Manic Drive is a Canadian band who has enjoyed success at Christian rock radio and whose previous two albums, Reason for Motion and Reset & Rewind have garnered a respectable amount of critical acclaim. In the wake of gaining key new industry partnerships including major national distribution, the band made up of singer, guitarist and keyboardist Shawn Cavallo, drummer Anthony Moreino, and lead guitarist Michael Cavallo have joined creative forces to assemble their upcoming release, Blue.

Blue distinctly showcases Manic Drive as a high energy three-piece band with a dynamic musical tour de force and a live show that leaves one asking, “How?” Their performances, both in the studio and on stage have garnered the attention of Bema Media, Provident-Integrity Distribution (a unit of SONY Music Entertainment) and Van Alan Productions & Management, who have all become fans of the Canadian trio. “Working with Van Hohe of Van Alan Productions has been extremely exciting. He has expanded the boundaries for Manic Drive and is pushing us to the next level as a national artist and has challenged us to improve artistically. He has networked some great connections which have allowed us to work with some amazing people including our new relationship with Compassion International,” says Shawn. “But it is bigger than just management. We have continued our partnership with our long standing label Whiplash Records, which has now brought Bema Media and Provident-Integrity Distribution to the table. We are thrilled about these new relationships and are excited about our future together. We’re thrilled to see so many key people and organizations coming together to work with us as we expand our reach and ministry.”
 
Michael adds, “Our relationship with Compassion International has been both an honor and a blessing. Teaming up with Compassion has given Manic Drive a tangible way to live what we sing; it's given us a new and expanded purpose for touring. Spreading the awareness of children suffering, taking action on it and truly seeing lives changed has really put things in perspective for us as a band. We are thrilled to see our generation take action and volunteer to sponsor children at our shows. We have sponsored a child for years through Compassion and are excited to now include them in what we do as a band.”

Manic Drive is very intentional about reaching their generation and inspiring them to pursue a deeper walk with Christ and to get involved in changing the world they are inheriting. And they are uniquely equipped to do so. The band members, all in their early twenties, have made sacrifices to pursue God’s call on their lives. Their life experience, spiritual maturity and ministry have opened doors to speak into the lives of their own generation and that is perhaps the most defining characteristic of this band. They speak boldly about the issues facing their peers and do so in a relevant and compelling way because they are dealing with the same pressures and struggles with the same feelings and emotions their peers face everyday. Michael explains, “Ministry comes first as we strive to encourage young people especially in their walk with God. This is an unprecedented time in history and we are all tired of the stale and mindless. A genuine experience with God is paramount to walking out this life of faith. So many people feel useless or out of place, but we are here to say that we as a generation can shake the world in amazing ways... even through the smallest actions.”  

“In our songwriting we talk about the issues of standing up for your faith and being bold in your walk with Christ,” says Shawn. “We are also very personal and real when it comes to discussing hard relationships and the loss of loved ones. We cover a number of difficult issues, but we always remain hopeful knowing our faith is in Christ.” Addressing hard issues with lyrical depth and poignancy, Manic Drive seeks to meet their generation where they are with real and lasting answers. Shawn explains, “Our mission as Christians is to boldly and radically share the message of Christ, to encourage young people in their faith and impact lives, not only through music, but in our daily lives and conversations with people. As music is our passion, our calling is to faithfully share the love of Christ.”

Manic Drive is now set to release their much anticipated album Blue, which drops August 18th 2009 through Provident-Integrity Distribution. Seamlessly weaving brave and vulnerable lyrics with musical complexity, Manic Drive reaches new depths of maturity both spiritually and as musicians. “Having our new project released through Provident-Integrity Distribution is such an honor and it gives us the opportunity to reach an entirely new level as a national Christian artist,” says Shawn. “We wanted this album to be groundbreaking by making a record that stands out artistically in a way that is musically relevant to those in and out of the church. The main focus for Manic Drive from an artistic perspective is to challenge ourselves creatively to push beyond our previous limitations, trying new ideas and ultimately landing on something that will be fun to experience live as well as on an iPod.” Shawn continues, “We hope every Manic Drive release will be refreshing to our fans as we continue to grow artistically as a band and we hope our lyrics resonate with people and challenge them to take a stand in faith to impact the world around them.”

Blue is lyrically and musically the band’s most daring project to date. A constant for them has been innovation and with their compass set on breaking barriers, they deliver everything from songs accented by pregnant pauses that give birth to bone-snapping hardcore to tracks that incorporate musical textures from various genres. While Manic Drive blends various elements into their mix, make no mistake the intense and aggressive focus of the band is alive and well. Adding to their new album is Lu Rubino of StorySide:B who contributed his distinctive sound to the title track. “The new musical direction we are taking with Blue explores different styles of music with energetic dynamics that hopefully keep things interesting and make people move by laying a primary foundation of rock and adding elements of pop, funk, dance and hip-hop,” says Shawn. “The underlying themes found on Blue are lyrics that will encourage people to get up and make a move, both literally as well as in their faith. Songs such as "Music" have a fun approach to challenging people to become radical and active. Other cuts like "Rain" and "Closer" are more relationally based on reaching out to God, submitting to Him and even asking for intervention at times to remain strong.”

Of their live performances, Michael says, “Our shows are high energy and we like having fun with everyone there. We never take ourselves too seriously! But at the end of the day, we are on a mission that far exceeds entertainment; our driving force is the burden we feel to reach the lost and encourage believers to a closer walk with Christ.” One listen to Manic Drive and you’ll realize they are an extremely talented band. One view of their live performance and you’ll know you’ve witnessed something truly extraordinary. One conversation with them and you’ll understand that musicianship and stage presence take a backseat to their dedication to Christ and His call on their lives. Blue will propel Manic Drive even further into the consciousness of music fans the world over and will open doors to ministry for this band like never before and for them, that’s what it’s all about.