Time Spent Driving, an emotive indie-rock band from the SF Bay Area, emerged in 1999, shaping the "real" emo scene. With standout releases like "Just Enough Bright" in 2002, produced by J Robbins, they garnered a dedicated fan base through US and Europe tours and featured on video game soundtracks. Reuniting in 2012, they continue their musical journey with acclaimed albums like "Passed and Presence" in 2015, now signed with Negative Progression Records for their upcoming release, "Estrangers," slated for November 2023.
Lost Leaves is the fourth full-length from Santa Cruz emo/indie-rock veterans Time Spent Driving, out August 21 via Thirty Something Records. Produced by Olav Tabatabai and Jon Cattivera, it's a sharper, more focused record about climbing out of a dark stretch and into a new outlook — led by the double single "Weak Arm" / "December."
Time Spent Driving, known for their iconic emo sound from the late 90s/early 2000s, is set to release their new LP "Estrangers" on November 3rd via Negative Progression Records. The upcoming album showcases the band's evolved trademark sound, offering a blend of moody and dynamic tracks that appeal to both existing fans of the genre and new listeners who appreciate introspective lyricism. Frontman Jon Cattivera's conscious shift towards a more stripped-down and raw songwriting style for "Estrangers" reflects a mature yet adventurous approach to delivering emotional storytelling in a refreshing manner.
SANTA CRUZ, CA — Veterans of the late '90s and early 2000s emo and indie rock scene Time Spent Driving have released their new single “She’s the One,” the latest preview of their forthcoming fourth full-length, Lost Leaves, due August 21 via Thirty Something Records. Stream the single below.
Following the introspective first singles “Weak Arm” and “December,” “She’s the One” reveals another side of Lost Leaves. Brighter, punchier, and built for the stage, the song looks back at the intensity of first love with the perspective that only comes from time.
“‘She’s the One’ was another song that just poured out,” says singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter Jon Cattivera. “I wanted to do something more upbeat and energetic, especially in a live setting. A lot of our early material was about relationships before settling down, so I wanted to go back in time—way back in time. It's a song about puppy love and first loves, and how intense and important they feel in the moment, but that they never really would have worked. In the end, that's for the better, because you eventually land exactly where you're supposed to be with the person who's meant for you.”
The song came together just as naturally as its subject matter.
“I already had the bulk of the music,” Cattivera explains, “so I came up with a ton of lyrics while driving up to Tahoe for a snow trip. I wanted to get as many ideas down as possible, so I'd jot them into my Notes app as they came to me. My wife and I also took a trip to Austin while I was finishing it up, so I brought my iPad and kept fine-tuning it in GarageBand between eating at great restaurants, going to breweries, shopping, and hanging with some of my good buds in Pop Unknown.”
The recording also features one of the album's standout guest performances.
“My buddy Marc Allen from Counterfit, Helen Earth Band, and Finch recorded guest vocals on it,” says Cattivera. “He went hard on the harmonies at a pitch I'd have trouble reaching, so it was really cool hearing another voice woven into the song when almost everything on our previous records was just me all the time.”
Check out their outstanding new single below.
RIYL: Texas is the Reason, Jimmy Eat World, Pop Unknown, The Promise Ring, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Appleseed Cast
Santa Cruz emo and indie-rock mainstays Time Spent Driving — active on and off since 1998 — have shared the video for "Weak Arm," one half of a new double single alongside "December." Both tracks arrive July 15, the same day pre-orders open for the band's fourth full-length, Lost Leaves, out August 21 via Thirty Something Records.
"Weak Arm" finds singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter Jon Cattivera writing about the people who quietly hold you back. "'Weak Arm' is inspired by anyone in your life that's holding you back from your dreams or slowing you down," he says. "Whether it's a family member, a friend, or a business relationship, I firmly believe you create your own reality."
Watch the video below, and pre-save/pre-order Lost Leaves here.
Time Spent Driving have shared “The Red Dress,” the final single from their new full-length Lost Leaves, out this Friday, August 21. Another standout from the record, the track is a strong example of the band’s melodic 2nd wave emo sound, built on layered and soaring guitar melodies that hearken back to early Jimmy Eat World, The Appleseed Cast, Christie Front Drive and Texas Is the Reason, while still sounding fresh and current and incorporating some of the broader sonic textures associated with 2010s bands like Moving Mountains.
The song has roots going back to around 2008, when an early version was first written but never finished. The band returned to it while working on Lost Leaves, rewriting most of the track and turning it into something new.
Lyrically, “The Red Dress” was inspired by a trip to Seattle and a failed attempt to catch a sold-out Rocky Votolato show. The darkly affectionate idea imagines the terrible timing of dying on the walk home and losing someone after everything a couple has been through together.
The track also features guest vocals from Chris Wicky of Swiss rock band Favez, a longtime friend of Time Spent Driving from the bands’ touring days.
Lost Leaves arrives Friday, August 21.