We all know Ross Lynch as the cute blonde from the hit Disney show Austin and Ally, but did we know he’s in a band with his brother that’s heading on a new tour?
Lynch was born the second youngest in a family of five kids — all of whom are involved in the entertainment industry. He made his first big break in 2011, landing the lead role on the Disney Channel show Austin and Ally, launching his career. Later in 2013, he worked on the Disney Channel Original movie Teen Beach Movie and the sequel Teen Beach 2, playing the lead role of Brady.
Since his time on Disney, Lynch has continued with his acting career, playing lead roles in films such as Status Update and My Friend Dahmer. His most memorable appearance since Disney was his role as Harvey Kinkle in the Netflix original series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, where he dyed his iconic blonde hair brown for a whole new look. The show ran from 2018 to 2020 with 36 episodes and was Ross’s most recent TV role.
Alongside his successful acting career, Lynch has been in the music industry for almost 15 years, starting with a band with his siblings. In 2010, the band R5, made of siblings Ross, Rocky, Riker and Rydel Lynch, as well as their family friend Ellington Radcliffe, released their first EP, Ready Set Rock. Their second EP, Loud, was released in 2013, followed by their full-length album Louder.
Since then, the band has released two studio albums, five extended plays, 13 singles, two promotional singles, 22 music videos and other album appearances. With multiple songs topping the Billboard charts in 2018, the band R5 rebranded to The Driver Era, consisting of brothers Ross and Rocky.
The change from R5 to The Driver Era ignited a big change in the brother’s musical styles.
On March 1, 2018, R5’s Instagram handles were all changed to The Driver Era, with all previous posts deleted to announce the change to their new alternative rock sound. A few weeks after the announcement, the band released their first single, “Preacher Man,” and gained high praise from the alternative/indie music scene.
The band soon released their next two singles, “Afterglow” and “Low.” The latter song gained quick popularity, being sung by guitarist Rocky Lynch as opposed to Ross, who is usually the lead singer. The brothers released music videos alongside these singles showcasing Ross’ new brunette look because he was filming for Netflix, which sparked attention from a new fanbase.
After multiple singles, the band finally announced their first album, X, on June 28, 2019. The album was curated with alternative rock songs ranging from upbeat to mellow, giving the band a whole new sound compared to R5. Some of the singles from X became popular over TikTok but didn’t have too much buzz in the industry.
In 2021, during part of the COVID-19 lockdown, the brothers released their second album, Girlfriend, followed by their world tour in 2022. I was personally lucky enough to see The Driver Era on their summer tour in Toronto, where they performed songs from their first two albums and some new singles from their yet-to-be-released third album. Ross and his brothers have an amazing stage presence, making it one of my favourite concerts I’ve been to, to date.
The band released their third album, Summer Mixtape, in September 2022 with more upbeat songs, really giving it its name of Summer Mixtape. Since their third album, the band has travelled around the world, performing at festivals and various shows. Most recently, they released their single, “Rumors,” which is said to be from their next album.
Just this month, the band released a music video for their newest single, “Get Off My Phone,” which is gaining a lot of attention on TikTok. On Feb. 26, The Driver Era announced their East Coast tour with two Canadian stops, one being Toronto.
Ross Lynch is a multi-threat performer with a booming acting career, his long run in the music industry, and even his recent role in Troye Sivan’s music video for “One Of Your Girls,” which gained him a lot of attention. He was born to be in the entertainment industry and deserves all the support of his band, The Driver Era, and their amazing new sound.
With tickets for their new tour starting at $60, their stop in Toronto is definitely one you don’t want to miss!