lorde, “buzzcut season” // phoebe bridgers, “chinese satellite” // ethel cain, “sun bleached flies” // julien baker, “go home” // taylor swift, “my tears ricochet”

what do they compete in? “everything,” said [jake] gardiner. “games, we flip a coin to see who drives in the morning, who buys dinner, video games, basketball in the living room. just random things.”  “who pays for meals and who drives and who has to take the garbage downstairs and stuff like that,” added rielly. “the loser drives obviously,” said gardiner. “we’re tired in the morning. we don’t want to get behind the wheel.” sept 19 2014

perhaps the biggest fan of [SVDVM’s rap song ‘auston matthews’] is maple leafs forward mitch marner. both live close to each other and drive to practice and games together.   “it’s pretty funny. mitch starts playing the song on the drive on the way to the rink,” matthews said. “it’s pretty cool.”  feb 25 2017

marner said he tries to play country music in the car when he and auston matthews carpool to practice, but matthews — a rap fan — won’t let him.  “he definitely does not like it,” said marner. “i played it a few times in the car. stay away from that playlist, but the odd time it will come on. i just kind of get him grinding.” mar 30 2017

but it’s the time spent together inching along on the gardiner expressway every day that has truly allowed them time to get to know each other. knies, 20, has a car in toronto, and minten, 19, hitches a ride with knies to and from practice.  “so that’s an hour together every day, right there,” minten said with a knowing grin, sounding like a toronto resident griping about the city’s traffic. on the drive, the budding friends aren’t afraid to share their hopes. oct 1 2023