Fresh Wollongong alternative rock outfit Driftrelease soaring new single Begin just in time for their hometown headline show on June 3.
Swimming in jangly guitar layers and alluring vocal melodies, Begin dives into feelings of heartbreak and the pain of losing someone as an anchor, reflecting on the past and wanting to reclaim the present.
Vocalist Callum McCombie explains, “Begin was written from the depths of that feeling of wanting to hold onto something or someone you love so much that it becomes a detriment. Begin is trying to start again. A new beginning was the end of this period for me, and was a great step towards improving myself and the situation.”
Working with producer and engineer Chris Peruch, Drift fully embrace the sensibility of their shoe gaze and emo influences on Begin, carving out soundscapes that are equal parts powerful and moving for fans of bands like My Bloody Valentine, DIIV and Fiddlehead.
The Begin music video and visual artwork portray the band’s humble beginnings, showcasing a performance aspect where the band are jamming in a homely garage space, juxtaposed against an abstract and chaotic chess match between an angel and the devil. The game ultimately ends in the angels’ favour, depicting the idea that good will prevail. Watch here.
Drift are set to headline a show at Seeker Brewing in Unanderra on June 3 to celebrate the release of their new single, supported by friends in Busted Head Racket and Pictures With Yuki. Tickets are already moving quickly, and are available here. In addition, Drift have also announced they’ll support post-punk band dust on their upcoming et cetera, etc tour in Sydney on June 9, and will have more shows to announce very soon.
Drift is a project that has always set out to create easy listening material with emotional soundscapes. Forming in early 2020, Drift began as the solo shoegaze/emo project for frontman McCombie. Shortly after McCombie started working on music alone, the missing puzzle pieces fell into place when Nelson Thurgate (guitar), Ruben Dragone (drums) and Marley Mondzheyovsky (bass) joined the fold and solidified the outfit as a four-piece.
Drift have since been warmly welcomed into the live music circuit, selling out multiple hometown shows, sharing the stage with fellow Wollongong act TOTTY on a national tour in 2022 as well as showcasing their sound on the Factory Theatre stage at Glider Festival the year before.
The band has been hard at work developing a body of work that will see its release over the course of the year following the positive response from previous single At Last, which saw play on triple jUnearthed, a number of positive Unearthed reviews as well as play on triple j‘s Home and Hosed.
Begin is out today and is streaming everywhere now. Catch it live at Seeker Brewing June 3rd, tickets on sale now.
