Driving Past

Gig Ryan, who had fronted Disband on vocals and guitar, first crossed paths with David Nichols, the former Cannanes drummer, while both were living in Sydney, Australia, during the late 1980s. Only in 1996 did the two launch Driving Past as their joint venture. The lineup reached its final form once bassist Andrew Withycombe, previously of Hydroplane, and keyboardist/guitarist Mia Schoen joined, allowing the group to sustain the power-pop and indie rock approach that had shaped their prior work. After issuing two earlier singles, Chapter Music put out the band’s debut album, Real Estate, in 1999.