Driveway Legends, a punk rock band based out of Saskatoon, is taking a mini-tour of the province to promote their second album “Get It Together,” and will play a free show at Chiller’s Brew Pub in Moose Jaw on Thursday, April 6.
Driveway Legends will perform alongside fellow Saskatchewan indie punk acts Me the Guts and Ripper and the Jesses. There’s no cover charge; the music starts at 9 p.m.
The band’s first album, “Things Could be Worse,” was released in 2021, with singles “The Days” and “Old Bones.”
They can be heard most places music appears, including Spotify and YouTube:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6oy7R6uoiF3bXkQD0dsVrO?si=NkLBVnF1TGihrEHBmN589w
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drivewaylegends/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC6yLgkqn_JE6QHYn77ouB_Q
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=icbglnzg7dj2&utm_content=o2lnrmj
- Bandcamp: https://drivewaylegends.bandcamp.com
“I grew up in Moose Jaw playing punk rock bands,” explained Nic Swaok, the founder, lead vocalist, and chief lyricist of Driveway Legends. “I’m 41 years old now, so that puts me in high school in the late ‘90s, right? And that was kind of the heyday of that skateboard, punk rock, the Vans Warped Tour-kind of sound — that fast, melodic punk rock.
“It was kind of the rebellious thing to do, but also kind of in fashion at the same time, you know? And that’s where I started listening to punk rock, and I’ve never stopped. It’s the music I’ve always played and that I grew up listening to.”
Swaok said that growing up, he played at any Moose Jaw venue he could convince to book himself and his bandmates at the time, from the Scouts Hall to the Legion to the Wildlife Centre.
“Then you just DIY’d the show — you put it together, did what you could to get an audience, put up posters on power poles.”
Now in his 40s, Swaok decided he’d “give the music thing another go” and put out a Kijiji ad for fellow musicians.
“I think my ad was like, ‘old guy wants to play punk rock’ or something like that,” he said. “It was a last-ditch attempt, because I had all this stage equipment and a PA system kicking around in my basement, and I thought I’m either gonna sell it all or use it.”
The resulting group is made up of Swaok, bassist and backing vocalist Jace Matlock, and drummer and backing vocalist Ryan Pegg, both from Saskatoon.
Swaok, Matlock, and Pegg hit it off and Driveway Legends hit the ground running — just in time for the pandemic to shut down any possibility of playing shows, Swaok explained. They took the time as an opportunity to write their first album.
They’re pretty happy to be on the road now, though, and have played shows across Saskatchewan and Alberta, alongside other indie rock bands like Alien to the Ignorant, Swayze, and Bring on the Storm.
Driveway Legends preserve their inspirations with the same fast tempos, heavy bass, and driving drum beats characteristic of genre icons like NoFX, Lagwagon, and Bad Religion. Their music is raw, aggressive, and still rebellious — single “Midlife Crisis” decries the downfalls of aging while staying determined to party, for example.
“For 40-year-olds to play as fast and as loud as we do? Yeah, I’d say we’re still rebellious,” Swaok laughed. “We’re still playing punk rock music and, you know, putting the kids to bed and then going out to punk rock shows.”
Don't miss Driveway Legends' latest Moose Jaw appearance at Chiller's Brew Pub, 510 Home Street West.
