They’ve come a long way! R5 first stepped onto the music scene in 2009. After multiple EPs and two full-length albums, the five-piece band parted ways in 2018.
Comprised of siblings Ross Lynch, Rydel Lynch, Riker Lynch and Rocky Lynch along with close friend Ellington Ratliff, the group released their first-ever single “Without You” before dropping their debut EP, Ready Set Rock, in March 2010.
In May 2017, following the release of their final EP, New Addictions, R5 decided to work on other projects. While Ross famously starred on Disney Channel and in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, he and Rocky also teamed up to form The Driver Era. Ross explained how the boys came up with the idea to branch out from R5.
“It was a combination of ideas but also just the idea that we knew we needed to change something,” Ross told Billboard in March 2018. “That idea has been around for a long time; it wasn’t like a sporadic thing. This is something that was on our plates for a really long time, and we’ve been considering it for a long time, and this was the best time for us to go through with it.”
The actor and musician noted that he wanted to “be able to create whatever we wanna create.”
“For recent creations, the best outlet wasn’t necessarily R5, it was The Driver Era,” Ross added. “Our goal, as any artist should be, is to try and push the boundaries of not only ourselves but of the music and also excite people. As an artist, you want to entertain people. The reason we started the Driver Era is just ’cause our creative endeavors sort of demanded it.”
The rest of the group have also pursued other endeavors over the years. Ellington, for one, kicked off his solo career with a self-titled EP in April 2021.
“The whole process started about three years ago, which is crazy to think how time flies. There was a lot to figure out, including my sound and how to fully produce because in my past projects, I was never the sole producer,” the drummer told Clash Music at the time. “Then, this year, I focused on mixing and mastering and putting my team together to get my project off of the ground. Now, I have an EP being released, and it’s pretty wild to see this dream come to fruition.”
Scroll through our gallery to see what the members of R5 are up to now!
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