'Malibu' by The Driver Era is the Song of the Summer
Written by Jillian Cote
Hot, heavy air. Late beach nights. High risk, high reward. All the motifs of a dreamy, spontaneous summer are captured in The Driver Era’s new summer single “Malibu”. Brotherly duo Ross and Rocky Lynch released their second single of 2022 on July 28 in collaboration with LA singer-songwriter Griff Clawson, nearly a month after the release of their single “Keep Moving Forward” featuring Nikka Costa. With a funky bassline and acoustic guitar, “Malibu” is made for oceanside summer drives, making it a contender for the newest song of the summer.
“Malibu” is best described as musical escapism — lead vocalist Ross Lynch reminisces on dreamscapes and adventures once had with airy background vocals serving as an echo of these memories. “Far from the panic don't know how I live without / Live without / Malibu” Lynch sings in the chorus with breathy vocals and a bassline introduction. The instrumentals of this song are relatively minimal, yet atmospheric, once again pushing the narrative of recollection and getting carried away in an idealistic headspace.
While the opening intention of the song is to lament on vacations and summer travels, the lyrics personify the places Lynch loves so much, ultimately blurring the lines between places and people as a focus for the song. “All day cuz I don't know better / All day bettin on a chance / Don't wanna watch you slip through my hands” Lynch sings in the song’s opening, a double entendre explaining the fear of both summertime and the person he’s with slipping away despite his desires. “[Malibu] is the spontaneous trip you take with someone – maybe you knew them before, or maybe you’re meeting them for the first time,” the duo explains, nodding to the fact that the people you surround yourself with are just as important as the places you’re going.
“Malibu”, along with “Keep Moving Forward”, will be featured on The Driver Era’s newest project “Summer Mixtape”, an album with a release date set in late August. In the meantime, the duo is staying busy with their international summer tour, yet another factor that makes this year an exciting one for both the band and their fans.
Be sure to catch "Malibu" live at one of the duos upcoming tour dates!
August 4th: New York at The Rooftop at Pier 17
August 5th: Silver Springs at The Fillmore
August 6th: Philadelphia at The Met
August 8th: Toronto at Danforth Music Hall
August 9th: Detroit at Royal Oak
August 10th: Columbus at KEMBA Live!
August 12th: Chicago at The Riviera Theater
August 13th: Cincinnati at Promowest Pavilion at OVATION
August 14th: Atlanta at The Eastern
August 16th: Birmingham at Iron City Bham
August 17th: New Orleans at Joy Theater
August 19th: Austin at ACL Live Moody Theater
August 20th: Dallas at Factory at Deep Elem
August 22nd: Denver at Mission Ballroom
August 23rd: Salt Lake City at The Union
August 25th: San Francisco at The Warfield
August 26th: Los Angeles at The Novo
August 27th: Pomona at The Fox Theater Pomona
August 29th: Phoenix at Marquee Theater
September 1st: Kansas at The Truman
September 2nd: St. Louis at The Factory
September 3rd: Indianapolis at Indiana State Fairgrounds