Like many troubled artists who reside in their own creative zip code, Drew Stroik deserved better than an obscure drug-related death at age 35. Dirt poor, struggling with substance abuse and depression and living in Pueblo, Colo., he passed away in 2022 after taking a fentanyl-laced pill, leaving behind more than 100 unreleased songs, including “Wash And Repeat.”
Stroik was keenly aware of his talent, and yet he still referred to his music as “generic.” Really, it’s anything but. The Chicago native’s intimate lo-fi pop is masterful in the way it makes its imperfections a charming conduit for humanity’s myriad flaws. Working solely with a low-end Yamaha keyboard and a guitar, Stroik began cranking out demos and emailing them to everyone who inspired him.
Ivy’s Andy Chase was one of the few who responded—and he was impressed. He signed a 23-year-old Stroik to his Unfiltered label, setting him up with longtime friend and collaborator Bruce Driscoll. Over the winter of 2010, Stroik spent weekends re-creating and honing his demos in Driscoll’s tiny studio apartment on New York’s Upper East Side. With Chase helping with production and mixing, a debut album began to take shape.
Within months, however, Stroik’s personal issues derailed the project, and the label severed ties with him. Chase did return the unfinished tracks to Stroik, but nothing was ever released. For the ensuing decade, Stroik essentially vanished.
“When Drew passed away, this song risked being lost to time on a hard drive—but Andy and I couldn’t let that happen,” says Driscoll of “Wash And Repeat,” the latest focus track from the posthumous LP, 65th And York. “Drew was a layered, insanely talented guy who sometimes had his dark moments, but this track is nothing but joy to me.”
The video for “Wash And Repeat” was shot at a laundromat just down the street from Driscoll’s apartment. “With only the equipment I had at the time, we went there with my friend Leah and filmed it,” says Driscoll. “People were coming in to wash their clothes and were totally unfazed, which only added to its charm. Drew could be shy, but I think the result reflects the music perfectly. It feels like something you’d stumble across on MTV in the 1990s.”
We’re proud to premiere Stroik’s “Wash And Repeat.” Look for 65th And York (Unfiltered/Caveman Arts Society) on October 24. The short film Drew Stroik: Unknown Pop Wizard is set for release sometime next year.
—Hobart Rowland
