Singer Gina Rae Partin on haunted highways, sonic chaos, and the band’s alt-rock edge
By Casey Quinn, Indie Insider
The Jetglows aren’t here to coast. With blistering guitars, vintage tones, and a tale ripped from the Twilight Zone, their latest single “Drive Drive Drive” hits like a late-night canyon run—equal parts haunting and high-octane.
We caught up with vocalist/guitarist Gina Rae Partin, who opened up about the song’s ghostly premise, the band’s cross-country creative chaos, and why they don’t try to fit into any one lane.
What’s the story behind “Drive Drive Drive”? Where did the idea come from?
The opening verse—”I saw her driving just the other day…”—popped into my head while I was developing the vocal melody, and from there, a story was created around that.
There’s a line in the press that says the driver doesn’t realize he’s dead and is stuck replaying a fiery crash forever. That’s dark. Where did that image come from—and what does it mean to you personally?
I think everyone loves a good ghost story—and I wanted the story to have a Twilight Zone kind of vibe to it. Something more interesting than just some guy driving down the road.
The song sounds like a fast, loud, fuzz-drenched highway ride. What was the vibe in the studio when you were tracking this? Chaos or control?
The song started off as a demo with only an acoustic guitar. We work remotely—so we aren’t in the studio together—but after Todd added his guitars and Travis added the drums, the vibe was pretty much set. We had a rock song! Tim then added the bass and put some cool bends on some of the notes in the choruses to “drive” it home.
Who brought the first riff or lyric to the table—and did the song stay close to the original idea or morph into something unexpected?
I brought the song in as a demo. The story evolved from nonsense words that I blurted out in the first run-throughs of the song. I’ll almost always sing a vocal melody over a new idea and then try to make sense of the words later—stream-of-consciousness kind of thing. Usually, a few phrases will come out, with some nonsense, that fit the melody. Later, I shape it into something real. So, the story evolved from word salad, basically.
Your band walks a line between power-pop shimmer and indie rock grit. Where does “Drive Drive Drive” sit on that spectrum?
“Drive Drive Drive” definitely sits in the alt-rock or rock spectrum. We have a range of styles—if we like the song, we like the song. We don’t purposely try to write a certain type of song, but this one turned out to be more of a rock song.
Let’s talk sonics—what gear or tones were crucial in capturing the sound of this track? Anything vintage or weird you leaned on?
Todd Underwood is our main guitarist. He’s a tube amp guy with a full analog tracking, mixing, and mastering studio. I’m not sure what specific gear he used to track the guitars though. Maybe I’ll have him fly out to California so I can grill him and make him talk!
You’re based in Nashville, but this doesn’t sound like “Nashville music.” How does the city influence your sound, if at all?
Our drummer, Travis McNabb, lives there (Franklin), but I’m in California, Todd is in Florida, and Tim is in Georgia. We’ve known each other a long time and have a lot of musical influences between us. Nashville is home to some of the best musicians and producers in the world. Travis is a part of that world—he’s a session player and also mixes and produces many of our songs, so that Nashville polish definitely filters through.
There’s this relentless energy in “Drive Drive Drive”—but also a kind of sadness. Do you think of it as a ghost story? A metaphor? Or just a banger with a twist?
I think it’s a ghost story, but it doesn’t come right out and spell everything out. You need to pay attention to the lyrics to figure out what the song is suggesting. The lyrics are purposely a little open to interpretation—which is what I usually try to go for.
How are fans reacting so far? Any surprising feedback from early listeners or radio folks?
So far, the response has been great! Several people have told me that it sounds like a movie soundtrack. It’s only been out for two days now—but we feel good about the responses so far.
The Jetglows feel like a band that could have existed in the ‘70s or ’90s—but you’re very now. Who are your biggest influences, and who are you hoping to sit next to in playlists today?
Yeah, for sure we have that kind of a vibe. I personally feel like the ’90s might have been the greatest decade in music. All those great bands—Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Tom Petty—the list is endless. I think we have a lot of Beatles influence in our music, but we’ve got a modern sound.
It’s hard for me to say what bands we would sit next to—but if you like power-pop, indie, guitar-oriented rock with a catchy hook, then you’ll be fine sitting next to us. Just watch out for Tim—he bites.
If you could place “Drive Drive Drive” in a movie scene, what would that look like? Paint us a frame.
It’s 1968 in Los Angeles. A muscle car—the sun going down—and a guy is thundering through the canyons of the Hollywood Hills. He’s full of adrenaline and pushes it too far—and can’t make the turn. He goes over the edge of a dead man’s curve as Jumpin’ Jack Flash is playing on the radio.
What’s next for The Jetglows? More songs, touring, or are you already chasing the next big idea?
We plan on releasing songs about once a month. Next in line is a song called Mia, which should be out in August. Our big idea is a simple one—and that is to just enjoy what we’re doing and have fun doing it together.
Lastly, for someone who’s never heard your band before—what’s the one thing they should feel after hearing “Drive Drive Drive”?
Hopefully you feel like cranking it up loud and playing it again. If so, then we’ve done our job.
🎧 “Drive Drive Drive” by The Jetglows is out now on all streaming platforms.
📍 Based in Nashville | Indie rock with fuzz, fire, and feeling
📲 Follow @thejetglows on Instagram
About the Author:
Casey Quinn writes about guitars, ghosts, and everything that falls in between. Based somewhere off I-40 with a notebook and a fuzz pedal.
