New Artist Spotlight

Scrolling through Instagram, lost in the nothingness of social media I got an ad for a new attic rock band. Usually, I swipe past any ad without hesitation but when hovering over Arcy Drives 2023 tour dates I realized I was listening to a song that felt like it was made for me. The whole sound reeking of passion and fun. I investigated their Instagram further to find that not only are they talented but look like cool people and a freaking blast! 

There’s little information out there about the band considering they’re starting out but with 406K monthly listeners on Spotify and an audience packed U.S. tour they’re certainly not doing bad. A month ago they only had 200K listeners. The band consists of guitar player and vocalist, Nick Mateyunas, drummer, Brooke Tuozzo, guitarist, Austin Jones, and bassist, Patrick Helrigel, aka Helzi. All in their early 20s, they are on the road for the first time and certainly not the last.

The fluttering, empowered vocals over a pounding drum roll leaves the listener wanting to go find the end of the closest horizon. I can hear the essence of inspiration from artists like Briston Maroney, Wallows, Rex Orange County and Arctic Monkeys. “Roll My Stone”, their top song, has gotten 3,953,198 streams since its release in July of 2022.

Songs like “Roll My Stone” and “They Don’t Dance” are their popular songs that make people want to jump to their feet, but the true heart of the band is in songs like “Black Widow” and “Haley’s”. If you’re looking to feel a song emotionally come to life, these two are the way to go. Mateyunas found a way to get that silky soulful sound without pulling a full Satchmo.

“Haley is sort of a real person lol. I was comparing somebody I used to be with to Haley’s comet. Something so amazing that you only catch for a short period of time.” Mateyunas said, “It’s sort of an after the fact song about a person who I felt was too far gone, the lyric ‘missing love from a space girl, so far and out of my world’ pretty much sums up how I was feeling when writing the tune.” A listener can hear the honesty and beauty behind the words.  

These must be some of the most hardworking people to create with such melodic synergy. They are so inspiring I immediately had to sit down on my computer and share their music with anyone I could get to listen to. If I can get even one person to listen to them from this article, then I will be fulfilling my duty as a music lover. 

The best song off of their album “Attic Sessions” has to be “Black Widow”. The drizzling words drip over the electrics wavy blue signature. 

“ ‘Black widow’ is about the same person [as ‘Haley’s’]. Sort of the same storyline but in a darker tone. I was sitting outside writing about this person in the grass and everything seemed vague to me.” Mateyunas said, “I noticed this spider close to me and decided to compare her to this spider, I began drawing comparisons and the writing flowed pretty quickly. Personally, I think this song is my best writing.” I couldn’t agree more. 

Arcy Drive getting popular seems so inevitable. Their marketing and Instagram do a remarkable job of driving identity into the band from Brooks Skeleton tattoo to Nick’s hot sauce addiction. Mateyunas said, “We were friends prior to the band, so being on the road together is just one big party.” With a knack for losing their shoes and a polaroid collection rivaling most, this invigorated group is on the track to success.