Life in the spotlight is never easy, especially when you’re publicly putting your heart out there in the form of a catchy love song.
Dedicated listeners can’t help but analyse lyrics, attempting to glean some insight into their favourite star’s life (just look at Taylor Swift’s fans).
While US band The Driver Era are still fairly under the radar, thanks to the family’s previous music and acting careers, their songs get a little extra scrutiny.
If you’re not familiar, the alternative brand is made up of brothers Rocky and Ross Lynch — yes, that Ross Lynch, star of My Friend Dahmer, Teen Beach Movie, Austin and Ally, and more.
Putting your emotions out there while famous can have some downsides, as Ross, 29, confessed to Metro as the brothers discussed their latest album, Obsession.
‘We definitely have our fair share of hardcore fans,’ he laughed before becoming contemplative and adding: ‘I think sometimes, as a man, I’m wanting to protect [my] relationship.
‘It’s not concerning, but when people misinterpret the meanings behind songs, I get a little … almost territorial because they’re misinterpreting my intentions. That can be a little hurtful.’
His brother Rocky, 30, backed up this sentiment and added: ‘It’s not really like a song is about this one thing. A lot of it has multiple angles.’
‘Sometimes you add a line in there because it sounds good,’ agreed Ross, chuckling with his brother about their songwriting process.
Rocky added that when he was younger, he was a little more reckless about exposing his ex relationships but that has fallen away in more recent years.
‘The songs have multiple interpretations, I like that in songs,’ he said. ‘It is pulling from a scenario, that maybe spawned it, but it is this softball idea that expands the vibe of it.
‘It takes on a life of its own at some point.’
Obsession, which they are currently touring in the US with third brother and Glee actor Riker, 33, on guitar, is about love and desire but is far less autobiographical than the lyrics might suggest.
The brothers revealed one writing session took place in the middle of the Palm Springs desert, away from the chaos of their daily lives.
‘The desert is a wonderful, mystical, spiritual, energetic abyss,’ Ross said. ‘You can just howl, scream, and run around and the sound dissipates. It’s a really interesting sensation.
‘We went to this big house, threw a bunch of studio gear on the dining room table, and — it sounds weird — but like, didn’t really sleep for three days, but it was so fun.We just were making music for three full days, just like in a trance.’
The album has the biggest team the duo have worked with so far, with Rocky emphasising how much he loves ‘bringing the squad along’ for this creative endeavour.
Ross added: ‘What lessons we were learning and what stage of experiencing love or how we understand relationships were we at? This is the furthest along [in life that we’ve been].
‘We feel like we’ve grown as humans and individuals, and we’re maybe the most honest and we can reflect on those perspectives.’
He doesn’t divulge what those lessons are exactly, as the experience was ‘highly personal’ and the former Disney stars are reluctant to throw the spotlight onto their lives.
However, the brothers’ rockstar good looks means they tend to go viral often while on tour, especially with Ross’ tendency to sing shirtless on stage.
Unfortunately, these clips regularly get a trending song attached so while you’re seeing Ross’ abs you’re not hearing The Driver Era’s music.
‘I understand how that works, that all makes sense to me,’ he said, weighing up the pros and cons of going viral. ‘That doesn’t really have anything to do with me or like what I’m doing, as much as it’s like about people just trying to get a ton of views on their TikTok.’
While he has ‘definitely seen’ videos pushing ‘certain narratives’ or performances, this effort feels completely detached from his work as an artist.
‘I’m fully capable, we can write good music, and I fully believe that the best is yet to come,’ the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star added.
For new potential The Driver Era fans, Ross and Rocky aren’t sure they want you to ‘know anything’ about them at all.
‘I think there’s a fun experience for people when you find a new artist that you’re really vibing with to figure out what the person’s all about,’ said Ross.
‘But honestly, I think if someone were listening to our music, I kind of don’t want you to know. I kind of want you to just experience it objectively.’
Despite previous work bringing fame to the brothers, Rocky says he likes that Driver Era is still largely ‘undiscovered’ – for now.
Obsession is available to purchase and stream now. Driver Era are currently on tour in the US with tickets available on their website.
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