A CONVERSATION WITH... late night drive home
Missed Reading and Leeds 2025? We got your back with our 13 artists to watch. Next up is late night drive home, a rising alt-rock Texan band moving through life and music with as many jokes and nostalgia-fuelled tunes as possible.
Andre
So, this is Freddy Baca and he is the bassist for late night drive home.
Freddie
This is Andre. He's the lead vocalist of late night drive home. He's my better half.
Andre
Something you should know about Freddy is that he falls asleep with his mouth open sometimes on tour.
Freddie
You know, it's funny you say that because Andre falls asleep with his eyes open. Believe it or not.
You guys really are each other's other halves.
Andre
If you look at my phone right now, I probably have 50 pictures of Freddy over the years sleeping with his mouth open.
Freddie
Probably have like sixty pictures of Andre sleeping with his eyes open. It's kind of off-putting and scary.
I didn't think that would be possible, but maybe that's how you do it in San Jose. If people are discovering your music this weekend, what do you think your music says to the world? What do you think it says about you guys?
Andre
Our music symbolises friendship. The whole band is based off of friendship. The name 'late night drive home' comes from the memories we shared as younger adults wasting time in the city and then having late night drives home blasting music. Especially our new album, which is a peek into our headspace in sort of an online sense.
Freddie
Overall, the band is about peace and love, right? But our newest album's about our online identity, our online psyche. It's mostly a love letter to the Internet and everything horrible that comes along with it.
Are there any songs or lyrics off the new album that really encapsulates what you're trying to explore?
Andre
Two of the songs, ‘opening a door’ and ‘modern entertainment’, I consider those two sister tracks. ‘opening a door’ is about being trapped in your room about friendship, about finding genuine connections with people. Getting out of your room and experiencing life for what it has to offer. ‘modern entertainment’ is about stepping out of your room, out of your comfort zone and going into the real world. It can be very scary. It can be a tricky thing and kind of overstimulating, but you just have to do it. Just experience life for what it has to offer.
Seems like those might be some favourites, which makes this round of 'Smash, Marry, Kill' with your songs tough.
Freddie
I'll smash 'uncensored on the internet.' I'd marry 'if I fall', and I'd have to say retire if we're being nicer...
Andre
‘We're Nobody’. Freddie doesn't like that song.
Freddie
Andre used to sing that to me to fall asleep all the time.
Andre
One day, I broke his heart and he just can't hear that song anymore.
I'd say for smash ‘Over The Garden’. It's just such a sexy song, even though there's nothing sexual about it. Marry ‘modern entertainment’, because that's my baby. I'd retire our ‘Freaks’ cover because it's a piece for its time. We've played it so much at this point. Sometimes people think that we wrote the song and they tell us to play it on stage sometimes.
We've been having artists leave questions for other artists and the question that got left for you is 'What's on your rider and would you ever put a scratch card on it?'
Andre
Tortilla chips, guac, salsa, Clif bars, green grapes, Red Bull, Gatorade, water, and PBRs. I'd put a scratch card on there, for fun. Why not?
Songer, the artist, said that one time he won £10 and it was one of his best shows ever. So what question would you guys leave for the artist after you?
Freddie
I would ask, 'English breakfast or Sunday roast?'
Andre
I've had an English breakfast before. It's interesting. Yeah, it's definitely a breakfast. I could see it speaking English. Sunday roast, I've never had.
Freddie
I've never had an English breakfast, but I've had Sunday roast ones. It was pretty good. It's like home. It's like all you need to eat.
Andre
Oh, nice. Damn, that sounds good. Should we try that tonight?
That's a good question. And what’s a question that you guys wish you got asked in interviews but you haven't yet?
Andre
‘Why do your songs sound so different live than in studio?’ My answer to that would be because it's a completely different feel when you're writing the song compared to when you have months of touring the song. With tour, you kind of adapt the song to who you grow into as a person in that time.
Freddie
Yeah, I agree. I would say that the studio version of any song is meant for the ears and the live version for any song is for the entire body.
Very poetic answers, you can tell you write music. Speaking of music, anything more you can share about your upcoming releases or tour schedule?
Andre
We have an Europe tour coming up in November. We will be back out here and we're still so excited. It's with The Happy Fits. And at some point, we might be opening up for one of our favourite childhood bands. It's a secret for now. I actually had a thought in my head about maybe releasing another demo tape on SoundCloud, too.
What's been a moment of joy so far through your adventures as a band you'd want to share?
Andre
When we played at the Fonda Theatre in LA. There were so many people and I couldn't believe that as a headliner, we had that many people there for us. It was just a sea of people. I couldn't believe we had that many people show up to our show and stay to listen to our music. And a bonus event, meeting two of my idols, Pierce the Veil and Cavetown. I almost cried and tried to keep my composure. I cried after. It was amazing.