Formed by two high school friends bent on traveling the country playing folk music together, New York Americana outfit Driftwood has turned into one of the hardest-working, original bands in the business.
With three people sharing in the vocal and songwriting duties, there are certainly some elements reminiscent of other multi-singer bands such as Fleetwood Mac. But it’s very apparent they have no interest in emulating, the focus seems to be purely on creation.
In 2019 the band had just released their 5th studio album, Tree of Shade, when Covid shut everything down. “For the 10 years prior to the shutdown, my life had revolved around Driftwood and life on the road. I wasn’t only out of a job, but also having a bit of an identity crisis. I had just become a mother and now my career was on hold for an indefinite amount of time. After reality set in however, it became clear that we as a band needed this break.” Says Byrne. “After things started to open up, we started getting together and playing again. We picked up right where we had left off as friends and as co-workers. The songs and musicianship had evolved and mature and so had we. We began work on a new album, December, Last Call. These songs are a snapshot of us over the last few years. They are a reflection on life, past, present and future. They portray a group of great friends who have continued to evolve together and separately over more than 15 years.”
“I’m struck by the gratitude that making music with my best friends/my other family brings,” says guitarist/songwriter Joe Kollar. “Laying out some of your most intimate moments and showing the rawest version of yourself is both scary and exhilarating but more importantly, it reminds you why you chose music as the vehicle. It’s the ’66 Corvette that will always take me back to the beauty and power of a group of people setting out to make something together.”
After two years of starts and stops, a few Covid scares, one scrapped attempt at recording live and lots of late nights spent in the basement studio where Kollar and Forsyth grew up making music, they finished recording their next project, which is due out in early 2024.
Today Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of “December Last Call,” the first single and title track from the upcoming body of work. With a stomping folk-rock sound laced with vibrant fiddle, the song finds the band having some fun and letting loose after a couple too many drinks during a night out. Indeed, this is the kind of big-hearted roots rocker that is meant to be cranked up. The song finds the band locked into a swelling sound that can definitely fill a room, reminiscent of acts like Trampled By Turtles and Dr. Dog.
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2 Responses
Another Perfect.. ✌️💕🎶
absolutely love this song. been following them for years and it’s great to see them evolve without losing their core sound. plus drums. love the drums.