Bio

RAIN CITY DRIVE makes vibrant and dynamic alternative rock n’ roll, with strong roots in the post-hardcore subculture and unapologetically ambitious swings into contemporary pop. Described by Distorted Sound Magazine as “a melody machine” and in Metal Hammer as “a band you need to hear,” Rain City Drive builds a musical bridge between heavy riffs and soaring, intimate, earnest pop. 

 

Armed with arena-ready anthems ready-made for long drives, workouts, intimate clubs, and massive festivals alike, the Florida-based group built a reputation as an engaging live act on tours with the likes of Dance Gavin Dance, Our Last Night, Set It Off, From Ashes To New, and Memphis May Fire. 

 

Nearly 700,000 fans around the world listen to the band on Spotify each month. The songs “Talk to a Friend” and “Heavier,” from their 2020 album To Better Days, account for 40 million streams between them alone. “Cutting it Close” from their 2022 self-titled follow-up (released in a deluxe edition with bonus cuts in 2023) quickly cracked the Top 5 on SiriusXM radio’s Octane upon release. 

 

Rain City Drive warps the boundaries between post-hardcore and aggressive melody, hearkening back to the adventurousness of pioneering heavy bands like Linkin Park or, even earlier, Queen. 

 

Rain City Drive came together definitively in 2019. The story of the group’s formation is one of serendipity, creative synergy, brotherhood, and strength through perseverance against all obstacles.

 

Bassist Colin Vieira cut his teeth making records and touring in an earlier incarnation, one that collaborated with guests from likeminded acts like Pierce The Veil and Underoath. Guitarist Weston Richmond, drummer Zachary Baker and guitarist Felipe Sanchez were next to join. Together they cracked the Billboard 200 and saw the world. Things changed decisively during a UK tour, when they turned to a friend-of-a-friend as an emergency fill-in singer, and he became their new frontman.

 

Singer Matt McAndrew’s voice, charisma, and charm were exactly what Colin, Weston, Zachary, and Felipe needed to continue pursuing their dreams as artists and musicians. A finalist on NBC’s mega-popular reality competition show, The Voice, Matt was coached by none other than Adam Levine (of multiplatinum hitmakers Maroon 5) and became the seventh season’s runner-up.  

 

McAndrew got on a plane from Los Angeles to the UK without fully knowing the band’s setlist. It was a gamble for all involved, but one that paid off in a big way. Their fateful coming together occurred in Manchester, aka “Rain City,” birthplace of The Buzzcocks, The Smiths, Joy Division, and Oasis. 

 

They christened themselves Rain City Drive, in tribute to their debut performance.

 

To Better Days, an album full of songs about relationships, reflection, and Hope, captured the group’s newfound attitude much the same as their new moniker—an endless drive to find the light in the darkness. On the adventurous Rain City Drive and beyond, the group’s spirit of resilience connects with fans old and new, resonating deeply with all who struggle and find the will to push forward. 

“The self-titled record sees them head in a more melody-driven direction,” wrote Metal Hammer. “Fusing slick pop sensibilities with searing metal to create a sound ready to blow the roof off arenas.”