10 March 2024 , 08:00
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The Driver Era is here to stay thanks to their "cult-like" fans, according to brothers Ross and Rocky Lunch.
Former Disney star Ross Lynch who found fame as Austin Moon on the channel's series, Austin & Ally went on to appear as Brady in the Teen Beach Movie series but has also ventured into music. The 28-year-old was previously the lead singer of pop-rock group R5 until their disbandment in 2018.
Now, the star is one half of The Driver Era, alongside his brother, Rocky with the pair dominating the music industry and racking up an impressive 31 million followers on social media and a groundbreaking 450 million streams. But their fans could help them become one of the longest-standing names in music according to the two lads.
The brothers have amassed over 450 million streams and 31 million followers (Kartel Music)Reflecting on their journey, Ross exclusively told the Mirror: "When people come up to us and they're like, 'Hey, we've been fans since you guys were posting YouTube covers, it's pretty it's a pretty cool thing. We feel really grateful and fortunate to have such a cult-like fan base it's so much fun, and our shows are so much fun. I'd much rather have 1000 hardcore fans than the entire world paying attention."
The sibling duo recently visited the UK where they met thousands of fans at various in-store signings which led to an impromptu two-hour-long performance, which they hadn't anticipated. "We thought we were gonna pull up and play like three songs," said Ross. He added: "The atmosphere was just incredible, it was so much fun."
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Meanwhile, Rocky commented: "It made us want to do it a little more. This was hilarious, it was a decent-sized venue and it was sold out, it was a standard show where you'd normally have a full band." But while they have a huge following and major success, Rocky believes that had they "blown up" at a younger age, he questions where the band would be now.
The brothers admitted that they have been on the cusp of global domination and are almost there (Kartel Music)"Somehow, it's like 'we're almost there', we always have sports references, like 'let's go and win a cup', it's kind of nice that I feel we've been right on the edge for a second. Now it's like 'Oh sh*t ok Get Off My Phone (latest single), Ross and I keep texting like 'What is that next track?' We have some options, we know that the clock is ticking, you've gotta get that in the system."
While Ross frequently breaks the internet with "thirst traps", the pair rarely check the comments they receive, with Rocky admitting he is considering returning to social media more regularly. "I started looking up a bunch of classic bands and when they first started and how old they were," he said, adding: "And now whether they're still playing, it inspired me to be like 'Wow that would be crazy to be a part of that world.
"Time and age is bringing this forward and anyone from The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, they're like 80 or something and they're still doing it. Beatles it was I think 16/17, now, it's more so I'm thinking long-term which is crazy, it would be cool to keep doing this for a little while."
Ross recently went viral following his appearance in a Troye Sivan music video – but he tends to stay away from fans thirsty comments (Troye Sivan/YouTube)"The Beatles are number one, for song-writing, everything," added Ross. He continued: "I love The Beatles, I was listening to them yesterday and was like 'This is definitely some of my most favourite music, ever!" Discussing their latest track, Get Off Your Phone, Ross said: "When we're talking about the process of putting work out into the world and how sometimes that is somewhat of a birthing process, it can be kind of uncomfortable at times, so it's really nice," he said of the success of the track.
"It's nice when people are outwardly excited about something that you've done, which is the case of this song, it feels like every song we release, it gets bigger and bigger so we've just got to keep moving forward." The duo admit that while creating the music, they wanted something "people could relate to".
But while the pair are famous for their music, Ross recently gained a whole new fanbase after appearing in Troye Sivan's music video for his single, One Of Your Girls in various states of undress, showing off his ripped physique. But while he went viral for his appearance, the star admits he never anticipated such a response.
"I thought there was going to be a reaction but I didn't think that random friends in my phonebook would be texting me that they love the video," he laughed, adding: "I'm super happy to be a part of that video and it's always cool when people want to dress up as you for Halloween. That's, that's pretty interesting and surreal."
Get Off Your Phone by The Driver Era is available to stream on all major platforms.