Considering the terrestrial airplay and internet radio success Engloria snagged with their 2010 debut EP Sundown, nobody could have blamed the Albany, NY based powerhouse alt rockers for coasting a little on their highly anticipated follow-up. But frontman and main songwriter James Stewart says the exhilaration of their live performances over the past year inspired him and his cohorts—his brother Brandon Stewart (drums), Michael Gleason (bass) and Devon Scott (guitar, vocals)—to amp up and let their latest tunes evolve onstage. Translating that energy into the studio, the three tracks on their latest EP, the perfectly titled Drive, capture a band on a mission, complete with greater songwriting depth, dynamic production and recurring themes of travel and mobility.

Engloria’s music is traveling well so far, with their previous singles “Lights” and “Sundown” in rotation on 102.7 WEQX The Real Alternative in Manchester, Vermont and Canada’s FNA Radio and streaming internationally on Jango Radio. While they play their share of regional gigs (including opening for Young The Giant at Jillian’s in Albany), they’re constantly on the move, playing everywhere from Saratoga to NYC, where they recently gigged at the upscale art gallery Cin-m-art and are scheduled to perform at Gavin DeGraw’s club National Underground in January 2012. Engloria has also opened for renowned up and coming bands like Kitten and Koji.

The three tracks Engloria shares on Drive capture the increasingly multi-faceted vibe of the band, showcasing the different sounds and atmospheres in their arsenal. The fast paced, high energy guitar driven opening title track—which recalls the heyday of iconic bands like Gin Blossoms and Goo Goo Dolls—presents what James calls the “rockier” side of the group. His provocative lyrics are about the way relationships can seem like they’re moving faster than they really are. The EP also includes the melodic love ballad “Made For You” (which captures the many emotions involved in trying to show someone you really care) and the mid-tempo guitar tinged ballad “Out of Love” that finds a middle ground between the vibes of the other songs. The song is about being restless about where you are in life and wanting to escape mentally, if not physically from the feeling, watching seasons change and pondering something different—while also somehow being comfortable stuck in that place.

“Lyrically,” says James, “most of our songs use imagery of places, travel, and scenarios that express the emotions of characters in the songs. Home, far away, traveling, coming and going… the perspectives and situations change from song to song, but a great deal of them use metaphors to paint a picture, encouraging the listener to associate the song’s characters with themselves, someone they know or something they’ve gone through or experienced. Travel and mobility seem to have risen as a recurring theme in a lot of the new songs. I feel subconsciously this is derived from the energy within our sound and association with material that we feel define us as musicians. I get a feeling of movement, or a sensation of being moved, when writing and performing our songs, so translating this emotion lyrically just came naturally.”

The sizzling musical chemistry of Engloria comes naturally from the fact that the two Stewart brothers have been jamming together all their lives and have been friends with Devon and Michael since high school. They all played in a multitude of bands in various genres before they decided to blend all of these influences and create Engloria. James moved from drums to piano and guitar as the frontman, which was the catalyst for Brandon joining as the drummer—the point where everything started to gel. James had graduated from college and landed a career job at an ad agency when he realized that music wasn’t just a hobby, but his ultimate passion.