Driving in the Dark – Sounds of Oz

On a gloomy day in a week that seems far too long, Driving in the Dark, the new EP from East Coast act Columbus is the perfect punky pick-me-up. This three-piece band has punk-pop down to a fine art. Combining a nostalgia for the genre’s glory days of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s with a fresh perspective, I can’t get enough.

The five-track EP starts with recent singles “Temporary Summer”, “Full Heart”, and “Pain is a Mirror” bringing new fans up to speed and reminding those of us who’ve been on the bandwagon for months just how good this music is. Things take a little left turn with “The Holiday,” with the band trading in the electric guitars for acoustic ones. It’s still got the band’s trademark energy, but it’s delivered with more sweetness. I love when the band is full throttle, but it’s exciting to hear them working with a different gear. Columbus cranks it up for the EP’s closer “Care About You”. It’s anthemic and glorious, the perfect final impression.

“I wrote the Driving in the Dark EP about learning how to love – my life, others, and myself,” frontman Alex Moses explained. “With each release we’re adding to the fire what Columbus means to us. This EP represents where we’re at right now. It’s been a wild time driving in the dark, but I think we’ve finally arrived.”

Driving in the Dark is out now. Columbus will play the following shows next month to support its release.

9 April 2022 – Crowbar, Sydney
14 April 2022 – The Brightside, Brisbane
17 April 2022 – North Gong, Wollongong
29 April 2022 – Fat Controller, Adelaide
30 April 2022 – Stay Gold, Melbourne

Images used with permission from Habit Music

Columbus lay their emotions bare with their latest single “Full Heart.” It’s got a great indie rock sound reminiscent of the Foo Fighters or Eskimo Joe (perhaps unsurprising as Joel Quartermain worked on the track). It might rock hard, but the lyrics reveal the band’s soft side. They’re brimming with hope and optimism, delivering a refreshingly pure take on the search for love.

“’Full Heart’ is a song about trying to find love in the dark,” explained Columbus frontman and guitarist Alex Moses. “You know how you feel, but you don’t know where to look. The song was one of those songs that took years to write. I had the main chorus and was really excited to finish it, but ironically I didn’t know where else it should go. The track went through 2-3 versions of different lyrics, I showed the band but ultimately it didn’t make the cut for our recording sessions in 2020. I re-wrote the lyrics again in early 2021, and knew I’d found what I wanted to say.”

Columbus had big plans for 2021, including a tour with Stand Atlantic, but COVID had other ideas. However, 2022 is already seeming brighter. The band’s new EP Driving in the Dark, the long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s A Hot Take on Heartbreak and their first collection of songs with their new line-up, drops on March 24. The band also has the following shows scheduled, and hopefully there’ll be more to come. Get amongst it!

31 March 2022 – The Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong (with Sly Withers)
9 April 2022 – Crowbar, Sydney

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.

Tag: Driving in the Dark

“Driving in the Dark” – Columbus

You’ll Fall For Columbus’ “Full Heart”