the songs live and share them with a crowd. Currently, RAIN CITY DRIVE are touring the US. With this tour, they’re getting to see the impact their latest record is having on their fans. “There was a moment last night where everybody was singing along and had smiles on their faces. It feels like we’re doing something that’s probably a net positive.”
The new record was only released at the end of September and already fans have been able to sing their new favourite songs back word for word. But like all artists, there are those moments of insecurity when releasing music. When it comes to making an album sometimes not everything makes the cut. Often if a song just isn’t at its full potential it has to sit on the backburner before it gets the release it deserves. For example, even a song like WHAM!‘s Careless Whisper was written years before its release! It’s important to remember that perfection takes time. Despite the single driven market it does seem to create a door for deluxe albums, as they’re becoming more and more common. McAndrew hinted at a potential deluxe album that may be down the line. When discussing some tracks, that although were good songs, they just weren’t quite fitting in with the record as a whole. “I would say there are two that didn’t make the cut that will be on a deluxe,” he says. “We’ll probably wind up doing some reimagined versions of the more popular songs as well.”
The rise in popularity of the deluxe albums also allows artists to get creative with pre-existing songs. Releasing reimagined, acoustic and live versions paint older songs in a brand new light or show a different side to them. It also builds trust between artists and fans, allowing that creative freedom to shine through. McAndrew was hopeful that RAIN CITY DRIVE could “win the right to, revisit songs in the future” as their fanbase grows along with them.
Not taking their foot off the gas for a second, RAIN CITY DRIVE is rounding off the year touring Europe with DAYSEEKER. Being a band that has been around slightly longer than RAIN CITY DRIVE, McAndrew speaks about how much he admires them. “I think we look up to them in a lot of ways, we see them as a bit, like our big brother, a couple of grades above us. It’s really inspiring to see what they’ve been able to accomplish.” He goes on to commend their professionalism as a band, and how much he’s looking forward to the tour. “They’re just a nice group of guys and very professional, easy to work with. So yeah, really excited about that!”
Things Are Different Now is out now via Thriller Records.
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