Rain City Drive: Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

RAIN CITY DRIVE are rebuilding themselves from the ground up; as the doors close on their time as SLAVES US, the collective have salvaged the very best from the wreckage and are dead-set on what the future holds. Armed with a new name, new vocalist and a sparkling new album, RAIN CITY DRIVE are returning in a phoenix-like blaze of pop-tinged post-hardcore. We sat down for a chat with Matt McAndrew, the new voice of the band, to discuss the challenges of joining a pre-existing outfit, cutting ties with your past and the evolutionary push for a new sound.

“At first it was just ‘can you fill in for this thing?’ I didn’t really have time to think. I had, like, 48 hours before I got on a flight,” Matt laughs. And that was it – the foundations of what would eventually become RAIN CITY DRIVE had been laid. Despite the chaotic nature of the set-up, there’s no denying that the pairing was an act of fate. “I’d never heard of them before, and vice versa. And we really quickly discovered that there was kind of something cool there.”

When considering Matt’s history, his role in the band feels even more chaotic. Rising to fame through appearing on the US version of The Voice, it originally seemed like he’d be having a career as a solo pop-rock artist, not taking over the role of vocalist in a post-hardcore collective. But there’s no denying that he fits the bill. “I was in a few bands growing up, so being in a band isn’t totally new for me and, in a way, it’s kind of fun to move from the solo thing back into a band. It’s like I’ve done the ‘vocalist solo’ move in reverse, almost. And if I do decide to do more solo stuff, there’ll be no alarms going off, everyone thinking ‘oh god, he’s going solo!’”

However, despite how easily Matt seemed to slot into place, the task of being a band’s new vocalist is never an easy feat. “Even when I think of bands that I love, I know that, as a fan, it would be super difficult to get to grips with a lead singer change,” Matt admits. “We’re happy to be like, ‘hey, if you’re a fan of the old stuff it’s there, and you can listen to it – but if you like the new stuff that’s over here, that’s also great!’”

The switch-up also allows a sense of everyone being a founding member, rather than Matt being the new kid on the block. “When you’re stepping into something that has a history that you’re that you’re not a part of, it’s sort of a strange feeling,” Matt says. “But now, we’re all in it together. You’re not dealing with anybody else’s history, or reputation, or anything else. It’s a fresh start for us.”

So, how did the guys decide on the new name? Well, there were a few options – some more questionable than others. “I went through maybe, like, 1000 different name options,” Matt reflects. He lists a few, claiming his worst ideas being Magpies and Infant Hercules (a band name that you would 100% see as the support on a LESS THAN JAKE tour poster). “It’s so hard naming something – and you get to a certain point where you realize that almost all names are bad.” He laughs as he ponders what actually makes a good band name; “Like RADIOHEAD. I was like, ‘obviously that’s a great name’, but then I was like, ‘…is it?’ Like, what if there was a band called, like, StereoHead? That would be stupid, right? You kind of make the name good by being a good band.”

RAIN CITY DRIVE ended up being the best of the bunch – and one that harks back to the fateful day that Matt was asked to fill in for the guys on tour. “We always joke that we’re a UK-based band, because we played that first show together over in Manchester. Of course, Manchester is ‘Rain City’,” he laughs, “and I think the drive is sort of, like, motivation. We can have that rain cloud over our heads, but we can keep on persevering.”

The self-titled RAIN CITY DRIVE album plays with many different genres – again, confirming that the band are moving forward, innovating and forging a new sound for themselves. Tracks like Psycho in particular are coated with a Matt-like sheen of pop-sensibility, a track you could envision thumping in a club. Matt also takes a moment to mention Ophelia, explaining how he “tried to base it off of Arthur Rimbaud’s poem Ophelia”. Lyrically, Matt’s inspirations are rich; “I grew up being really obsessed with Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison. And that’s how I got into lyric and song writing. So I think I’m just trying to get all my inspiration out – like, let’s see how much I can fit into this project. I just want us to put all the influences and  all the inspiration on the table! See how much of it we can cram into this thing, you know?”

So, make sure to tune in to our favourite ‘UK-based’ band. The band’s first release under their new name, the self-titled RAIN CITY DRIVE, is out now – and it’s a definite push outwards, toying with diverse sounds and vibes that will keep you on your toes. Make sure to dig in!

Rain City Drive is out now via Thriller Records.

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