To capture the essence of his new album, Drew Tarves (young friend) pivoted away from typical isolated studio sessions, leaning heavily into a band-first mentality. Produced by Tarves’ longtime collaborator David Marinelli (FINNEAS, Wallice, spill tab), New Entertainment captures the authentic, wall-of-sound energy of a band of the past. He brought the song structures into rehearsals, allowing the band to flesh out arrangements organically – resulting in a tactile sound that nods to classic influences like Wilco and Neil Young.

Drew Tarves' music as young friend feels classic and immediate all at once, capturing the nostalgia of post-adolescence while diving deep into a pool of self-reflection. His sophomore album, New Entertainment, is about fear and love in equal measure. An exploration of the ways AI and new technology are infiltrating our lives, but also a celebration of friendship and family, and genuine time spent. Of the slow process, the inevitable mistakes.

A trained dancer for most of his adolescence, the 26-year-old Vancouver native switched artistic disciplines after spending time jamming with his musician friends. "I found out very quickly that I loved it," he recalls. "It was my favorite thing to do." Armed with a guitar and a laptop, Tarves started hashing out early songwriting attempts in GarageBand as he found his own style: "It was all about experimenting while trying to find what worked for me."

In 2022, Tarves released his indie-pop debut EP HOW DID WE GET HERE? and quickly followed it up with a sophomore in 2023 titled scaredy cat. 2024 brought in his first Canadian and international touring as well as a JUNO Award nomination. His debut full-length, motorcycle sound effects, was released in 2025. New Entertainment, produced by friend and frequent collaborator David Marinelli, was recorded entirely in the studio, live off the floor. It’s solid, tactile, nostalgic in a way that hits you right in the chest.

A true rock record, New Entertainment is asking to be played on your old record player or the tape deck of Joni, Drew’s 2001 Mazda pickup.