A full-throttle sonic celebration of all things rock'n'roll!
A band formed by three previous members of the now defunct Freedom Faction, Roadkill Drive-Thru describe themselves “Like a car crash into a moose, a band you just can’t pigeonhole. A musical fusion brought to you by roadkill-eating hillbilly banger racers from the dystopian future.” Coming into being just before the Covid pandemic (timing is everything!), they decided to tear up the rule book and play anything and everything they wanted to play..
The results are barely contained in this musical explosion of a sophomore album; ‘Needs Must While The Devil Rides’. Roadkill Drive-Thru are: Jason Webdale, guitar and lead vocals; Tom Maddox, drums and backing vocals; and Nick Grant, bass.
‘Needs Must While The Devil Rides’ opens with ‘Soul Trap‘, which sees that dystopian future as being very much in the present.. “All our mistakes repeat again, All just loss nothing gained.” A bass and guitar-driven, thumping track with great vocals!
The guys definitely don’t wanna ‘Behave‘ on track two! Their gang vocals make it clear that they “Don’t give a fuck” about those disgraces to the human race who think they are better than others! Yes, it is intentionally juvenile, but it’s lighthearted and humorous.
‘Life’s a Beach‘ – well it certainly can be if you’re a surfer! “You’ll never get bored when you get on a board!” This punky surf rock song extolls the virtues of enjoying our leisure time, and asks why we “work all year, For just 10 days on the beach”? Good question..
‘Moonshine on the Brain‘ has got to be the most punk rockin’ song about the demon drink I’ve heard for a long time! The guitar and vocals are equally menacing, with powerful punches from the rhythm section:
Second single release from the album, ‘Blurred‘ is about numbing yourself to the harsh realities of a life where you’re never going to make it as a younger person, denied the opportunities of previous generations. “They tax you on everything you do, So how can you stand up and fight?” Boogie-punk is a thing, and Roadkill Drive-Thru have mastered it – the interplay between guitar and bass is superb, with a kick-ass bass solo midway for extra bite.
‘Dead Meat‘ is a punk thrasher of a song, just under a minute long, yet its point is howled across clearly. Being in the “Killing business” as a job to provide for your family requires a degree of cognitive dissonance that is ultimately soul-destroying.
‘Dark Skies‘ is indeed a much darker and heavier goth number with a definite Killing Joke influence, and Roadkill Drive-Thru do it very well. “Dark days, Follow lonely nights, Dark skies, Reflect in your eyes.”
The bangin’ bass intro and the incredible drumming on ‘Backwoods Boogie‘ make this one of the highlights of the album. Watch out for the Backwoods Boogieman – and don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.. check out the ace live video from punk4RT below:
Top psychobilly tune ‘Delete The Elite‘ is insanely good! This is Roadkill Drive-Thru at their most powerful. The forces of evil who invert the truth and poison our skies, slaughter in the name of peace, and warp our minds through internet control and propaganda quite justifyably come under fire.
‘Breathe‘ condenses the plight of our planet and the hypocrisy of the seemingly endless discussions (to hide a lack of action) by its leaders into just over three minutes of of hell-raising fury! The percussion is utilised to great effect here.
‘Hell Yeah!‘ was the first single released from the album, and again we’re doing the boogie-punk which this band does so well! A sleazy, hedonistic rock’n’roller of a tune.
The bells are tolling for the final track, ‘Fake It ‘til You Make It‘, before the band leap into a full-throttle sonic celebration of all things rock’n’roll! It’s clear how much they love the scene “All I wann do is just play rock’n’roll” but there’s the acknowledgement that it often comes at a cost..
Out on 14th February 2026, get your copy of ‘Needs Must While The Devil Rides’ HERE, or from Roadkill Drive-Thru in person at one of their upcoming gigs:
Feb 14 – The Six Six Bar, Cambridge
Feb 21- The Lab, Northampton
Mar 20 – Hope & Anchor, North London
Apr 24 – The Cavern, South London
May 1 – The Hairy Dog, Derby
May 22 – Punk on the Peninsula, Dunoon
Jul 10 – Daltons, Brighton
- Soul Trap
- Behave
- Life’s a Beach
- Moonshine on the Brain
- Blurred
- Dead Meat
- Dark Skies
- Backwoods Boogie
- Delete The Elite
- Breathe
- Hell Yeah!
- Fake It ‘til You Make It
Follow Roadkill Drive-Thru on Their Socials:
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Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
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