The three friends at the heart of VHS Collection—James Bohannon, Conor Cook, and Nils Vanderlip (multi-instrumentalist and producer)—grew up together in New York City and formed the band in 2015 as a side project while working other jobs, merging modern and nostalgic aesthetics to create their now-signature heart-pumping, arena-ready synth rock and alt-pop. Going it alone as an independent trio meant more work, but it paid off: certified hits “Waiting For The Summer” and “So I Met Someone” off their 2016 record Stereo Hype racked up millions of listens and earned the band spots at festivals including Governor’s Ball, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits.

Night Drive, the brand new LP from New York trio VHS Collection, captures the spirit of that titular activity: its liminality, its kinetic excitement, its intoxicating potential and power, its hope and mystery. Each of the record’s 10 tracks do this in their own way—sometimes loud and brash, sometimes quiet and calm. But the feeling is just as visceral and real, as serious and limitless as four tires streaking across concrete under the hum of streetlights. In a time of perpetual uncertainty and disconnection, Night Drive is a return to one of the simple, critical pieces of our lived experience via driving drums, stratospheric synths, soaring vocals, and anthemic choruses built to sprint through the night sky.

“We’ve all had experiences driving at night, alone or with friends, on a road trip or some cool place,” says guitarist and producer Conor Cook. “Growing up, that’s a part of how you experience music. You get your license, and you can drive around with your friends listening to your favourite records. For me, it feels like a coming-of-age thing.”

“There’s something magical that happens when it’s nighttime, you’ve got music on, and you’re driving,” says vocalist James Bohannon. That feeling of unhindered possibility is central to the record’s ultimate theme: safeguarding hope amid turmoil. “We’ll make it work, we’ll figure it out,” says Bohannon. “The ups and downs, the obstacles, we’ll persevere and figure it out. We gotta keep on trucking.”