Ears Wide Open: The Drives

Chris Arey on October 16th, 2020

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a condition that just about everyone has encountered, at least to some degree (especially with hand-washing during the pandemic), and the Drives’ latest single, “OCD,” drives home just how relatable it is.

Based out of Highland Park, the Drives formed in 2017 with singer Andrew Levin and guitarist Casey Chen. The two were later joined by Geo Botelho on bass guitar. Their music orbits the indie-rock/post-punk world of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“OCD” opens with a stabbing guitar riff nicked from Interpol’s “Obstacle 1” before swelling into big chords for Levin’s admission, “I’m never gonna let you in my head / Anything that’s wrong I’ll fix myself / I’m too afraid of what you’re gonna say.”

“I have struggled with pretty severe OCD almost all of my life and surprisingly have not written much about it,” Levin explains. “This is one of the first songs where I address OCD and my own mental health. Specifically, I’m talking about my reluctance to speak about my mental struggles to anyone, including psychologists and loved ones in my early 20s. I always knew something was ‘up’ with my head and knew that I would eventually have to address what it is that was going on. However, I was pretty terrified to tell people around me what was going on in my mind, so I resisted talking about it to anyone. … It’s about me hating the idea of letting someone help me with my mental health.

“Of course, when I actually let my family, friends and psychologists help me, it was the best decision I ever made and has absolutely changed my life for the better.”

“OCD” is the trio’s first release of 2020, following four singles last year, including “Tell Me” (featured in a Pizza Hut commercial).

||| Stream: “OCD”