Drew Tarves' music as young friend feels both classic and immediate, capturing the nostalgia of post-adolescence while diving deep into a pool of self-reflection. His debut full-length album, *Motorcycle Sound Effects*, is a vivid, genre-bending exploration of growing up—the fleeting feelings, the wishing, longing, pretending, running away, and staying grounded. It’s about first love and heartbreak, fake friends and instant crushes, the excitement of new beginnings, and the self-doubt that comes with them. The album bursts with big emotions and perfect golden light, messy and raw like long summer nights, piling into the back of a pickup truck with all your friends, sprinting to catch the last sunset, taking off your shoes and dancing in the grass, falling, getting back up.

A trained dancer for most of his adolescence, the 24-year-old Vancouver native switched artistic disciplines after spending time jamming with his musician friends. "I found out very quickly that I loved it," he recalls. "It was my favorite thing to do." Armed with a guitar and a laptop, Tarves began crafting songs on GarageBand, experimenting with different sounds until he found his own distinct style. In 2022, he released his indie-pop debut EP *HOW DID WE GET HERE?*, quickly followed by *scaredy cat* in 2023. By 2024, he embarked on his first Canadian and international tours and earned a Juno nomination.

*Motorcycle Sound Effects*, produced by longtime collaborator David Marinelli (Wallice, Finneas, spill tab), takes inspiration from a wide range of artists and genres, creating a sound that feels both fresh and familiar. Grungy guitar riffs, pared-down folk moments, indie-pop breaks reminiscent of the early 2000s, and even a full-on country song—all come together in a whirlwind of sonic self-discovery.

"This album takes notes from a lot of different artists and bands that I really love, and as a result, it’s this sort of genre-bending fever dream album," Tarves explains. "It's about the people you encounter and the experiences that shape you. I wanted to capture all sides of the coin—the moments when I was wrong, when I did the right thing and it still didn’t work out, when something was new and exciting, and it was all I could think about."

Through it all, *Motorcycle Sound Effects* embraces the performance of growing up—the costume changes and plot twists, the search for identity, the wondering whether you’re doing the right thing, or if you might be the problem. Young friend’s storytelling is at the heart of it, sometimes stepping into different characters to tell a story, making each song feel like a fleeting but unforgettable moment in time. *Motorcycle Sound Effects* takes you along for the ride of your life.

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