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Remo Drive

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Remo Drive
Remo Drive performing in Montreal, Quebec in 2019
Background information
OriginBloomington, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres
Years active2013 (2013)–present
LabelsEpitaph
Members
  • Erik Paulson
  • Stephen Paulson
Past members
  • Sam Mathys
  • Austin Voigt
  • Braeden Keenan
Websitewww.remodriveband.com

Remo Drive is an American rock band from Bloomington, Minnesota.[1] They are currently signed to Epitaph Records. They released their first full length album titled Greatest Hits on March 16, 2017. Their second studio album Natural, Everyday Degradation was released on May 31, 2019. Their third, A Portrait of an Ugly Man, was released on June 26, 2020. Their fourth, Mercy, was released on February 23, 2024.

History

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Remo Drive began in 2013. Brothers Erik and Stephen Paulson were in high school when they saw kids wearing Title Fight shirts. They both got into the band and decided they wanted to make music like them. The band started recording demos in 2013, also known as EP 1. They met their drummer Sam Mathys when Stephen was in a different band with him and asked if he wanted to jam with them. Later in 2014 they started releasing a collection of songs on Bandcamp under the title Demos 2014. This was the band's first time recording with Mathys including EPs such as Away and Stay Out Longer.[2] The band got its name when bassist Stephen Paulson decided to incorporate the drum brand, Remo, into a band name.[3] In 2015 Mathys left the band due to creative differences, and Austin Voigt filled in for him. That same year, Remo Drive released an EP titled Wait For The Sun on Lost State Records. Also in 2015, Remo Drive released splits with the bands Unturned[2] and Weathered prior to releasing their 7" single Breathe In / Perfume on Really Rad Records and Endless Bummer Records in November. In early 2016 Voigt left the band due to personal hardship, and Mathys rejoined the band. In March 2016 they began working on their first LP.[4] In March 2017, Remo Drive self-released their first full-length album, Greatest Hits, featuring tracks "Yer Killin Me", "Art School", and "Crash Test Rating".

In early 2018, Mathys announced on social media that he had been removed as a member of Remo Drive in December 2017.

In February 2018, the band announced that they had signed with Epitaph Records. This announcement came alongside the release of a single, Blue Ribbon, from their EP Pop Music, which was released on March 9.[5][6][7]

In late August 2018, Remo Drive announced that they were planning on recording a new album that December. On April 22, 2019, the band released a double A-side single, "Two Bux/The Grind," ahead of their sophomore effort Natural, Everyday Degradation on May 31.

In May of that year, Erik Paulson announced that he hid promo CDs of the next single around Twin Cities, Minnesota, before releasing "Around the Sun" as a single on May 14.

In late 2019, Remo Drive posted on social media that they were working on their third album, A Portrait of an Ugly Man, which was properly announced on April 28, 2020 for a June release, along with the first single, "Star Worship" on the same day. Two other singles were released, "Ode to Joy 2" on May 18, 2020 and "A Flower and a Weed" on June 17, 2020. The album released on June 26, 2020, along with another single "Easy as That".

Musical style

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Remo Drive's earlier work is typically described as emo[8][9][10][11] that incorporates elements of pop punk, dance punk, post-hardcore, and in some tracks/recordings grunge and punk rock. The group has also self described themselves as emo and associated themselves with the emo revival.[12] In recent years, the group has progressed into a more indie rock inspired sound with influence from power pop, indie pop, alternative rock, classic rock, and hard rock. The band has listed a number of acts as influences including Title Fight, The Police, PUP, Jeff Rosenstock, Vampire Weekend, Weezer, The Strokes, The Smiths, Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys.[13]

Personnel

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Current official members

  • Erik Paulson – vocals, guitar (2013–present)
  • Stephen Paulson – bass (2013–present)

Studio members

  • Sam Becht – drums, percussion (live, 2018–present; studio, 2019–present)

Former members

  • Sam Mathys – drums, percussion (2013–2014, 2016–2018)
  • Austin Voigt – drums, percussion (2014–2016)

Touring members

  • Dane Folie – guitar (2019–present)

Former touring members

  • Zack Cummings – guitar (2016–2019)
  • Braeden Keenan – drums, percussion (2016, 2018)
  • Lee Tran – saxophone, synthesizer, tambourine (2017–2019)
  • William J Leach – guitar (2019)

Discography

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Studio albums

[edit]
Title Album details
Greatest Hits
Natural, Everyday Degradation
  • Released: May 31, 2019
  • Label: Epitaph
  • Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming
A Portrait of an Ugly Man
  • Released: June 26, 2020
  • Label: Epitaph
  • Format: LP, digital download, streaming
Mercy
  • Released: February 23, 2024
  • Label: Epitaph
  • Format: LP, digital download, streaming

Compilation albums

[edit]
Title Compilation album details
Demos 2014
  • Released: December 24, 2014
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

EPs

[edit]
Title EP details
Remo Drive EP 1
  • Released: November 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Away (version 1)
  • Released: March 2014
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, digital download
Away (version 2)
  • Released: April 2014
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Stay Out Longer
  • Released: August 13, 2014
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, digital download
Wait for the Sun
  • Released: May 1, 2015
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, cassette, digital download
Pop Music
  • Released: March 9, 2018
  • Label: Epitaph
  • Format: 7", digital download, streaming
Natural, Everyday Extended Play
  • Released: October 1, 2019
  • Label: Epitaph
  • Format: 7", digital download, streaming

Split EPs

[edit]
Title Split EP details
Remo Drive // Unturned (with Unturned)
  • Released: February 14, 2015
  • Label: Rolling Green
  • Format: Cassette, digital download
Weathered // Remo Drive (with Weathered)
  • Released: March 1, 2015
  • Label: Rolling Green, Endless Bummer
  • Format: 10", cassette, digital download

Live EPs

[edit]
Title Live EP details
Remo Drive on Audiotree Live
  • Released: August 24, 2017
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

Bootlegs

[edit]
Title Bootleg details
Songs I Think Rock[14]
  • Released: March 17, 2019
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

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Title Year Album
"Rainman" / "Stable" 2013 Non-album singles
"Pulp Friction"
"My Good Friend Is a Pro Sk8er"[a] 2014 Stay Out Longer
"Breathe In" / "Perfume" 2015 Non-album singles
"Lookin' Under the Tree" 2016
"Yer Killin' Me" 2017 Greatest Hits
"Crash Test Rating"
"Eat Shit"
"Art School"
"Blue Ribbon" 2018 Pop Music
"Two Bux" / "The Grind" 2019 Natural, Everyday Degradation
"Around the Sun"
"Nearly Perfect" Natural, Everyday Extended Play
"Shakin'" (Erik Paulson mix) Natural, Everyday Degradation
"Star Worship" 2020 A Portrait of an Ugly Man
"Ode to Joy 2"
"A Flower and a Weed"
"No, There's No Hope for You" 2023 Mercy
"New in Town"
"Mercy" 2024
"All You'll Ever Catch"

Music videos

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Song Year Director
"Heartstrings" 2015 Erik Paulson & Faith Christensen
"Lookin' Under the Tree" 2016 Unknown
"Yer Killin' Me" 2017 Lee Tran & Erik Paulson
"Crash Test Rating" Trevor Sweeney
"Eat Shit" Lee Tran & Erik Paulson
"Art School" John Mark
"I'm My Own Doctor"
"Blue Ribbon" 2018
"Around the Sun" 2019 Adam Peditto
"Romeo" Olive Lagace
"Star Worship" 2020 Remo Drive
"Ode to Joy 2" Unknown
"Easy as That"
"No, There's No Hope for You" 2023 James Kerr
"New in Town" Sydney Ostrander
"Mercy" 2024
"All You'll Ever Catch" Andy Grund

Notes

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  1. ^ Listed as "My Good Friend Is a Pro Skater" on the Demos 2014 compilation album.

References

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  1. ^ Cristo, Joe. "Minneapolis emo brand, Remo Drive, garners local acclaim". Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b Diamond, Peter. "You can't spell Remo Drive without 'emo', but this band likes Sting too". City Pages. Archived from the original on 2017-04-09. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  3. ^ Remo Drive Interview. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-09.
  4. ^ Fugger, Scott. "Remo Drive: A Band Reborn". 36vultures. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  5. ^ Crawford, Sean (26 March 2017). "Remo Drive: Greatest Hits (2017)". Punknews. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Remo Drive: Greatest Hits". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  7. ^ Lemus, Nicolas. "Remo Drive's Greatest Hits delivers a momentous debut". The Bates Student. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  8. ^ Diamond, Peter. "You can't spell Remo Drive without 'emo', but this band likes Sting too - City Pages". City Pages.
  9. ^ Punknews.org (26 March 2017). "Remo Drive - Greatest Hits". www.punknews.org.
  10. ^ "Remo Drive - Greatest Hits (album review ) - Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com.
  11. ^ "Remo Drive: A Band Reborn - 36vultures". 21 March 2017.
  12. ^ Rosean, Sam (7 February 2017). "Remo Drive Interview: Talking The Needle Drop, Emo Music, & Minnesota". Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Interview with Remo Drive!". 2 April 2017.
  14. ^ Remo Drive (2019-03-17), Songs I Think Rock - Remo Drive [2019], retrieved 2021-06-14