We have reviewed The Driver Era’s latest album, Obsession, and spoke with Rocky Lynch about the making of the album and what is next for the duo.
The Driver Era released Obsession earlier this month and we have been obsessed with it ever since (pardon the pun). Brothers, Ross and Rocky Lynch, released a few singles in the run up to their fourth studio album that I’d say capture the vibe perfectly.
The album showcases the duo’s dynamic sound with rock and electro-pop elements, there is truly a song that everybody would enjoy. Each song has its own infectious groovy rhythm and many of them sound very 1970s. 70s vibes are definitely making a comeback through current music and I’m here for it!
Ross told People.com that writing Obsession was like having a “musical diary”. You can certainly feel that when listening to the songs, the sound is mature and the songs delve into love, habits and self-improvement.
Spanning over 11 bold tracks, Obsession has definitely solidified itself as my favourite album of the year so far. The Driver Era have such a unique sound and no matter what else I listen to, I always find myself coming back to hit shuffle on their discography.
As well as releasing this highly-anticipated album, Ross and Rocky are set to resume their extensive tour next month. This leg of the tour will take the band across Mexico, South America and cities all over the States. If you fancy hearing Obsession live you can secure tickets here.
I also had the privilege of asking one half of The Driver Era duo, Rocky, a few questions about the album and what’s next for the band.
Congratulations on the release of Obsession! I absolutely love it! It’s been an eagerly anticipated album amongst your fanbase. How does it feel to finally have released it?
It feels great to have it out. I’m excited for the deluxe to hit streaming. Some of my favorite tracks are on there 🙂
What was the writing/creative process like for this album? How long have you been sitting on it?
Usually when we work on an album we pop around to different demos and see what we’re vibing in that moment and start rounding out that track or vibe. Sometimes you have to be in a similar situation emotionally to even start messing with a specific song again. I think the earliest track on the album is Everybody’s Lover, which is 2019 I believe.
How many songs did you originally write for Obsession? Did you have to narrow it down and if so, how did you choose the songs?
Our process is kinda strange. We probably have 30-40 songs that started raising their hand. But some of those songs just end up being not the right time or moment. I would say 5-10 of those songs actually end up coming out at some point. Loadstone diaries could have 30 tracks on it.
You’ve also collaborated with Fern on a track called The Weekend (which may actually be my favourite!), it’s a great song! How was working with Fern? Has this collab been in the works for a while?
Yeah, we’ve known Fern for a while. We did that one with Nick from Walk The Moon as well. We also wrote Everybody’s Lover with Fern.
Thinking about future projects, are there any other artists that you’d like to collab with?
Yes. I think there should be way more collabs and just working with more people throughout LA when we are there. Obsession I think was the start of that. There are songs where Ross and I did heavy lifting. And then there are some where we were just hitting the studio a good amount with some close friends and talented people.
Did you have any musical influences whilst creating this album?
No lol.
You have been singing a few of the songs on your current tour, which is named after the album. Which song has been your favourite to sing live?
I’d Rather Die is a hit live. Would love to do a live version very soon.
You have the next leg of the tour coming up at the end of the month. Will you be seeing which songs become the fan favourites and adding those to the setlist?
Yeah usually we like to play whatever songs go off live, whether they are old or new. Also we love trying to have 2-3 different ones each night as well.
Speaking of favourites… Which song is your favourite from Obsession and why?
My favorite right now is Tried which is on the deluxe.
As I mentioned you are currently on tour and the tour doesn’t finish until mid-July. What’s the plan for after July? Can your fans expect anything else from you guys this year?
Right after a major release like this my palate is usually cleansed and wanting so much more. So will be hitting the studio during the rest of this tour and immediately after. I just finished building this new desk soooooo :)))))
Take a look at our other photography from The Driver Era shows here.
Photo credit – Freya Murgatroyd
We cannot WAIT to hear the deluxe version of Obsession! We hope it gets released asap but in the meantime we’ll of course be streaming the album back to back.
You can listen to Obsession here. If you’d like to see Ross and Rocky live, you can find tickets here.
Image source of featured image.
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