Formed in 2015, the band signed with No Sleep Records and released their debut single, "Graveyard Shift", in March, of which the music video included cameos from members of Neck Deep. Following this, they played the Pinky Swear Records Fest in Manchester on May 2nd, headlined by Man Overboard, and Furyfest in Liverpool on May 3rd, also playing Empire Festival in Sheffield on May 17th. They played the Jump On Demand Records Festival, also in Liverpool, later that June, as well as the Hevy Fest in Port Lympne, Kent and the Make A Scene Festival in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire in August.
Their debut EP, SKRWD, was released on September 4, 2015. The EP was produced and recorded by Seb Barlow, of Neck Deep, at Celestial Recordings. They then played the Hype Fest in Birmingham on November 28th. In December, WSTR was nominated for Best British Newcomer by Rock Sound, with Boston Manor winning the category.
In early 2016, the band was included in Kerrang!'s Class of 2016 list. They played the Less Than Three Festival in Derby and opened for Neck Deep on the European leg of their World Tour, along with fellow openers Creeper. Later in July, they played the 2000Trees Festival at Upcote Farm in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. They then released a new single, "Lonely Smiles", off their upcoming album in September.
In support of their first album, 'Red, Green Or Inbetween' the band went on their first headlining tour, “The Inbetween Tour”, from October to November 2016, with support from Milestones, also playing the Slam Dunk Festival. During this time, the band recorded an acoustic version of the album's second single, "Footprints", which was made available on a "name your price" basis on their Bandcamp page. They additionally opened for ROAM on their UK/Ireland tour in support of their album, Backbone, and released a third single, "Featherweight".
On January 20th, 2017 the band released their first full-length album, 'Red, Green or Inbetween'. They then supported Seaway on a UK tour, alongside The Gospel Youth, and returned to Slam Dunk later that summer. They also played the Truck Festival at Hill Farm in Oxfordshire, the Reading and Leeds Festivals, the Deadbolt Festival in Manchester and the 2Q Festival in Lincoln, as well as opened for With Confidence on an Australian tour.
On June 4th, 2018 the band announced that they were signing with Hopeless Records, and followed their signing up by a playing a set at Download Festival in the UK. They then opened for As It Is on multiple legs of their okay. tour, first in Europe with Courage My Love and then in the UK with Like Pacific and Grayscale. On August 31st they released their second LP, 'Identity Crisis', which was led by the singles "Bad To The Bone", "Crisis" and "Silly Me". To support its release, they joined Neck Deep on the second North American leg of The Peace and the Panic Tour with fellow openers, Trophy Eyes and Stand Atlantic, and went on a headlining UK tour with Between You & Me and Hey Charlie.
In early 2019, WSTR went on tour again as the supporting act for The Faim on their UK tour. They later released a cover EP titled Give Yourself a Hell, featuring covers of "Give Yourself a Try" by The 1975 and "Gives You Hell" by The All-American Rejects, and played their third Slam Dunk Festival that summer. In the fall, they embarked on the full run of The Noise & Ones to Watch Presents Stand Atlantic and The Faim Co-Headline U.S. Tour, with fellow openers Hold Close and Point North playing on select dates. While on tour, they released a new song, "Filthy".
On November 25th WSTR set out on a headlining UK tour, starting in Brighton and ended in Nottingham on December 8th. In early 2020 the band along with Hot Mulligan & LURK opened up for Grayscale on the Nella Vita North American Tour: Part II. The tour concluded on February 27th right before the global pandemic of COVID-19 struck and canceled touring for the remainder of the year.
On August 14th they put up a limited re-release of their first EP ‘SKRWD' on Vinyl. Along with Re-imagined versions of 'Ain't Great' & 'South Drive' on their bandcamp and streaming platforms.
https://www.wstrband.com/
South Drive
WSTR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll pack my bags leave for South Drive
It reflects in my head and in aches
Still I give and you take everything I have
Call my bluff hold fire
Judgement clouded by desire
I swear it's nothing more
Now my leverage is slack it's getting too loose to fit
And that red dot on your back tells me your'e used to this
So I'll cut the cord
Shut you out
Spit your taste out of my mouth
My head feels so fucked up today
I guess I'll have to find a way to
Leave you here and pack up for South Drive
Back off I've done my stint I've served my time
Stitched my mouth
Covered your lies
Someday I'll cut you down too size
So I'll cut the cord
Shut you out
I'm sick of all the shit you spout
My head feels so fucked up today
I guess I'll have to find a way to
Leave you here and pack up for South Drive
Before I get sore eyes will you please rest them for me
So worn out from the doubt of your false sincerity
Cause the clock's on the click I'll throw in the towel and quit
I guess well cross that bridge
I guess well cross that bridge
I've been thinking about leaving
This time next year I won't be here
So I'll cut the cord
Shut you out
Spit your taste out of my mouth
My head feels so fucked up today
I guess I'll have to find a way to
Leave you here and pack up for South Drive
The lyrics to WSTR's song South Drive appear to be about a relationship that has soured and the singer's decision to leave it behind. The wool has been pulled from the singer's eyes, meaning they can now see the relationship for what it truly is. In response, they pack up their bags and leave for South Drive, which seems to be a metaphorical place of escape where they can start anew. The singer feels used up, having given everything they have, while getting nothing in return. They've had enough and decide to cut the cord, shut their partner out, and leave.
The singer seems to be frustrated with their partner's lies and false sincerity. They feel like a pawn in their partner's game, wanting to be free of the manipulation and empty promises. They want to call their partner's bluff and hold fire, but they're struggling to keep their judgment clear. The singer thinks their partner is used to this kind of behavior because they see a red dot on their back. The red dot could be interpreted as a metaphor for a target or a mark, suggesting that the partner frequently takes advantage of people.
In the end, the singer decides to leave for good. They're tired of the drama and the lies, and they want to start over. They have confidence that someday they'll be able to cut their partner down to size, and they're determined to leave their partner behind and pack up for South Drive.
Line by Line Meaning
Pulled the wool from off my eyes
I finally realized the truth and stopped being naive
I'll pack my bags leave for South Drive
I'm leaving this place behind and moving on
It reflects in my head and in aches
The pain of this situation is affecting me mentally and physically
Still I give and you take everything I have
I keep giving and you keep taking, leaving me empty
Call my bluff hold fire
Don't call me out, just stop and wait
Judgement clouded by desire
I'm not thinking clearly because my emotions are clouding my judgement
I swear it's nothing more
This is not about anything else, just my feelings towards you
Now my leverage is slack it's getting too loose to fit
I don't have any power over you anymore and it's becoming clear
And that red dot on your back tells me your'e used to this
I can see that you're accustomed to being in control and hurting others
So I'll cut the cord
I'm ending this connection
Shut you out
I'm blocking you from my life
Spit your taste out of my mouth
I'm done with your toxic presence
My head feels so fucked up today
I'm struggling with my thoughts and emotions
I guess I'll have to find a way to leave you here and pack up for South Drive
I need to find a way to leave you behind and move on with my life
Back off I've done my stint I've served my time
I've had enough of this and I'm moving on
Stitched my mouth covered your lies
I kept quiet and covered for you, but not anymore
Someday I'll cut you down too size
One day you'll get what's coming to you
I'm sick of all the shit you spout
I'm tired of hearing your lies and excuses
Before I get sore eyes will you please rest them for me
Can you please stop causing me pain and let me rest
So worn out from the doubt of your false sincerity
I'm exhausted from trying to figure out your true intentions
Cause the clock's on the click I'll throw in the towel and quit
Time is running out and I'm giving up
I've been thinking about leaving
I've been considering moving on from you
This time next year I won't be here
I won't be in this same situation anymore in the future
Contributed by Ryan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
rockrul3s25
Ben and Sam write about the same and if you read in to their lyrics you will realize that they're talking about the same thing "no sleep" record.
Sam
Call my bluff hold fire, judgement clouded by desire
Ben
Then I find myself in bed,
Lost inside my head again,
Running over everything,
The voices they are deafening.
John Ronald Garcera
If you're here to cleanse your ears from the reimagined version, you're very much welcome here.
KSI
this is literally the story so far/neck deep put together, i like it
SepTzZ
Yeah, idk I hear handguns in them too.
Normie Peasant
Harry Jeffins def some Four Year Strong influence too
John Bautista
True, it's kinda funny how i like wstr more than those two XD
iyanz
I think knuckle puck+neck deep
kyluminati
Next band to blow up is right here, I'm calling it.
Bird0fPrey
Very stoked for this band
Glass Mushroom Films
Nosleeprecords always coming out with the best bands
Suhaer Osman
I can't emphasize how long I have been searching for this song.......Finally found it.