The Cars are developing new music drawn from the demos left behind by late frontman Ric Ocasek.
Guitarist Elliot Easton, drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Greg Hawkes, the surviving members of the pioneering new wave group, have been working on shaping a body of tracks from the dozens of recordings Ocasek created before his death.
A forthcoming book by Buffalo Tom singer Bill Janovitz, The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told, first hinted at the project.
Hawkes received more than 20 demos curated by one of Ric Ocasek’s closest friends. Among them was I Just Can’t Stay, a rare piece featuring vocals from both Ocasek and late bassist Benjamin Orr, believed to date back to their collaborations before The Cars officially began. After early production alongside Ed Valauskas and engineer Joel Edinberg, Hawkes invited Robinson and Easton to join. Easton reportedly began adding his guitar in August 2024, starting with I Just Can’t Stay and Can’t Stop the Rain, the latter highlighted by a soaring solo.
Janovitz wrote: “Elliot’s twenty-five second solo on Can’t Stop the Rain will definitely bring joy to fans, just as it did for me.
“He also created a hook that runs through the song, completely changing it from the version I heard earlier. In that moment I thought, ‘Yes, this is how The Cars take Ric’s demos and truly make them their own, especially with Greg’s synth work adding so much.’”
The sessions also include The Factory and One by One, which is thought to be the last track Ocasek worked on before his passing. Two other songs, Crossing the Line and Crazy Over You, show a jazz-inspired direction that Ocasek had been exploring, offering fans a glimpse into his evolving artistry.
There is no confirmed release date for the music at this time.
According to the book, the estates of both Ocasek and Orr are “hopeful that business disagreements surrounding The Cars will not stand in the way of sharing this unheard music with fans.”
Ocasek passed away in 2019 at the age of 75 from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
His last release was his 2005 solo album Nexterday.
Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000 at the age of 53.
The Cars were formed in Boston in 1976 and quickly became one of the defining groups of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Their self-titled 1978 debut album included hits like Just What I Needed and My Best Friend’s Girl. Over six albums, they achieved both critical praise and commercial success before splitting in 1988.
They regrouped in 2010 and released Move Like This in 2011 before parting ways again not long after. They came together once more in 2018 for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
