Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Support Local Music
Ryan Rayle (00:01.596)
hello. Hey, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back to another episode of the ATX Metal Podcast. Sorry you caught me sipping my coffee. I'm on podcast number two and cup number four of the day. I am your host, Ryan. This is Donella Drive. guys, go ahead, introduce yourself, who you are, where you're from, and what you do in the band.
Andrew Salazar (00:03.128)
What's up?
Andrew Salazar (00:23.797)
I'm Drew. I play bass and I co write with this guy and I I sing a little bit and I'm from San Antonio, Texas. I'm Aiden Escalante, I sing and I play guitar and I write the lyrics and I I'm the looks the guns you know all of it pretty much. just that guy. I'm I'm him. Donella drives him.
Ryan Rayle (00:41.902)
Ha ha ha.
Ryan Rayle (00:50.33)
I can I
Andrew Salazar (00:52.845)
Ha ha ha.
Ryan Rayle (00:55.548)
Well, for those that are not familiar with Donella Drive, they are I don't even want to try and describe your music music outside of it's high energy, it's crazy, it's got groove. I mean, for me, I really and I think a lot of people know you guys for just the just your sound. Like the bait you guys have one of the best bass.
I I can't describe it, but the bass is just so thick and fat and just mushy. And it's just tell you what, I'll let I'll let you describe your music to the people because, you know, music is subjective and you could say, Well, thanks for knowing that, Ryan, but actually it's about the you know what mean? But give give the people a little like a brief bio of of what Donella Drive's all about.
Andrew Salazar (01:34.376)
Mm-hmm.
Andrew Salazar (01:42.763)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (01:49.045)
First of all, I'm just glad that I can inspire Andrew to sound that way on the bass. we're definitely bass driven, but it's not all about the bass. Like Aiden Aiden is a big factor in our sound and you know, he writes a good chunk of the riffs. You know what I mean? Aiden is he makes me sound better. I'll I'll say that too. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know, it's like
People people compare us to Primus and stuff like I don't really agree with that. I love Primus. Yeah. And I love a lot of that that nineties, you know, stuff. Well, Prime Primus is very jammy too, but like I feel like we're we're more like a I don't know, it's more straightforward. It's I don't know. It's just a mixture of everything we we grew up on and we love we and we try and combine it all all of our favorite bands. Yeah, it's yeah, it's like w with the the rock band I would have really liked when I was twelve years old.
Ryan Rayle (02:25.362)
Yeah, probably.
Ryan Rayle (02:42.098)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (02:48.018)
So I can't really with the metal ish influences. people at shows say we're more progressive. there's definitely prog there's definitely yeah, there's definitely progier stuff out there, but yeah, there's a bit of a little proggy. It's prog prog-ish. Yeah. Yeah. It's prog that's how you describe us. We're prog-ish. Yeah. Prog is
Ryan Rayle (02:50.299)
Nice.
Ryan Rayle (02:59.58)
Yep. I get vote for that one.
Ryan Rayle (03:12.68)
Prague adjacent. Praguish Donella Drive. Prague adjacent. I like it. man. Well, for those listening, not viewing, they are currently in what I would assume is the travel van.
Andrew Salazar (03:18.788)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (03:30.963)
Yeah it's our it's our brand new van actually. New sex machine. That's the name.
Ryan Rayle (03:34.888)
Ooooo yeah.
Gonna give gonna give the bang bus a ri a run for its money, huh? the Yeah
Andrew Salazar (03:42.385)
Yeah. Yeah. We got lots of room now. Yeah. Yeah. It's just me. It's it's just me. The spank bus more like spank bus.
Ryan Rayle (03:51.996)
Just like just like where you guys going? Spank bus. I like it. I like it. All right. Well, let's aside aside from your new your new tour band. Well, actually, let's talk about that. What how what did you go from and what are you in now as far as tour rig ru
Andrew Salazar (04:12.892)
Man, we it's funny too 'cause we we started off in a a little transit titanium connect. Piece of shit. Piece of shit back. It broke down like the first tour we ever did with it. We were like stranded in Vegas and Los Angeles. Yeah. First tour yeah. And we only had it for two months. If that. Maybe less than two months. And it broke down in Las Vegas. We then some weird redneck mechanic, he was really cool, but he he worked hard to get it going.
Ryan Rayle (04:25.874)
really? First tour it broke down?
Ryan Rayle (04:36.497)
Ooh.
Andrew Salazar (04:41.404)
And then we had a show in LA at the Rainbow. And then it broke down again, like the after the show. And then we had to push it. We were there pushing pushing it down Sunset Boulevard. That I mean that was a fun memory, like in hindsight. By the time it really felt Yeah, and we were fucking having we were panicking, we were freaking out. You know what sucks too, man? That show in LA, we got invited by these guys after like after we played. It was cool.
And this dude was like, Hey man, you gotta come this after party, man, blah blah blah blah blah. But then our fucking van broke down, and then the next day we saw that dude posting pictures, he was hanging out with John Claude Van Damme. Yeah. Like, fuck True story. I was like, I'm on a fucking party with John Claude Van Damme, God damn it. Son of a bitch. True story. Yeah, I still I still have anger. Still rage inside me. So I used it to write near Donnella. Yeah. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (05:20.04)
Aww no
Ryan Rayle (05:28.45)
man.
Ryan Rayle (05:37.212)
I just man, there's there's golly, I can just imagine you guys pushing that transit down Sunset Boulevard and people just look like, what the what is going on here? And you're just and like, but like no one's offering help. They're just kind of like videotaping you or like, okay, I hope you make it. And you're just like,
Andrew Salazar (05:48.811)
Well
Andrew Salazar (05:56.751)
Dude, it was a it was actually a security guard just like watching us watching it all happen. He was watching cause we parked it in like this neighborhood. Yeah. And this neighborhood right off the Sunset Strip. And so we're pushing the this is like three, four in the morning too. Yeah. Yeah. But the the security guard was like, Hey guys, you gotta move this van, blah blah blah. So we eventually got a hold of the Sunset Strip people the rainbow people, I mean, and they said we could leave our gear at the venue. That's right. And then we could park across the street. We we had to pay double 'cause we had a trailer and the van and
Ryan Rayle (06:05.148)
Mm.
Andrew Salazar (06:26.509)
It was a nightmare dude. So I ended up the next mor I end up got maybe got three hours of sleep. I had to go to like a a Ford dealership to get a a new fuel pump and some other shit. And I was Ubering and my god, it was a nightmare. We w we ended up finding a mechanic. His name is Pinkies in L in LA.
Are they off Melrose somewhere? Yeah, he didn't have Flea's car. Yeah, he Flea's car there. Yeah, that was that was kinda funny too. He's like, that's Flea it like some nice Yeah, some nothing nice I even know. Well I don't even know. like not an old mobile, but like it kinda looked like a really fancy one. And he's like, yeah, it's Flea Well then there was some Chili Peppers thing where he Flea was driving. No, there was a a T V show, like a sixty minute thing. Yeah, that's what it was. And Flea's driving that car that we saw. Yeah. Another two story. Yeah. So the yeah, it was like a it was
Ryan Rayle (07:12.005)
No shit.
Well
Andrew Salazar (07:16.29)
It was interesting. Yeah. But now we're in a transit it's another another transit, but it's the bigger one. The transit three fifty XL something. It's like a twenty two. It's really nice. We'll see if it lasts. We'll see. Ford Ford stands for Ford stands for Found on Road Dead. I don't really trust Ford anymore. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (07:28.424)
Yeah, right.
Ryan Rayle (07:35.24)
I I am I'm very I'm not well versed in the domestic motor department. I I I obviously I worked for Kia, Kia Motor Group and Genesis. So I never worked on trucks, but God, I have heard so many horror stories of what you just described being broken down, 3 a.m. And like, and then obviously there's there's always some there's always some hero, some mechanic.
Andrew Salazar (07:54.061)
Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (08:04.294)
hero that kind of comes into the scene. Maybe you pay him in, you know, some merch and like gift cards or just some future promise. And and and that's I think that's it's it's always good. Like you said, it sucked at the time, but now reliving that, it it you just you just laugh, right? You just you just take it all in. Yeah. I'd I'd be I would not be surprised. I've
Andrew Salazar (08:05.239)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (08:24.618)
Yeah, yeah, now it's funny. Now it's a cool ass story. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Totally agree too.
Ryan Rayle (08:31.164)
I feel like this is how some some songs are written. And I feel like Donella Drive would be perfect. Like if I saw, you know, check out our new single, be like pushed down Sunset Drive, right? Just I don't know. Or or, you know, Pinky's Garage. And just, I don't know, tell a story of I don't know. I don't know. I could but I could I could see you guys in it in
Andrew Salazar (08:44.693)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (08:51.049)
I I'm definitely I'm definitely Yeah.
For sure, man. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (08:59.016)
Sorry, there was a little bit of a delay there. My fault. man, okay, so so w okay, what what tour when did this tour take place that we're talking about right now?
Andrew Salazar (09:01.298)
Yeah, okay.
Andrew Salazar (09:11.605)
This was that was in twenty twenty two. Like yeah, so summer yeah, it like I think it was after the No no that was twenty three. No, was twenty two. Twenty two for sure. Are you sure? Positive. Positive you're right, you're right. Because we did the fall, isn't it? We did the Vaughn thing earlier in the year, around June, when w we went to the finals. we actually won at Come and Take It. Rag and roll. So we did that whole thing and then we were like, we need to start, you know, touring or whatever, do all this
Ryan Rayle (09:28.072)
Yep.
Andrew Salazar (09:40.862)
All this crap and yes we bought the van and then we got the van in September and it broke down in November. Yeah. Yeah, it sucked dude. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (09:53.192)
So how was your so so how was the Vaucan experience and and okay, so again for those for those listening, every year Wacken open air festival that happens in Europe, they host a n nationwide competition and every region has like a regional final, then a state final, and then the state finalist goes to some pre selected venue somewhere and Donella Drive actually won and
They got w where did you guys get to play at after States?
Andrew Salazar (10:26.373)
At at the Viper Room. Yeah yeah. The Viper Room. Los Angeles. Yeah. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (10:29.67)
Viper room. That's right. That's right. How was that?
Andrew Salazar (10:34.373)
it was I it was cool to me. I don't know. I it was a cool experience. I mean going to LA that was like my first time in LA so that was that was fun. We spent the week out there, we like did the whole like, you know we tourist thing at Hollywood Boulevard, we went to Santa Monica and you know, the the pier. We and then we got to even rehearse a little bit.
You know, before the show, so Yeah, that was cool. Just going just going to LA for the first time. Yeah, do it yeah, it felt like you know, we were like legit you know, for for a week. At the Viper. Yeah. that's for River Phoenix died. Yeah. Yeah, that that whole thing.
Ryan Rayle (11:08.39)
Yeah, yeah. It that yeah, that that whole thing. well, so let me ask you this. Now going through that experience and obviously having years of retrospection, is there any and I'm and I you guys are s you guys are still relatively young. Late twenties, right? Early thirties?
Andrew Salazar (11:12.856)
Ha ha ha.
Andrew Salazar (11:30.47)
Early thirties for this guy. I'm the old guy. I just turned forty.
Ryan Rayle (11:34.312)
No.
You're forty?
Andrew Salazar (11:39.72)
Yeah, I just in March I turned forty, yeah. Old fuck. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (11:43.282)
Dude, we are whatever whatever we're whatever skincare routine cause I turn forty three next month and people are like, There's no way that you're forty three. Like, hey, you gotta you know, don't don't
Andrew Salazar (11:46.331)
well.
That's crazy. That's actually crazy. I thought you were I thought you were lucky. I thought you were like maybe thirty four. Yeah, I d
Ryan Rayle (11:58.088)
Yeah. It's all the it's all the adrenochrome that I'm taking from Epstein's Island. No, I'm not a part of that clan. I'm not a part of that. I'm not a part of that. I just Yeah, I just God, no, no, turn turn the conversation around.
Andrew Salazar (12:06.621)
Yeah. That's what kids are great for. What'd you get me started, man? I can't stop.
Ryan Rayle (12:22.736)
Yeah. But the the question the question that I was gonna say is what advice from that experience and now being able to look back on it, is there anything that you would have changed and what would you tell other bands that are trying to just get outside of the state for their first kind of run? What what kind of advice would you give?
Andrew Salazar (12:43.598)
Rent a van. Rent a van. Yeah, rent a van. Or I don't know, unless you like know you're getting a good I would just rent a fucking van. Yeah, rent a van. Because we yeah, I mean I'm not gonna go into extensive detail about why I felt conf why we were confident in buying that van. Yeah. But we were pretty ripped off. I'll say that. You can't really trust a lot of people. So definitely r if you're it's your first tour, just rent it. Just rent a van.
Ryan Rayle (12:45.917)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (13:13.62)
there's another band called The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. there neighbor, James. yes he tells we're actually playing with him on the seventh, at Stable Hall. he tell he told me he just rents bands. He's like, There's no point. He's I think he always just rents bands, if I remember our com conversation correctly. That's what he said. Yeah. But but as far as like us, like the show, dude. I think we did everything perfectly, man. Like I I I wouldn't change anything, like
We were the probably the tightest we ever sounded. Like we we killed it. Like we had the people into it. I mean it was a packed show. Like I wouldn't change anything, honestly. Well I think they did they they took off points if I remember correctly because of my look. Yeah, like they had like they had these Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (14:00.922)
What What wait. The the judges the judges took off points because of your looks?
Andrew Salazar (14:09.402)
Yeah, that's it's rock and roll. That makes sense to me. but I mean I don't know how it was when you guys voted in Austin. I don't know if you they gave you if you had papers that you had some markdown but yeah they they I remember ca I did I did catch a glimpse that there's something about our look wasn't was wasn't very good, and that the they weren't that who did I hear from I don't remember. This is like
Ryan Rayle (14:20.572)
Yes. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (14:28.242)
Andrew Salazar (14:38.702)
kind of a blur and I got wasted that night too. Yeah. The guys that won Mithrium, it yeah, they got me they got me pretty trash. 'Cause they probably 'cause they knew they were winning and they were just like, hey bud, let's let's get you fucked up you know what I mean? Like so they and then they i it eased it eased the pain that was you know burning yeah. It was dude honestly I was just more stoked just to be in L A like play a show. The whole thing was fun but but yeah yeah I for I forget what exactly
Ryan Rayle (14:55.931)
Ease the pain.
Andrew Salazar (15:08.589)
I think we were like the third option. I thought we were second. No, we were the third if I remember correctly. Who told you that? I don't remember. I I thought we were second because I know one of the judges came up to me and he was like, I don't know what those guys are thinking, you guys won it to me. That's what a judge told me. It's a lot like a like a Yeah, I should have won that shit, daddy. You know, I'm the prettiest girl at the pageant. Yeah you know. fucking those girls, they're not as cute as me. They're ugly. They're ugly, you know?
Ryan Rayle (15:23.867)
Nice.
Ryan Rayle (15:30.066)
Ha ha.
Andrew Salazar (15:37.944)
Yeah. Yeah. So who knows, man. I don't know.
Ryan Rayle (15:38.798)
man. This is this is
This is this is why this is why I love just randomly checking in with with with bands and and seeing what they've been up to because you get to you get to hear stories like this. And also, you know, since then you guys have put out some pretty some pretty spicy music. forgive me if I'm wrong, but it's I versus I. That's the latest drop from you guys.
Andrew Salazar (16:02.013)
the most recent, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, dude. Back in March I believe we
Ryan Rayle (16:07.182)
I wanted to say May, yeah. Yeah, it wasn't that wasn't too long ago, but for those listening and watching, go check that out after this episode. This is a it's a it's a really solid jam. I mean, you guys have been you guys have been putting out, in my opinion, really quality sounding, highly produced music, but when you see it live, it kind of gives this raw feel to it. It like it's like, these guys
And don't take this the wrong way, but it's almost like you are a jam band that actually knows what the fuck they're doing. granted you guys are brothers and have been doing it for a long time, so you have that kind of, you know, symbiosis or the connection between you guys. but what's next? What's the next what's the next fun little journey you guys are getting ready to take us on musically?
Andrew Salazar (16:58.548)
we have we have pretty much have eight songs ready to go. Like we've been recording well seven, technically, sorry, seven more. We just dropped I versus I yeah, that came out May sixth, and then we're working on we we work with a guy named Chris Mora in San Antonio. He's our good friend engineer producer. Yeah, Chris is the man. I love one of our really good friends, man. We've he you know, he doesn't stuff for upon a burning body. I think Kim Dracula. Kim Tracul he even did some stuff for Avenge Sevenfold if I
Ryan Rayle (17:13.495)
yeah, Chris?
Andrew Salazar (17:28.073)
He like a mix for them. He did a mix for them and they like and they liked it. He also had a number one song with was it Nikki Jam. They he went it went number one in Columbia or something like that. So it's you know it's got the billboard plaque on it. The billboard number one plaque. Yeah, Chris is awesome, man. But yeah, we we we did so when we did the Wacken thing, we we had a we had a different drummer at the time. We had Landis. I don't know if you remember Landis. he has a studio here in San.
Ryan Rayle (17:40.711)
Wow.
Ryan Rayle (17:56.146)
Land is
Andrew Salazar (17:58.237)
Yeah. He's the one that we did the contest with. we did the last record Axon with him and that was we pretty much all live. That was a live record. and I that that kinda got that out of my system and I feel like with with what I what I like about Chris is that everything sounds so everything sounds so cle like clear, just super clear. You know, it's super it's a high production. we don't even have a drummer on this record.
I mean we have a drummer, we've a we have a who plays with this. but on the record, it's it's a it's a it's a program and it's it's like yeah, just let's just do this. Like just to get the songs out. We're just trying to get the songs out. Like not sitting on them forever. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, so we have seven songs ready to go. Now we're seven songs ready to go. We're gonna get the we have one coming up, it's called the Hourglass Opens. it's we're gonna have mixed.
Ryan Rayle (18:45.234)
Yeah, 'cause if you st go ahead.
Andrew Salazar (18:54.654)
Hopefully within sometime the end of this month. Is that the home we're putting it, Rex? Did you want to do that one? I don't know. Alright, anyway, that's one that we pay. Yeah. I thought you said you wanna put it out. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (19:03.73)
This is guys, this is this is the band meeting right now. We're discuss yeah, th this is how they figure their stuff out in real time.
Andrew Salazar (19:10.759)
Yeah. So yeah, yeah. So that's a song we could put out unless we're doing vocals tomorrow too for some more songs. Yeah. But th it's already it's already like guitars done, bass drum, bass bass is done, drums are done, like it's just I think we're just doing vocals and mixing at this point. But we should have something for you, hopefully either most likely August, another single. Yeah, hopefully, yeah. Yeah. Well the but the technology's getting so good that the I mean the drums are fooling some people, you know what I mean?
You claim to have good. But but luckily luckily Hobby Hobby's good enough to pull it off too. Like well no Hobby yeah, Hobby's the he's the man. Yeah, he's an insane drummer, dude. He's probably the best drummer that's ever played for us, honestly. Yeah, so yeah. He he's a madman and he can pull it off and he even throws it in his own like spice of the songs live. So which yeah it only adds to us even even adds more to that jam band thing. 'Cause 'cause to me, like, there's two like if you want to go hear the record, go hear the record. But if you want to hear us live
There's gonna be different there's gonna be differences. We're gonna be doing imp improv sometimes, we're gonna be doing, you know, things that aren't on w the recording, you know. So that's what I like about the live and then the the recording. Yeah, w with the recording I just want it I just want the songs to be represented as clearly as possible. Yeah. If so and we're and Chris Chris is a great guy to do that with. Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (20:29.349)
Man, so that's you I think you just hit it. I one of the messages that I've been prom you know, kind of just beating into people's heads all the time is that you can you can consume the music however, you know, streaming from C D on the radio, or you know, somebody sends you a link or whatever. Or you see a or you see like a a promoted thing on on Instagram or or or Facebook or something, but to really like marry that relationship is alive.
a live show. There are always going that that show will always be that show and there will never be another like it. And if you're not there to experience it, then then you're never gonna know what you're you're not gonna know what h you can you can look at videos and and and shit that people post from said show, but being there in the room while it's happening and like you said, your drummer just kind of improvs and it's like, wait a minute, what what was that? You're never gonna experience that 'cause like
Andrew Salazar (21:07.259)
Exactly.
Ryan Rayle (21:28.963)
Like Aiden said, y you know, when it comes to the the the the studio session and the actual album, the mix, the master, you know, you want it to be this through line of of this, I want you to hear this, I want you to hear that, I want you to know about this. But live, s I'm not gonna say all of it goes out the window, but that's the foundation and then hearing it, you know, come through the speakers and fucking that that raw boom through your chest and
maybe somebody gets in a push pit and starts mixing it up a little bit. You know, it just God, it's so much, so much fun. And you guys, for those that haven't seen a Donella Drive live set, you are missing out. I highly recommend going to see these guys play. speaking of of playing, what what are some of the upcoming show dates and potential potential tour in the fall, maybe fall, spring?
Andrew Salazar (21:57.658)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (22:01.197)
Ha ha ha.
Andrew Salazar (22:22.2)
yeah. yeah. So July twenty-fifth, we'll be in the Austin area. Bushy Street Bushy Street Commons at the Alley Bar. We're playing with some guys, Nigma and Gene Ross, they're from the Dallas Fort Worth area. that'll be a cool show. And yeah, I think it's yeah, it's it's a Saturday, right? Yeah, Saturday, July twenty fifth. And then we'll be in San Antonio August seventh with with the Grasshopper Lives Heavy at Stable Hall.
that's like a I don't know if you've ever been to the Pearl in San Antonio. It's it's an kind of like almost like just a little little north of down pretty much downtown San Antonio. But it's a it's a whole nice it's a nice venue. Like it was actually an old like a stable horse stable that they turned into a a venue and it's it looks really cool. It's really nice. Yeah man, so it's a it's a good size like that is August seventh. August seventh in San Antonio at at the stable hall.
Ryan Rayle (22:56.647)
I have not, sadly.
Ryan Rayle (23:10.898)
that's pretty sick. And what d and what date is that again?
Andrew Salazar (23:22.477)
Mm-hmm. And then hopefully I'm working on a tour right now. I was talking to the guys in Batlips. We want to get together and do some kind of run in the in the fall, maybe some kind of like either Texas run or maybe go as far as far an East Coast tour maybe in the fall. That's where we're we're working on right now. Yeah. We were gonna we were planning something with the the guys in Chidori. We did we did a tour with them back in April April. We you know, we just went around Texas and at some point
Ryan Rayle (23:38.471)
Ooh.
Andrew Salazar (23:51.924)
either you know, doing something with them in the future. maybe next year going east coast with Chidori as well. But yeah, right now we're just trying to get this thing going with BatLips. Yeah. Yeah, we'll figure s figure out. But either way we'll be trying to Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (24:06.002)
Yeah, snaps snaps are bat lips. They've No, go ahead.
Andrew Salazar (24:10.912)
No, yeah, so yeah, they're they're awesome. I just saw them in San Antonio last week for a free show on on the on the third. They were awesome. They killed it.
Ryan Rayle (24:19.912)
Dude, yeah, Batlips is one of my new favorite bands. I've known about It's kind of like 'cause there's bands that you hear about that aren't really on your radar until they're on your radar. And then once they're there, they don't leave. Like and and for me, that's that's Batlips. I've had them play actually, when did they play one of the shows? it was my last one. Yeah, they actually played my last annual showcase. And
Andrew Salazar (24:45.237)
Showcase? Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (24:47.59)
Yeah, they played the yeah, they played the showcase. It was with Darkness Divided, Cult Burner, Future Ghosts, Broken Time, Inside the Hollow, and Bridges Ablaze. I've got all mounted up over here as my like Yeah, I pulled I pulled them out of the That's that I pulled them out of the out of the out of the proverbial magic hat and I was like because they had they had
Andrew Salazar (24:57.653)
That's not
Darkness divided, that's Chris Murray.
Ryan Rayle (25:11.356)
Let's see, they had released I forget what song. They just kind of came out of the woodwork and I took got with Anthony and I was like, Hey, you think we could get darkness? And he's like, I can send him an email. And that's how it all started. And then they played the show. It was dude. Loved it. Loved it. Darkness was one of my how do I say this? One of my gateway bands for Central Texas metal back when we first started the podcast. That's kind of about the time frame they were
Andrew Salazar (25:37.182)
Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (25:41.19)
you know, I don't want to say blowing up, but big enough to, you know, run the country with other bands and have their, you know, kind of be a standout here in all in in Texas. let me ask you this. What band, what band would you love to tour with?
Andrew Salazar (25:51.656)
Yeah, for sure.
Andrew Salazar (25:59.828)
Like a national ban.
Ryan Rayle (26:01.042)
Could be anybody. Could be let's let's do this. Let's do a let's do let's do a local from Texas that you've that you're like, that'd be fun. Kind of like bat lips, but but then also maybe a a national. And it doesn't have to be assigned, you know, it doesn't have to be like whoever, but I mean, yeah, let's let's let's put it out, let's put it out there.
Andrew Salazar (26:03.498)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (26:08.745)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (26:21.117)
Shit, that's so many man. Naikaiju lights their shit on fire. I think they're local. Yeah. I wouldn't mind touring with them just just for the novelty of seeing shit lit on fire over time. Who's your local? My local, my other local, huh? That's tough, man.
It's really tough.
Ryan Rayle (26:43.74)
We asked the hard hitting questions around here.
Andrew Salazar (26:45.702)
Yeah. Mm-hmm. But a national band a big band. A big fuck, man. It's like I tour with any big band. Yeah, I tour with anybody. Yeah. if you're gonna give us a crowd. You put us in front of like, you know, a couple of I don't even care at this point. Yeah. Yeah. fucking the Mars Volta? Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (26:59.912)
Like it I don't even care.
Ryan Rayle (27:12.294)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (27:13.5)
too too uppity. Think so? Yeah. You'll never know. You know. we need we it would have to be a rock crowd. I mean Mars Volta's rock but they like I don't know. They they have they're not they stopped doing blow, man. They're they're not they're not getting into it like they used to, you know. but it it needs to be it needs to be a band with some that if you know it has adrenaline and shit. I tour with Primus, fuck
Yeah. I don't know how that would match but other than people go, yeah, bass slap. That's really the only thing I think we haven't played with Primus. Like Fall Of Troy could be cool. Fall Of Troy, Fall Of Troy that could be a fun trip. Yeah. And we played with those guys, they're they're super cool. I would I'd like to I'd like to tour Troy or even like Protest the Hero. we played with them and that was a lot of fun.
Ryan Rayle (27:50.13)
Well I'll tell you what. Ooh, follow Troy.
Ryan Rayle (28:03.696)
Ooh, there we go.
Andrew Salazar (28:05.509)
Yeah. Like to me I think some of that's that makes a little more sense. shit, but fucking ultimate ultimate I fucking I'll open for Metallica, man. Yeah, I open for Metallica. Let me open for Metallica right now. Right now, man. Yeah. For sure.
Ryan Rayle (28:11.24)
I gotcha.
Ryan Rayle (28:18.087)
Yeah.
Just just start tagging them in the comments. Like how you see like on Instagram or or or and it's like day five of playing this song until you know, insert band comments or you know, day three of day three of trying to find the how how was it like day five of the algorithm trying to find fans? Da da da da. It's it's I think it's interesting. It's a cool little take on how to do that. But I would say, I would say you guys could probably tour with.
Andrew Salazar (28:24.231)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (28:34.85)
Exactly.
Andrew Salazar (28:47.108)
All the oldest.
Ryan Rayle (28:50.968)
Anybody just bass like you guys have a very wide range you have a very wide sound. It's it's there's it and but it's not like a wall of sound where it's like, whoa. It's just you guys you guys know how to fill a room with the, you know, with the instruments in the sound that the instruments that you have. So I think I think anybody would be honored to have you guys open up or play with them personally.
Andrew Salazar (29:14.368)
yeah thank you man. at instead of at Mars Volta at the drive. Yeah, that'd be cool. That would make more sense. We we've opened for Sparta before. Yeah. So you know That that crowd liked us. Yeah, that was a great crowd for us. They totally got it. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, that'd be that would be
Ryan Rayle (29:29.724)
Where where when when and where was that?
Andrew Salazar (29:33.559)
In Houston. In Houston last year. where where was the the secret group? The secret group or something. In in Houston. Yeah, we played with Mo we we played with Moon. It was yeah, it's it's a nice place. We played with Mundo and Sparta. Yeah. And the crowd was really, really receptive. Yeah, it was cool. It was our first show back. we we hadn't played in like what, like five months or something. Something like that, six months. And
Ryan Rayle (29:42.054)
Okay. I've never heard of that place.
Andrew Salazar (30:01.22)
So that was our first show back and it was it was fucking awesome and yeah that would that would be yeah that that would that might be a c a fun band to open for Sparta. I mean we've done it so but like the tour with, yeah, Sparta. We'll throw those into the man. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Ryan Rayle (30:15.206)
Nice. Nice. I'm over here just like sending emails like, Hey, Sparta, Volsmart. man. dang, I was I had just had the question on my fucking br I'll think of it in a second. so what's the I know that you said you had seven almost eight and we're probably gonna get new music August. Is it gonna be full EP or is that gonna come down the road later?
Andrew Salazar (30:43.798)
We're just gonna be putting out singles, man. Like like the album's done and recorded, but we're we're just gonna put out as singles, and eventually it'll be a full album. Like when you go, you know, like that's down the line though, but we're just gonna put out as singles just to keep the content flow going and the Spotify algorithm. Content flow. Yeah. You're we're you're not looking at musicians, you're looking at content creators. Yeah. Yeah, dude.
Ryan Rayle (30:50.984)
Yep. Right.
Ryan Rayle (31:06.856)
You heard it first, guys. We're content creators. Get it through your heads.
Andrew Salazar (31:10.562)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's old that's old head shit, alright? We're content creators. Catch me catch me on the flip doing my TikTok dance. Just do the Macarena or some shit.
Ryan Rayle (31:17.852)
Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (31:25.252)
Yeah.
man. Well, I can I like again, I've said it I've said it before and I'll say it again. I really do think if if you've got the spare change in your pocket to go see a show that Donella Drive is on, I would highly encourage you to save those dollars for that show. and and and just go see it, go experience it. They they put on hell of a show. The music's good. There's no there's no, you know.
Andrew Salazar (31:29.482)
Yeah, dude.
Ryan Rayle (31:58.269)
Tricks or gimmicks, it's just fucking music. And the show is equally as fun. but I don't want to take up too much of your time. I know Aiden said he just woke up today to get to the interview. so on this on this Sunday fun day and day of rest. let's let's go ahead give everybody all your socials and any shout outs to where they can follow you and just keep in touch.
Andrew Salazar (32:09.993)
No, I should.
Andrew Salazar (32:27.038)
Yeah dude follow us Instagram at Donnell Drive, TikTok at Donnella Drive, same with Facebook at Donnell Drive and it's pretty much Donnell Drive everywhere. And yeah, just you know, be on the lookout for all of our new music we have coming up and shows and we're gonna try and be out there a little a little bit more and playing more shows. Are we dropping the drive? We're too announced. Should we announce that? Yeah. I don't know. I don't know, yeah. That's a whole other nothing. I just opened a can of words.
Ryan Rayle (32:47.501)
side note.
what?
Andrew Salazar (32:56.383)
No, w sorry, there's been talk about it.
Ryan Rayle (32:56.85)
We'll just yeah, this'll this'll be the this'll be the social clip right here. Yeah, this'll be the clip. What what'd he say? What? But I I
Andrew Salazar (33:02.463)
Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (33:11.046)
yes. I now remember. I sent one of you a picture of an actual street sign that said Donella Drive in San Antonio or San Marcus?
Andrew Salazar (33:12.433)
Yeah,
Andrew Salazar (33:19.207)
Yeah. Yeah yeah. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. San Antonio. Yeah San Antonio San Antonio. Because we saw
Ryan Rayle (33:24.432)
Okay. Is
Andrew Salazar (33:29.501)
I think we got frozen.
Ryan Rayle (33:33.558)
yeah, sorry. Is that is that where the name came from? That road sign?
Andrew Salazar (33:39.472)
yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean
Ryan Rayle (33:47.368)
Dude, you sounded you sounded so upset, you're like, Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (33:51.246)
Yeah. Well, it's kinda funny 'cause like there's always been an issue that the Donella Drive, the drive part of our name is like the corny dated part of our band name that's been like holding us back or but I've seen like way worse band names. But like yeah, I mean I was seventeen and I named this band, obviously. It's because it was just a street. You know, so it and you know, and Yeah, we've been talking about j just dropping the drive.
Ryan Rayle (34:14.748)
Yeah. No.
Yeah, I've I've heard I've heard bands just Donella. That's it, just Donella. I mean, yeah, I mean you wouldn't it I don't think that would be too big of a heavy lift as a rebrand. I mean, just kind of it it'd be the the kind of evolution of the band. And like you said, you you know, thought of it when you were seventeen. Now we're knocking on the door of mid thirties and also forties. And so, you know,
Andrew Salazar (34:22.907)
Yeah. Everyone calls that anyway, yeah. Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (34:32.935)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (34:43.431)
Mm-hmm.
Ryan Rayle (34:46.342)
I would I wouldn't think that that would be a hard a hard rebrand. I mean, you could have all new merch lineup, all new design. I mean, there's countless things you could do with it. so I wouldn't I wouldn't shy away I wouldn't shy away from it, honestly. Just maybe put it on the back burner and maybe, you know, maybe run some test hits on some friends and people you don't know, just see how it works.
Andrew Salazar (34:52.743)
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (34:56.391)
Yeah, sure.
Andrew Salazar (35:04.743)
Yeah, it's it.
Yeah. Something to think about for sure. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Ryan Rayle (35:11.558)
Yeah, 'cause I mean, I know I know for me personally, whenever I have an idea or or I need just hey, like a a hot take on something, I've got about fifteen different people that when that thought enters my mind, it's almost like a group chat, just boom, hey, I got this idea. What do you guys think? Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, but you know, just just a thought. Just a th I would support it. So
Andrew Salazar (35:36.144)
Yeah, cool. Thank you.
Ryan Rayle (35:39.272)
let's see what else. Dropping the drive. D that's it. Donella Drive. Dropping the drive.
Andrew Salazar (35:43.996)
yeah.
No, that's pretty much it, man. Just just shows and and trying to put out music and videos along with them. That's pretty much what we got going on. But like I said, the record's done for the most part. Like guitars are done, bass is done, drums, just just gonna be dropping singles for the rest of the year. So like periodically, hopefully like hopefully we'll have another song mix a little bit quicker. and hopefully maybe like August, maybe like September or October for the next a third single.
Ryan Rayle (35:52.033)
Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (36:10.13)
Cool man.
Andrew Salazar (36:18.852)
Depending on what we we pick, you know. But they're they're ready to go.
Ryan Rayle (36:20.381)
Okay.
Ryan Rayle (36:25.04)
All right. Well, guys, people listening, people watching, you heard it here first. Donella Drive is ready to go. They got it in the chamber, locked and loaded, ready to fire them out, single, single, single, and then eventually some EPs. And tour, potential tour in the fall. Also, shows coming up as well. So just hit them up on Instagram. Like I said, Donella Drive on all the Soch, because that's not other bands out there named yours. Yours isn't a hard one to find. I'll just say that.
Andrew Salazar (36:51.513)
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, no, it's pretty easy, yeah. That's true.
Ryan Rayle (36:55.282)
So and last thing before we get out of here, do you guys have any special shout outs or thank yous?
Andrew Salazar (37:05.082)
Shout out to Satan. shout out shout out on the on a on the metal podcast shit. Gotta bring it some Satan.
Ryan Rayle (37:11.302)
Yeah I think you're the first one to ever say that on the show.
Ryan Rayle (37:20.134)
I know, it's I I have never heard I've never heard someone be like, Hey Satan, thanks.
Andrew Salazar (37:26.394)
Thanks for the sweet riffs. Jobless Like I would say shout out to anyone who s like you know, jams our music. I'll s I'll say that. Yeah, anybody who cares anybody who care anybody who cares.
Ryan Rayle (37:29.224)
man, the Dark Lord is happy. Thanks for the sweet riffs. I sold my soul. Perfect.
Ryan Rayle (37:39.132)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ryan Rayle (37:46.096)
Hmm.
Ryan Rayle (37:53.734)
Nice.
Andrew Salazar (37:55.0)
What a twelve year, fourteen? I got it's long. We started this band in twenty twelve, twenty twenty six. Yeah. yeah, I was seventeen when I started this band. So anybody that just is willing to check it out still and the people that like it, you know. thank you to them. Yeah, thank you. Anyone who just finds us and like digs the music and supports us, we've we shot we'll shout them out.
Ryan Rayle (38:00.103)
Yeah.
Man.
Andrew Salazar (38:24.438)
Shout out to the realist. The realist one real one.
Ryan Rayle (38:24.742)
Nice. Nice. So this one so this one's yeah, d then Donella is for the people, as they say. For the people. they're not they're not bought and paid for. They're not under any contractual agreement to say, you know, thanks thanks BMG and all the other bullshit. I really I really do think bands I really do think bands like you guys are are and and I'm I'm not saying this just because I know you guys and and
Andrew Salazar (38:31.723)
Yeah, sure. Yeah, sure.
Yeah.
Andrew Salazar (38:43.713)
Yeah.
Ryan Rayle (38:53.916)
all that but I really think that bands like you guys in the local scene are really that that connective tissue that that just keeps it going. Like you guys, like you say, you've been doing this 17 years. You're still here doing it, still making new music. You got gas in the tank. Your fuel pump might be broke, but there's still gas in the tank, right? So as like my like like my dad said, you're not lost as long as you've got gas in the tank. So I think
Andrew Salazar (39:12.933)
Ryan Rayle (39:23.836)
I I think that you guys definitely have the energy and the and the sound. So from me to you, thank you for continuing to to create this fun this fun thing we call music and art because God knows whenever whenever your songs come on, it's like you you guys have like, that that's that's Donella and then you bring out the phone, like, Yep, that's Donella, okay. You're not a you're not a skippable band, if you know what I'm saying, in my opinion. But Yeah, dude.
Andrew Salazar (39:46.741)
Yeah, cool. Thank you, man. Thank you. Cool.
Ryan Rayle (39:51.654)
Yeah, keep keep keep grinding. And with that, with that mushy goodbye, we will end it here. guys, stick around for a little bit. Let the software let it do what it needs to do. again, thank you much. Thank you very much, everybody, for listening and watching. I am Ryan at ATX Metal Podcast. This is Donella Drive out of San Antonio. If you like just fun music and a good show, check them out, hit them up, go to the Instagram, follow them, share their stuff, buy the merch.
Help them get to the next place where they want to go, wherever that is. And until then, we'll see you later. Love you guys.
Andrew Salazar (40:26.941)
Yeah.