Picture a band with punk-rock, pop, metal and emo influences crammed into a Ferrari racing down the highway...and the car is on fire. That would be Winnipeg’s own speed-rock heroes, High Five Drive. Formed in 2001, High Five Drive is the hardest working band in Winnipeg and a local institution. Fronted by the busiest guy in local music, Greg Rekus, High Five Drive has spent the last five years coming into their own and showcasing their unique brand of high-energy melodic punk-rock to fans across Canada and all over the world thanks to distribution deals in Canada and Japan.
With a sound influenced by Lagwagon, Belvedere, and Strung Out, High Five Drive has built a strong following from the ground up with relentless touring across Canada, local radio play and three international releases. Seeing High Five Drive on stage is a life-changing experience in and of itself. Known for their super-charged, disregard for personal safety, high-intensity live shows, High Five Drive has shared the stage with The Mad Caddies, Rufio, SNFU, Mae, Belvedere, Closet Monster, Slick Shoes, Tsunami Bomb and Satanic Surfers. And their fans are not only coming out to concerts to show their support, there is also a considerable internet following. Though the band website receives its fair share of attention on its own, CDBaby.com sells their full length, and their MySpace and PureVolume profiles boast over 53,000 total song-plays combined.
Somewhere between their frantic energy, meaningful lyrics and catchy hooks, the band has fine-tuned their sound over the course their first full-length album, a sold-out EP, various compilations including comps in Canada and Japan, a North America distributed Warped Tour sampler, and a Japanese split EP with Sentimental. At the moment, our heroes are anxiously awaiting the release of their second full-length record, From The Ground Up, which was recorded with scene veteran Blair Calibaba (Gob, Sum 41, No Means No) and ex-Belvedere frontman Steve Rawles.
What remains for Winnipeg’s fearless speed-rock champions? More touring? Definitely. World domination? Probably. High Five Drive’s plan of attack includes spreading the word of High Five Drive and their new record, From The Ground Up, with their trademark manic energy in their tenth stint across Canada. They’re also planning their very first trek across Europe late next year.
So heads up, because High Five Drive is coming to a stage, stereo and computer near you baring the tightness of wet knots and emo kid t-shirts, that can't be beat! |
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