“Driving in my car / I feel so in control / Pedal and the road / Telling me just where to go…”
Okay – full disclaimer – London, ON-based singer-songwriter Marty Kolls easily sold me on the single artwork and subsequent official video release long before I’d had a chance to enjoy the audio element too. Yes, those close to me know of my love for classic Volvos, with several singles and albums previously featured here at GDW when a Swedish vehicle appeared in an official video or adorned an album cover (Julianna Riolino, Braden Lam, and Julie Aubé spring to mind). Marty’s single artwork had me salivating pretty quickly when recognizing the distinct instrument cluster from an 80s 240 model – sold!
It was back in 2018 when we first made the acquaintance of Marty Kolls, who performed on a London, ON festival stage with local favorites Broomsticks and Hammers. A return to this same festival in 2022 presented another opportunity to catch some tunes from Marty, this time sharing a workshop stage with CBC Searchlight winner Chad Price and JUNO-nominee Emm Gryner. Oh, for sure, dangling the classic Volvo as a carrot will get my attention, but in all seriousness, Marty is long overdue for a dedicated feature here on our pages.
The 80s imagery alone for “Drive” was enough to whet my appetite, but clicking PLAY sent my senses into overdrive. Bursting with era-appropriate heavy-synth tones, and accompanied by overly embellished drum machine echoes, Marty transports the listener right back to the mid 1980s. This is both a song and a soundtrack – one that works beautifully in the here-and-now – whilst subliminally provoking fond memories of an era that defined my youth. Do you know how tempted I am to enter “Sonny Crockett pastel blue suit” into a search engine right now???
“This is the first of a few songs to come out in the next few months, and it was inspired by university students,” Marty shared recently on social media. “The first time I performed it was in front of them and I had them sing the chorus at the end of the song so I could sing the extra vocals on top. They sounded incredible and made it come to life. I knew this would be the next thing for me to work on. They all got A’s.” I will add that Marty deserves an “A” too, as listening to “Drive” leaves me with a strong desire to cruise some winding back roads right now. Vintage Swedish motor is optional, but highly encouraged…
Photo Credit: Artist Bandcamp
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
