“Driving in the Dark” – Columbus

On a gloomy day in a week that seems far too long, Driving in the Dark, the new EP from East Coast act Columbus is the perfect punky pick-me-up. This three-piece band has punk-pop down to a fine art. Combining a nostalgia for the genre’s glory days of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s with a fresh perspective, I can’t get enough.

The five-track EP starts with recent singles “Temporary Summer”, “Full Heart”, and “Pain is a Mirror” bringing new fans up to speed and reminding those of us who’ve been on the bandwagon for months just how good this music is. Things take a little left turn with “The Holiday,” with the band trading in the electric guitars for acoustic ones. It’s still got the band’s trademark energy, but it’s delivered with more sweetness. I love when the band is full throttle, but it’s exciting to hear them working with a different gear. Columbus cranks it up for the EP’s closer “Care About You”. It’s anthemic and glorious, the perfect final impression.

“I wrote the Driving in the Dark EP about learning how to love – my life, others, and myself,” frontman Alex Moses explained. “With each release we’re adding to the fire what Columbus means to us. This EP represents where we’re at right now. It’s been a wild time driving in the dark, but I think we’ve finally arrived.”

Driving in the Dark is out now. Columbus will play the following shows next month to support its release.

9 April 2022 – Crowbar, Sydney
14 April 2022 – The Brightside, Brisbane
17 April 2022 – North Gong, Wollongong
29 April 2022 – Fat Controller, Adelaide
30 April 2022 – Stay Gold, Melbourne

Images used with permission from Habit Music

You’ll Fall For Columbus’ “Full Heart”

Columbus lay their emotions bare with their latest single “Full Heart.” It’s got a great indie rock sound reminiscent of the Foo Fighters or Eskimo Joe (perhaps unsurprising as Joel Quartermain worked on the track). It might rock hard, but the lyrics reveal the band’s soft side. They’re brimming with hope and optimism, delivering a refreshingly pure take on the search for love.

“’Full Heart’ is a song about trying to find love in the dark,” explained Columbus frontman and guitarist Alex Moses. “You know how you feel, but you don’t know where to look. The song was one of those songs that took years to write. I had the main chorus and was really excited to finish it, but ironically I didn’t know where else it should go. The track went through 2-3 versions of different lyrics, I showed the band but ultimately it didn’t make the cut for our recording sessions in 2020. I re-wrote the lyrics again in early 2021, and knew I’d found what I wanted to say.”

Columbus had big plans for 2021, including a tour with Stand Atlantic, but COVID had other ideas. However, 2022 is already seeming brighter. The band’s new EP Driving in the Dark, the long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s A Hot Take on Heartbreak and their first collection of songs with their new line-up, drops on March 24. The band also has the following shows scheduled, and hopefully there’ll be more to come. Get amongst it!

31 March 2022 – The Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong (with Sly Withers)
9 April 2022 – Crowbar, Sydney

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.

Columbus Releases Feelgood Pop-Punk Banger, “Temporary Summer”

Proving that long-distance relationships can really work in the music world, Columbus are rocking my world with their latest single “Temporary Summer.” These guys live in different East Coast cities and had just three days in person to rehearse and record the song. It brings a real spontaneous energy to this track which will make you want to listen again and again.

“I was listening to a lot of early The Killers when I wrote ‘Temporary Summer’, and I wanted to try and channel their uplifting indie-rock drive alongside Columbus’ heartfelt rock/punk style,” explained frontman Alex Moses. “It’s a song about escapism and being somewhere for a short while where everything feels good, and nothing can hurt you – a temporary summer.”

Expect to put “Temporary Summer” on high rotation as the weather warms up! Columbus will support Sly Withers at the Barwon Club Hotel in Geelong on March 31 next year. Keep an eye on their socials to see when they announce more gigs.

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.

Columbus Gets Acoustic With “Next to Me”

We’re used to hearing punk acts turning their speakers up to 11. But Columbus is going the opposite route with its new five-track EP Next to Me, which drops today. It features a brand new song, the EP’s title track, and acoustic reimaginings of some of the Brisbane band’s past tracks.

“Next To Me is a melancholic falling out, which reminiscences about moments with a past lover,” explained the band’s frontman Alex Moses. “I wrote the song about the feeling of knowing you’re drifting apart from someone and there’s nothing you can do.”

It’s a softer song for the band, and one which marries perfectly with these new arrangements of classic Columbus tracks. Alex said reinterpreting the old songs in an acoustic way was “a very creatively fulfilling process.”
“We’re really proud of the songs and think they stand on their own in contrast to the heavier versions.”

The Next to Me EP is available now.

Columbus Tour East Coast

Brisbane punk band Columbus have really impressed me with the heartfelt vocals and razor-sharp lyrics showcased on their new EP Home Remedy. It seems I’m not the only one, as the band has just signed a deal with North American booking agency The Agency Group, who represent guys like Less than Jake and Anti Flag.

But before the boys take off to the States, they’ll play some local shows along the East Coast. Entry is $10 for all gigs except for Toowoomba which is free.

17 April 2015 – Captain Cook Hotel, Sydney
18 April 2015 – Small Ballroom, Newcastle
23 April 2015 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
1 May 2015 – The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba (FREE)
9 May 2015 – The Foundry, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Habit Music Company