Time Spent Driving Releasing First Album Since 2015

10-31-2023

(Earshot) Pioneers of the late 90s/early 2000s legendary emo scene, Time Spent Driving's upcoming LP, "Estrangers" (out November 3rd on Negative Progression Records) is a varied journey through the dark corners of the human condition. Expansive, moody, and dynamic, the Santa Cruz, CA band never loses sight of its trademark sound, but it's one that's evolved over the years and is always taking on new challenges. The band has always been known for its lyrical prowess, but the latest material reaches new heights when it comes to painting a picture in the mind of the listener. With a brutally honest approach, "Estrangers" manages to deliver some of the best hallmarks of the genre to both satiate the act's loyal fanbase and engage new listeners.

Frontman Jon Cattivera says, "On our last album, we had a lot of catching up to do, so we intentionally let things breathe and build, resulting in some often long-winded songs where it made sense. To counter that, I went into the follow-up with a loose goal to write with a more stripped-down and raw approach that might yield something on the shorter and sweeter side. We definitely still integrate our atmospheric tendencies on certain tracks but kept production a little simpler in many cases, perhaps as a nod to some of our earliest work. I just didn't want to overthink it, and as a result, we went as far as abandoning any bridges on several tracks where it really wasn't necessary. "Not Just Ink" doesn't even have a chorus. All of this being said, the ironic part is that it took far too long to write and record. Turns out multiple band members having babies, demanding work schedules, and this little thing called Covid will throw you off a bit."

About Time Spent Driving:

Formed in 1999 in the SF Bay Area, Time Spent Driving's brand of emotive indie-rock helped to define the era of what many today would call "real" emo.

In 2000, they released their 6-song debut "Walls Between Us", followed by their phenomenal full-length "Just Enough Bright" in 2002 (Produced by J Robbins). Their music has been released and distributed on Sessions, Doghouse, Deep Elm, Rise, Cardigan, and Lorelei Records. The band gained a loyal following by touring the US and Europe relentlessly, and being featured on Xbox video games "Amp'd Snowboarding" and "Transworld Surf," soundtracks. They went on an untimely haitus 2003, briefly reconvening in 2005 to release "I'm Your Stab in the Back", a collection of 7 new songs plus bonus tracks. In 2012 they reformed and put out a new full-length album entitled "Passed and Presence in 2015 with glowing reviews. They've since signed with Negative Progression Records and are set to release their new full-length, "Estrangers", in November 2023.