When life overwhelms, sometimes we need a song that pushes back with the same kind of intensity. Enter HIGHDRIVE, a fresh English band outta Brighton that arrive armed with perhaps the most consuming and encompassing guitar tone we’ve heard in a hot minute, unravelling a fervid new tune called “Cherry” that is as comforting as it is pummeling.
The root inspo for the track is the decaying world around us, and the fivesome channel the despair we feel from the apathy of those in charge into an emotive and driven sonic seducer that’s cinematic in scope and dramatic in atmosphere. It holds the kind of aural appeal that would otherwise ‘gaze with casual longevity if it only had a fleeting moment to spare, its post-punk spirit undermined by an expansive wall of sound that acts as a pillow to brace our mental fall.
Produced by Coach Party drummer Guy Page, “Cherry” heralds HIGHDRIVE’s singing to Venn Records (Bob Vylan, Witch Fever), and instantly positions the band as one to ride shotgun with as we waltz together into societal collapse. Such comfort only exists in this miserable 2025.
“‘Cherry’ is about sitting with anger, but also about the desire to push back against apathy in whatever way you can,” says vocalist Lucas Leith. “The song came from a time where it felt (and still feels) like the people with the power and resources to make real change were looking the other way. I found myself feeling this mix of envy and frustration, watching those who could help the most do so little for those who need it. There’s a kind of hopelessness in that, like you’re shouting into a void. But I think we have to shout.”
Shout along with one of the motherland’s best new bands below.