Katie Drives Delivers Raw Pop Punk With "Anywhere But Here"
Image Credit: Leandra BonnetKatie Drives is one of the more exciting musicians to be riding the current wave of pop-punk that has been hitting the music scene as of late. While the pop-punk revival has unfortunately produced some acts that merely recycle 2000s-era music cliches, Katie Drives has managed to inject a healthy dose of contemporary influences into her music creating a truly modern spin on the genre.
Perhaps the key to Katie Drives’ innovation is that she is an outsider. Growing up in the rural Northern region of Germany, Drives listened to classical music alongside pop and rock. Her background as a choir singer gave Katie Drives a vocal experience that is unique among alternative rockers. She studied music seriously and moved to Berlin to immerse herself in the live music circuit. After honing her skills, she formed a band and now her innovative take on pop-punk is crossing borders making her a rising star in the international music scene.
With a voice that is darker than most pop-punk singers, Katie Drives sings powerful songs with lyrics that often delve into serious topics. With distorted guitars and heavy drums, the pop-punk of Katie Drives is more intense than a great deal of modern pop-punk out there today, yet still infectiously catchy. While Katie Drives credits artists such as Avril Lavigne, Against The Current, and Maggie Lindemann as influences, it is also apparent that she retains her classical and choir background in grounding her pop-punk sensibilities with tight musicianship.
Katie Drives is set to release the album Safe And Sad this March. The LP released via Initiative Musik is her second after 2021’s Fake Smiles. Three singles have already been released off Safe And Sad. The first track was “Ghosts” an emotional yet strong, nuanced take on the ghosting phenomenon making it a most unusual breakup song. “Next to You” was the second single and explored jealousy and self-doubt that comes with comparing oneself to others on social media. The latest single is “Anywhere but Here” and continues the Katie Drives’ formula of combing deep lyrics with energetic rock music.
“Anywhere But Here” starts with catchy, melodic chord progressions that complement the vocals. The song is filled with a winning combo of drum beats and bass. The first few lines of lyrics hint at a relationship in which one partner does not care for the attention they are receiving.
“When I needed water
Served with love
But it’s not what I ordered
Appreciate your effort
But I can’t change it’s not what I want”
“Paradise can be hell
A golden jail stays a jail
I’m made to be anywhere
But here, ah-ha”
Later in the song, Katie Drives sings lines that underscore her point that sometimes being put on a pedestal is not what a person wants when that adoration comes with restrictions on the agency of the adored.
“Anywhere but Here” is the type of song that demands relistening. One for the beautifully arranged pop sensibilities of the musical arrangements, but second for further listening to the poetic lyrics written by Katie Drives herself. It is songs like “Anywhere but Here” that show the potential pop-punk has in reaching new heights in lyrical and musical brilliance when talented artists like Katie Drives are at the forefront of the scene.
