This week on Gemini Baby, I’m joined by Drives the Common Man - an Indigenous artist, songwriter, and producer from Southern Ontario creating genre-bending punk rock that’s electric, visceral, and completely his own. We talk about his creative process, the release of “Grief & Purpose,” and how he uses music to process both personal and global issues.

We also dive into his journey building an authentic audience, including over 200k followers on TikTok, and how he’s learned to stay grounded while the algorithm keeps evolving. Drives also opens up about his identity and Indigenous roots, sharing how his heritage shapes his sound, his storytelling, and the way he shows up as an artist in today’s world.

This conversation is for anyone who’s ahead of the curve in how they experience music - the ones who see it not just as sound, but as a force shaping culture, identity, and collective power.

Follow Drives The Common Man: https://linktr.ee/DrivesTheCommonMan

Listen to the official Gemini Baby Playlist: geminibaby.com/playlists

Music by Sam Ashe

Time Stamps

0:00 Introduction
0:57 Meet Drives The Common Man
5:14 Defining His Sound
12:03 Cultural Identity & Musical Influences
19:38 Creative Process
22:41 Grief & Purpose
25:28 Navigating Personal & Global Issues In Music
34:00 The TikTok Phenomenon
43:48 The Next Generation Of Artists
46:42 Song Recommendations
52:00 Collective Affirmation