Ahhh. Another May, another High Five Drive '"self-financed" tour kickoff!

"Our latest album - From the Ground Up - just came out in Europe," says H5D front guy/soundman-for-hire Greg Rekus. "We originally released it independently in 2006, and a label called Lost Records in Ontario re-released it. Now it's also out in Europe on Bad Mood Records."

That same hi-energy skate-rock (for lack of a better term) album was also released along with H5D's earlier full-length called Service Engine Soon on a Japanese label called Bells On Records.

"Overseas, they call our music skate punk or melodic hardcore," Rekus notes.

All this action is why the High Five Drive is gearing up for another overseas tour with a bon voyage gig at the Royal Albert on May 14 with The Real Deal (Montreal), The Afterbeat and guests.

"The show is kind of a kickoff for our tour of Europe," Rekus says. "The next day we play Kenora, then Thunder Bay, and then we fly from Montreal to Europe. We're in Europe for 30 days. We have 21 shows booked to support the official European release of the CD."

As reported here in S-Beat a year ago, and even eleventeen weeks before that fer U streetbeaters, the High Five Drivers are busy working on their new follow-up, still-untitled album.

"There's no hurry. We still have a few vocal tracks left, and we've been mixing it since we got back from our last month-long Canadian tour," Rekus says.

Since forming in 2001, the band has been on over 15 Canadian tours, plus a tour overseas. All of these jaunts have been self-financed and independently set up by High Five Drive. To say that the young band is dedicated and hard-working is a wallet-pluckin' understatement - somebody get them a gushin' vat of tour ease!

"This is my career right now. This is the reason why I get up in the morning," Rekus says. "It's been a struggle for us to keep on the road this much. Even if the tour breaks even, we still have to scramble to pay the rent we incurred at home while we were away because we've been on the road for 30 days.

"We work our butts off to book our own tours. We've applied for touring grants and album grants for five years, and we've always been turned down, yet the band is doing better than it ever has. Our audience is growing at home and abroad, and we're doing very well in Quebec," Rekus adds.

High Five Drive is also featured on the upcoming Tribute to Belvedere compilation album. Shout out Brandy Wine when ya go see 'em at the Albert. They'll be glad U did.

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