Rain City Drive

Rain City Drive is an American rock^[3] band from Palm Coast, Florida. The band emerged from the evolution of Sacramento-based band Slaves, and features The Voice runner-up Matt McAndrew on vocals. The group name is derived from Manchester, England, sometimes referred to as the "rainy city", where the five members initially met.^[4]

Their first album, To Better Days, was initially released under their previous iteration name, but was later re-released and exists currently in digital stores as part of Rain City Drive's catalog.

The band would go on to sign to independent record label Thriller Records, and release their self-titled studio album on July 15, 2022.

All members of Rain City Drive were initially part of the post-hardcore band Slaves. With the departure of Jonny Craig, then Slaves continued their touring endeavors across Europe and Australia, with Matt McAndrew assuming the role of lead vocalist.

On June 25, 2020, the band officially announced on Facebook that their final release under the name Slaves would be To Better Days. In a statement, the band expressed their support for the BLM movement and their decision to disassociate their music from a term laden with negative connotations.^[5] The fourth studio album, To Better Days, was subsequently released on August 7, 2020.

On October 15, 2021, the band announced their decision to continue creating music and performing as a new band, Rain City. The name is a reference to the first meeting of the band members in Manchester, England, often referred to as the "rainy city". The members said the name stands "as a reminder to keep looking up even when there’s a cloud overhead". The band expressed gratitude to their dedicated fans, dedicating their new album to their "unwavering support".^[6] On November 6, 2021, the band announced through their Instagram page that they signed with independent record label Thriller Records and they would adopt the name Rain City Drive. Accompanying this announcement was the release of their new single, Cutting It Close.^[2]

Current members

• Matt McAndrew – lead vocals, additional guitar
• Weston Richmond – lead guitar
• Felipe Sanchez – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Colin Vieira – bass
• Zachary Baker – drums

Timeline

• To Better Days (2020)
• Rain City Drive (2022)
• Things are Different Now (2024)