Remo Drive

Remo Drive are a Minnesota band who first became known for merging indie rock with D.I.Y. emo-punk. Inspired by a range of bands like Weezer, Vampire Weekend, the Police, and Title Fight, they were initially associated with the 2010s "emo revival," issuing their debut, Greatest Hits, in 2017. On their next two albums, 2019's Natural, Everyday Degradation and 2020's A Portrait of an Ugly Man, they polished some of their edges and diversified their sound. They took their evolution a step further on 2024's eclectic Mercy, which was produced by Phil Ek. The Bloomington-based group was formed in late 2013 by brothers Erik (vocals/guitar) and Stephen Paulson (bass), who later recruited Sam Mathys as drummer and Zack Cummings as a touring guitarist. They first issued Demos 2014 before releasing the EPs Stay Out Longer (2014) and Wait for the Sun (2015). Their official debut LP, Greatest Hits (Epitaph), arrived in 2017. The home-recorded and self-released set was inspired by Jeff Rosenstock and PUP and featured the single "Yer Killin' Me." In 2018, Mathys parted ways with the band, reducing Remo Drive to a sibling duo with two official members. That same year, they also issued an EP titled Pop Music. In 2019, the group released their sophomore effort, Natural, Everyday Degradation. For this set, the lo-fi fuzz of their debut gave way to a cleaner indie rock attack on tracks such as "Shakin'" and "Separate Beds." Just one year later, Remo Drive released album number three, A Portrait of an Ugly Man, which included the fist-pumping anthem "Star Worship." Over the next few years there was a shift in the group's dynamics as Erik relocated to Albany, New York, while Stephen remained back in Minnesota. After making two records in quick succession, this extended period led to a creative shift as well. For their fourth effort, Remo Drive enlisted Phil Ek (the Shins, Fleet Foxes) to produce. The resulting album, 2024's Mercy, was their most eclectic yet and revealed introspective songwriting and a diverse palette of sonic layers and tones. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi