Novadriver

Detroit's Novadriver emerged in the late '90s by blending '70s-style hard rock with generous infusions of space rock and occasional psychedelic touches, brought together by vocalist and organist Mark Miers alongside guitarist Billy Reedy, guitarist and bassist James Anders, and drummer Eric Miller. Hometown imprint Small Stone quickly signed the group, which delivered a cover of Aerosmith's "Seasons of Wither" for the 2000 tribute compilation Right in the Nuts before issuing its debut album Void the next year. Miers abruptly left to chase other projects, however, freezing the band's progress and triggering an extended stretch of inactivity while replacements were sought in vain, until he returned to the lineup nearly three years afterward. The outcome was 2005's anthemic Deeper High, which created the impression that Novadriver had never paused, yet the release overlapped with the sudden and tragic death of bassist James Anders due to an apparent heart attack.