Rain City Drive are on the brink of a long-awaited milestone. This March marks the band’s first-ever Australian tour under their current name- a significant moment for a group that has lived several musical lives. While all members previously toured Australia as part of Slaves, this run of shows further represents their fresh chapter and refined sound.
This momentum is closely tied to their 2024 record Things Are Different Now, one that not only reflects personal growth but also signals a shift in confidence for the band. Reflecting on the release, frontman Matt McAndrew explains that the aim was never about chasing trends, but about making something that felt cohesive and honest. “I think the goal was always to deliver a solid record overall… I think “Medicate Me” was really big for us and the fact that we did the collaboration with Rory [Rodriguez] and Dayseeker was great… I feel like it just lined up sonically and vibe-wise with some of the quote-unquote baddie-core stuff that’s been going on. And at the time, it was something that felt right to me, felt right to us.”
This instinct paid off, with “Medicate Me”, featuring Dayseeker, quickly becoming the album’s breakout track, pulling in huge streaming numbers and introducing Rain City Drive to a broader audience. According to McAndrew, the response was immediate and undeniable, even during the album’s final stages. “Everybody thought “Medicate Me” was strong, but we started to have people come into the studio while we were wrapping up the record and that was one that people would be like, ‘wait a minute, play that one again’. And we’re like, ‘but check out this, check out this.’, but they were like, ‘yeah, I wanna hear that first one again.’”
Despite its success, McAndrew is quick to point that streaming numbers don’t always tell the full story of a record’s emotional roots. One of his personal favourites didn’t even make the singles list. “I mean, my favourite song from the record is a song called “Elusive Dream”. It wasn’t a single, I don’t think it should have been a single, but I do think it’s one of the best songs that we’ve done and I’m super proud of it. I keep thinking that maybe I’ll just start posting a TikTok of me, like, eating breakfast with that in the background. Just slowly start trying to build some “Elusive Dream” awareness.” He semi-jokes.
The album’s title, Things Are Different Now, also carries a deeper meaning for Rain City Drive. Rooted in reinvention and cautious optimism, McAndrew describes the thought process behind it as both reflective and forward-looking. “The thought process behind it was that we liked the vibe of To Better Days as a title, being almost like a cheers… When the group of us got together initially and established Rain City Drive, all of us started over to get this new thing off the ground… going into this recent record, we were just at the cusp of being slightly more comfortable when it came to touring and just feeling that momentum where things are maybe different now… so that was the sentiment- things are looking up.”
This upward momentum is carrying the band across the globe. While this is Rain City Drive’s first Australian tour, local audiences are already paying attention- we’re here, and we’re ready to show up. “The one that we have to lean on is just the Spotify analytics and who knows how much that’s worth? But sometimes we see that all of our top cities are cities in Australia, so that seems like a good sign.”
McAndrew’s enthusiasm for returning to Australia is unmistakable. Having visited just once before, he’s eager to reconnect with the culture and crowds- even if there are firm boundaries with certain traditions. On the topic of shoeys, he says, “It’s never going to happen in a million years.” Still, his affection for Australian audiences runs deep. “I’ve only ever been there one other time and I really enjoyed it. I feel like Americans and Australians are the most similar ex-British people. There’s a certain charm and charisma and attitude. And you guys are the more health-conscious, fit, tanned Americans. You got a certain kind of moxie about you and as an American I’m like, ‘yeah, you know, I like it.’”
Preparing to finally take the stage as Rain City Drive on Australian soil, the pressure is off and the band is in full-on celebration mode, ready to bring their biggest and best to our local stages. The songs are connecting, the crowds are waiting and for a band that’s worked hard to rebuild from the ground up, things really are different now.
With special guests TX2 and Melrose Avenue in tow, Rain City Drive’s Aussie tour will kick off on Friday March 6th in Melbourne, followed by Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
RAIN CITY DRIVE
with special guests TX2 & Melrose Avenue
Friday 6th March – 170 Russell – Melbourne
Saturday 7th March – Metro Theatre – Sydney
Sunday 8th March – Triffid – Brisbane
Wednesday 11th March – The Gov – Adelaide
Friday 13th March – Magnet House – Perth
Tickets are still available for all dates, click HERE to grab yours
Header supplied by PR.
