Interview: Arcy Drive
By Sara Weldon
With roots planted in New York, Arcy Drive is a four-piece indie rock band consisting of friends Nick Mateyunas (vocals/ rhythm guitar), Brooke Tuozzo (drums), Austin Jones (lead guitar), and Patrick Helrigel (bass), who all sound like they were born to play music together. Arcy Drive’s discography is filled with heart and soul, and their utterly unique, live, and raw sound is unlike any other. Arcy Drive is rapidly growing, winning over the hearts and ears of absolutely everyone that comes into contact with their music. We were over the moon to be able to chat with the band about tour, music, and all things Arcy Drive! Read our interview below and be sure to keep up with these guys, they’re a band that you should absolutely be keeping on your radar.
Photo by Cameron Driskill
Hi Arcy Drive! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions. You’re about halfway through “The Stattic Tour Part 2” right now, so how’s life on the road been treating you?
It’s been a lot of fun. Hot at times (the bus doesn’t have AC) but other than that just grateful to be able to do what we’re doing.
Anyone who knows Arcy Drive knows about the infamous, green school bus turned tour bus. We all followed along on TikTok, but how was the process of converting it into a functional tour bus? Has it been fun having it out on the road?
Converting the bus was a really fun experience. Pat quarterbacked the process and showed the rest of us what to do regarding electrical, plumbing, and the building of the bunks. We are always adding to the bus, taking bits and pieces from all of the places we’ve been, and decorating the inside. The bus was actually broken for the entire first tour which lasted 2 months. Our top speed on the bus at that time was about 45 MPH, with no AC, at the peak of summer. Since our first tour we’ve broken down a few times and broke a few windows but nothing as bad as that first tour. With that all being said we’ve loved every second of being on the road. It’s really a dream come true.
The vast majority of your releases, like Attic Sessions, have been live recordings which really defines your guys’ unique sound. Could you speak about the significance of and where the initial inspiration came from to release live versions of your music?
We truly didn’t know any other way of recording other than playing together at the same time. We don’t have experience recording music “properly” in a studio and it felt like the most true way of showing people what we created.
Have you guys always been fans of live music? What were each of your exposures to the live music scene like while growing up and still today?
We’ve all always loved live music. We each grew up going to concerts at venues in NYC or Jones Beach. We got the idea to make a band when we were out at our local bar in Northport (where we all live). There was a band playing that night and we all began talking about how funny it would be if we made a band and played there. We ended up having our first band practice the next morning.
Live music is a special part of many people’s lives, so have you noticed a renewed energy in live music since the pandemic? Since it was gone for so long, does playing shows post-lockdown feel any different now?
We feel that people want to experience live music now more than any time we can remember in our lifetime before the pandemic. The crowds seem to always bring energy that we feed off of.
I’d love to hear about what your individual tastes in music are like. What do you think each of your individual influences bring to the table when it comes to creating or playing your original material?
Some of our favorite artists at the moment are: Brooke- Catfish & the Bottleman, Pat- Arctic Monkeys, Nick- Neil Young, and Austin- The Districts. Our different influences help to make a unique sound because we each hear the song differently. We each write our part based on what we feel the song needs. The songs would sound very different if they were just arranged by one person. It makes the creative process much more surprising and fun.
Is there a standout moment or memory that you have of when you all first got together and realized “This is Arcy Drive?”
Not exactly. We are all still a bit amazed at what opportunities have been given to us as “Arcy Drive’. A memory that comes to mind is playing at a local bar in our hometown. Our buddies came up to us before the show and were telling us that people from other towns were driving out to see us. During the show we saw a lot of new faces which was a really cool moment.
You guys have just recently played Bonnaroo and will also be playing a set at Lollapalooza later this summer! How does it feel performing on festival stages versus playing in more intimate and personal venues? Is there a different energy?
It has always been a dream to play at a festival stage. It feels absolutely surreal that we were given the opportunity to play these stages. We love the energy from festival stages. It reminds us of when we first started playing and people didn’t know about us yet. We love having to win the crowd over. The personal more intimate venues are a treat for us. A room full of people that enjoy the music you make and want to get rowdy and sing along creates such a fun energy for the set.
I know you’ve got lots of exciting stuff going on, so thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I’m a massive fan of your music and think that what you’re doing is brilliant. Although your 2023 has already been massively exciting, what’s next for Arcy Drive?
We have some more music coming out soon which we’re really excited about. We also are adding more tour dates and trying to get to spots we haven't been yet. We are just super eager to keep making more music and to keep driving the bus.