Nicolas Winding Refn’s cult film Drive celebrates its 10th anniversary next month (!!!), and as we’ve written about countless times over the years, its equally iconic soundtrack is still influencing music a decade later. The latest entry down electronic-pop’s glossy highway comes from St Jasper, who today (August 9) drops a rousing debut single titled “Driveway” that serves as a guiding synth light through the mental and emotional darkness of nighttime.
St Jasper is the musical project of London’s Jamie Johnson, who lifts his moniker from the fishing trawler his grandfather led through the Atlantic Ocean for nearly two decades. On “Driveway,” featuring production from Folly Group’s Louis Milburn, St Jasper pivots through a synthwave pulse and electro-pop songwriting acumen for a magnetic debut effort. It draws from the illuminating sounds from that indefatigable Drive OST, but pushes forward through modern approaches to keep it forward-facing.
“’Driveway’ is about lying awake at night struggling to sleep,” Johnson says. “There’s something about lying in bed in the dark that makes every noise seem louder, and every little worry gets blown out of proportion.”
He adds: “I often find night time anxieties are quite cyclical, I worry about not being able to sleep, which in turn makes me unable to sleep. We tried to incorporate some of the sounds that keep me awake into the track, sampling dog barks, dripping taps and more to create an atmospheric sound world that complements the lyrics.”
Take it for a spin below.
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