Heavy Grooves, Real Confidence: Cold Engines Drop a Funk-Fueled Jam

If you’ve ever caught yourself missing the days when funk made its way into rock songs without asking permission, Cold Engines are here to remind you that the groove never actually left. It just needed the right band to dust it off, turn it up, and give it some teeth.

Hailing from Boston’s North Shore, Cold Engines are a melody-driven rock outfit with funk in their bloodstream and pop instincts baked into their DNA. Fronted by songwriter David Drouin alongside drummer Aaron Zaroulis, Geoff Pilkington, and Adam Saylor, the band has quietly built a massive body of work since forming in 2015. We’re talking twelve full-length albums, relentless touring, and a résumé that includes sharing stages with legends like Los Lobos, Blues Traveler, Michael McDonald, Bobby Keyes, and Rustic Overtones. This isn’t a band finding its footing. This is a band that already knows exactly where it’s standing.

Before Cold Engines ever came to life, Drouin and Zaroulis were touring internationally with The Brew, lighting up major festivals like Mountain Jam, All Good, Gathering of the Vibes, and multiple Moe.downs while topping radio charts around the world. When that chapter wrapped, they weren’t interested in repeating themselves. Cold Engines became the next evolution, sharper, catchier, and deeply intentional.

Inspired by the undeniable hooks of The Police, Queen, The Smiths, Neil Young, and The Beatles, the band locked in on one mission: write songs that hit fast, feel good, and stay with you. There’s a golden-era sensibility to everything they do, pulling from classic pop, R&B, rock, and jam traditions while keeping the sound fresh and immediate. Along the way, they’ve brought in a stacked lineup of guest collaborators, from Amelia Gormley and Adam Ezra to Ben Alleman, with Tim Phillips leading the recording efforts out of NYC.

Their latest single, “Confident Woman,” is Cold Engines in full stride. It’s a straight-up dance floor mover, rooted in funk and powered by a groove that refuses to sit still. From the first beat, the song feels physical. Heavy basslines, tight rhythms, and playful instrumentation create the kind of momentum that makes standing still feel like the wrong choice.

Lyrically, “Confident Woman” celebrates female empowerment without preaching or posturing. It’s about witnessing confidence and recognizing how magnetic it is. The song leans into the idea that self-worth is beautiful, that confidence deserves admiration, and that everyone is worthy of love without having to dilute who they are. It’s joyful, affirming, and refreshingly uncomplicated in the best way.

There’s also a sense of nostalgia woven into the track. Not in a dated way, but in that warm, familiar feeling you get when music reminds you why you fell in love with it in the first place. Funky, rhythm-forward, and packed with personality, “Confident Woman” brings back the kind of colorful musical energy that feels increasingly rare.

Cold Engines aren’t strangers to recognition either. The band has taken home Rock Band of the Year honors at the New England Music Awards twice, along with Song of the Year and Album of the Year, plus a steady stream of nominations across the Northeast. More importantly, they’ve earned a reputation as a songwriting force unafraid to go big, whether that means rock operas, full-length trilogies, or simply writing a song that makes you want to dance.

At its core, “Confident Woman” does exactly what the band hopes it will. It grooves, it uplifts, and it celebrates the kind of confidence that’s contagious. Cold Engines aren’t chasing trends. They’re building a world where melody, rhythm, and joy still matter.