Donella Drive share official video for "Mindless Embryonic" from new album Axon

“They take quite a musical journey (a la At the Drive-In) through post-rock mellowness, post-hardcore angst, a bit of groovy doom and some 90s alt rock passion, with strong, clear vocals leading the way.” — Decibel Magazine

"The band's chief strength is its ability to take a varied musical approach without shaving the hard edges from its sound." -- San Antonio Current

"A supercharged scorcher! Melodic post-punk fury with a metallic edge, this is Prog that truly ROCKS." -- Echoes & Dust

"Blends alternative metal, post-hardcore, and progressive rock, all tied together with a sharp metallic edge." -- Metal Insider

“Deliberate with every riff, rhythm, and vocal line feeling purposeful, driving the listener forward while leaving space to absorb the details… Their most compelling chapter yet.” — It’s Psychedelic Baby! Magazine

San Antonio, TX band Donella Drive share the official video for "Mindless Embryonic" from their recently released album Axon today via Metal Epidemic HERE. (Direct on YouTube.) 

The album, Axon is available to hear/share on all DSPs HERE. 

Decibel Magazine previously shared the lead single HERE. 

Combining elements of alternative metal, post hardcore, and progresssive rock, San Antonio outliers Donella Drive cannot be categorized by a singular label. Consisting of songwriters Aidan Escalante (lead vocals/guitar) and Andrew Salazar (bass/backing vocals). Donella Drive has expanded upon the previous boundaries of their work since their inception in 2012. Brothers Escalante and Salazar originally formed the band with the desire to create a sonically engaging music that pushed the rock medium in a new direction. 

In 2015, Donella Drive released their first album Anomalous, followed by tours where they opened for legendary acts such as Megadeth, Deftones, and Scorpions, as well as contemporary bands such as Dead Poet Society, The Callous Daoboys, Protest The Hero, Hail the Sun, He Is Legend, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and Upon a Burning Body. Noteworthy changes such as Escalante’s shift to lead vocals, amplified their sound and led them to create Bloomer in 2020. 

Donella Drive remains tenacious in challenging themselves in their pursuit to elevate their music and diverge from commercial endeavors, which is evident in their recent EP release “Ozell”, and their first full length album Axon released in August 2025.

Their single “Keep You Waiting” recently peaked at #24 on The Billboard Rock Indicator chart as well as peaking at #10 on The Foundations Chart. The band was also a finalist for The Battle For Wacken Festival and performed at The Viper Room in West Hollywood in 2022.

Axon is available on download/streaming, released on August 22nd, 2025. Orders are available HERE. 

DONELLA DRIVE LIVE 2025:

10/05 San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center - Kill Iconic Fest 

10/11 Harlingen, TX - Hop Shop Bar

Artist: Donella Drive

Album: Axon

Record Label: self-released

Release Date: August 22, 2025

01. My Name is Axon

02. Simian Transmission

03. Mindless Embryonic

04. Terlingua

05. Stir the Echoes

06. External Gazer

07. Past Inside The Present

08. Polychromatic Dream

09. Death Animation

10. Information Superhighway

Austin psych-punk GUS BALDWIN shares "Depression" single from solo debut LP; Bass Drum of Death tour w/ Gus Baldwin & The Sketch in Fall

"Genre-agnostic quartet with classic rock energy and brassy punk politics... channeling the raw energy of punk." -- Austin Chronicle

“ARTIST OF THE MONTH, March 2025: Infectious garage rock energy. A furious mix of ferocious guitars, a technical knock-out rhythm section, and lyrics that would make all of the legendary Beat Poets howl in approval.” — KUTX

"Kick ass to bombastic levels." -- Cosmic Clash

“Noisy, fuzzy punk with a distinct pop sensibility… Full of energy and anger while also managing to be a lot of fun.” — New Noise Magazine

Austin artist Gus Baldwin shares a new solo single "Depression" today from his forthcoming self-titled full length solo debut album. The single launched earlier via New Noise Magazine HERE and is available to hear & share on all DSPs HERE. 

Gus Baldwin & The Sketch play the main stage alongside The Hives and The Kills in St. Louis this weekend at Evolution Festival, followed by Western US shows supporting Bass Drum of Death in October-November. See all tour dates below, tickets are HERE. 

Gus Baldwin & the Sketch was the Artist of the Month for March at local NPR affiliate KUTX. Read the interview HERE. The band was also featured in a front cover story in alt weekly paper the Austin Chronicle. Read the feature story HERE. 

Gus Baldwin is a 20-something singer/songwriter/ex-hippie/part-time punk hailing from Austin, TX. He splits his time constantly performing as a one man garage band, or with his band The Sketch, and as a frequent collaborator with other local acts. His music spans an array of time periods (80s power-pop, 60s psych, 70s proto-punk, 90s indie rock), and his forthcoming self-titled debut solo full length showcases the immensity of his talents in making all of those influences sound fresh and new. 

“Each song on the record is a different piece of me trying to figure out who I was, and how the world was changing around me,” Baldwin says. “It’s a document of my early 20s.” And, it’s a document of an artist finding his voice from within several entanglements. More on that in a moment…

The debut full length by Gus Baldwin & The Sketch, titled simply The Sketch was released earlier in 2025 to much critical acclaim: Austin NPR affiliate KUTX’s Artist of The Month in March, a front cover story in Austin Chronicle and Best Punk Band nomination, as well as personal invitations to support Jack White and tour with Bass Drum of Death in Fall 2025. 

While The Sketch continues to tour the US (and soon the EU) and write, Gus’ solo album serves to fill in the shades and background that made him. To wit: After a stint holding down drums for Dallas surf punk legends Sealion in high school, Baldwin went on to form the psych-pop combo Acid Carousel, which he led for 6 years and 20-ish releases before departing the band on Halloween night 2021. Quickly releasing a string of solo titles on his own GetWithIt! Records imprint, including the EPs THRILLER II, and Live Bugs, as well as a slew of singles, Gus established himself firmly as the godson of Texas rock 'n’ roll. Teaming up with former Acid Carousel bandmates, and other friends, Gus formed The Sketch in 2022 with bassist Lucas Martins, guitarist David Rawlinson, and drummer Trey Gutierrez.

“At the time of writing most of these tunes, I was still in Acid Carousel and fed up with how things were going, and mostly tired of the psych bag I had been put in,” Baldwin says. The pandemic was a prolific time for him, with a personal mission to write and record a new track every other day on his 4-track recorder. “It’s interesting seeing the songs written for Carousel put on the same album with the ones written right after both my breakup with that band, and my long term relationship. It made sense to put these all together to document my personal journey from age 21 to now.”

The 12-track album was recorded on a Tascam 388 8-track tape machine at the home studio of Baldwin’s friend Ramiro Verdooren over many sessions throughout 2022-2023. Roky Moon (American Sharks) recorded the final touches and mixed the album, with Joey Oaxaca mastering in Los Angeles. 

Gus Baldwin will be available on LP and download on October 24th, 2025 via Permanent Teeth. Pre-orders are available HERE. 

GUS BALDWIN & THE SKETCH LIVE 2025:

09/27 St Louis, MO - Evolution Festival 

10/30 Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall *

11/01 Dallas, TX - Ferris Wheelers *

11/02 Austin, TX - Empire Control Room *

11/04 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad *

11/05 Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar *

11/06 Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy *

11/07 San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick *

11/08 San Francisco, CA - Brick and Mortar *

11/10 Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s *

11/12 Seattle, WA - Madame Lou’s *

11/14 Portland, OR - Dante’s *

11/15 Boise, ID - Shrine Social Club *

11/17 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *

11/19 Denver, CO - Marquis *

11/20 Ft Collins, CO - The Coast *

11/21 Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck *

11/22 Columbia, MO - Rose Music Hall *

* w/ Bass Drum of Death

Artist: Gus Baldwin

Album: Gus Baldwin

Record Label: Permanent Teeth 

Album Release Date: October 24, 2025

01. Hello

02. Full Regalia

03. St. Sinner

04. Depression

05. West Korea

06. Cherrywood

07. Azie Morton

08. The Pesticide Song

09. Credit Card

10. Whatever Happened (To My Granddaddy’s Gun)?

11. Happy Mondays

12. Aesthetifuck

Artist: Gus Baldwin & The Sketch

Album: The Sketch

Label: Permanent Teeth Records

Release Date: January 31, 2025

01. Part I

02. Part II

03. Part III

04. Itch 

05. Steady on It

06. Luxury Television 

07. Slacker’s Prom

08. (She’s Gone) Arigato 

09. Beautiful Delilah 

10. What the Freaks Say

11. Sympathy for Sunday

On The Web:

linktr.ee/gusbaldwin

instagram.com/buddy_gus

gusbaldwin.bandcamp.com

permanentteethrecords.bandcamp.com