MysteryDriver is a rock'n'roll trio from Chicago. Basic, lean rock'n'roll - roots but not retro. Pure but not purist. A grand tradition of not following tradition.

Steve Gerlach is the guitarist in MysteryDriver and generally handles the vocals. L.T. Swisher plays bass and sings. John Carpender is the drummer. Steve had been in bands with L.T. and with John, but never with both at the same time. At the end of '94 the three longtime friends formed a band with the sole concept of playing "music that makes us feel good," according to guitarist Steve. They do exactly that on their debut album, Getting Away With Murder.

There's a lot of history in Steve's playing but he's never studied to be a six-string scholar. He'd just listen, enjoy, and let it sink into his playing. "The first guitar player to really influence me was Jimmy Page. It may not be obvious but it's always there. I was really taken by Johnny Winter when my older brother took me to see him in '86. The common thread in our music is a blues influence but with more of an edge. No pretensions." He can usually be seen sporting a hollow-body Gibson but a Strat is fine by him, or any of his dozen other guitars. His solos are what's on his mind right at the moment, what he's feeling, not planned with written charts or pre-selected cribbed riffs.

The Phantom Helmsmen, a Midwestern rock band, was the first recording project for both Steve and John. They earned themselves a local radio hit with their song "Don't" from their 1992 self- released album, Lessons Worth Learning. Despite their beginning success, differing musical directions grounded the group before a follow-up was recorded.

The Amarillo Kings was initially a quartet that featured L.T. on guitar and was led by Tem Harrier on vocals. Steve liked the band and after a few jams found himself as an official fifth member. "Hi-Tone Baby," a tune that Tem and bandmate Sam Barker wrote for The Amarillo Kings, was recorded by MysteryDriver for Getting Away With Murder. "I like to play it. A great song is a great song." says Steve, "It doesn't matter who wrote it, if you wrote it ten years ago, or if it was written by a friend. A good song," he declares, "is one I wish I wrote."

Steve's rep led to an invitation to join The Bad Examples, the phenomenally popular Chicago rock outfit. Mindful that he eventually wanted to do his own music, he reserved the right to have his own band on the side. Steve's hi-test guitar drove the Examples' rockers and his versatility complemented their pop balladry. His vocals fleshed out the sound of the band. Their recent album Kisses 50 Cents features Steve on lead guitar. "Me And My Near-Blind Hindsight" has him sharing the lead vocal spotlight. His live version of Ray and Dave Davies' "Got My Feet On The Ground" became a highlight of their stage show. "I've known that Kinks song since high school. It really caught my fancy." A few Gerlach originals made it onto the Examples' set list but he was mainly writing with his own band in mind.

Steve and John wanted to work together again in a trio format as they did in The Phantom Helmsmen. L.T., at this time, had his own country-rock group, The Lonely Boys Supper Club. He switched to bass to complete the trio and MysteryDriver was in gear. While at first they played those rare times when The Bad Examples' busy schedule allowed, once the original songs were there and the sound was right it became time for all three to commit all their musical efforts to MysteryDriver.

"We're more of a live band than a studio band" is Steve's opinion. The album was recorded quickly, in about five days. While most of the original songs on the disc are recently written by Steve, "Hate To See You Go" comes from the live repertoire of the final days of the Phantom Helmsmen. John contributed "Jumparound." L.T. wrote "Don't Tell Motel" and handles both the lead vocal and lead guitar. Steve comments on the other cover version on the album, "I had versions of Ray Charles' 'Leave My Woman Alone' by the Everlys, Johnny Winter and Dave Edmunds. I just sorta dreamed up that version with all those modulations." Their set list now includes more originals from L.T. and John. Onstage their Eddie Cochran-cool demeanor will quickly heat up to a sweaty fever. MysteryDriver's ten-song debut disc, Getting Away With Murder, is the calling card for this American rock'n'roll band that is now hitting the hi-fi highways.