It’s not every day you find your new favorite artist on TikTok—not because the talent isn’t there, but because there’s simply so much of it. Since the app took off around the world, musicians of every genre have used it as a launching pad. The sheer volume makes it hard for anything to break through. Last summer, one video did.
In the video, a tall guy in a blue Seattle Mariners crewneck sings directly to the camera from the middle of his living room. The deep, velvety tone of his voice caught my attention, but it was the lyrics that stopped me short: “It’s my God-given right to block your number/ You’re the love of my life but not by choice.” Fifteen seconds. Two lines. No gimmicks or theatrics, just a pure vulnerability that’s rare in any genre. He stood out.
“He” is New Jersey–based singer-songwriter David Osterhout, whose project, Bike Routes, is currently on tour as a supporting act on Young Culture’s First and Final Headline Tour. Chicago remains a special stop for him; it is one of the first cities where crowds began singing his lyrics back to him.
Bike Routes began as a solo project when Osterhout was in high school writing songs for his friends. While there wasn’t a single moment that pushed him toward music as a career, the love for live performance secured his choice. “It was… once I started playing shows, not just for my friends, but in the local scene and opening for my friends’ bands,” Osterhout said in an interview with the Maroon. “Playing shows was always the allure for me.”
That thrill Osterhout speaks of is immediately evident onstage. Bike Routes’ set at Beat Kitchen alternated between stripped-down, acoustic-leaning songs and the high-energy sound of his newer music, performed with a full band: bassist Conner DeMuro, guitarist Jorge Estrada, and drummer Mike Corrao. While Osterhout slips easily into the role of an alternative rock frontman, he is just as convincing once he picks up his acoustic guitar. “Realistically, at the base of all the songs, I start them on an acoustic guitar and just my voice. Sometimes, during the process, it becomes obvious that a song would really benefit from a full band. But then sometimes I’ll write a song and think, ‘No, this doesn’t need a big production.’”
One of the night’s most moving moments came with “Delayed Gratification,” a song that forgoes that “big production” in favor of a catchy, folksy rhythm. The lyrics trace through spirals of anxiety and artistic self-doubt before landing on a tender memory of his dad singing to him when he was little. It is a clear nod to the people and moments that helped shape his relationship with music: “No one in this family is so musically inclined/ But I remember when I was young/ You’d sing to me every single night.” On the recorded version, Osterhout trails off softly with a fragment of Bruce Springsteen’s 1992 “Pony Boy.” Live, the crowd filled in, chanting, “Pony boy, pony boy/ Won’t you be my pony boy.” A huge smile flashed across his face.
The audience’s response is rooted in recognition. Rather than obscuring his writing with heavy metaphor or abstraction, Osterhout speaks directly, allowing listeners to see their own experiences reflected back across his catalog. He describes his feelings about the family car being scrapped, the fears and thoughts that follow him on the drive home, and the quiet loyalty he finds in his dog’s eyes. At heart, he’s a storyteller. “I usually start with a memory,” Osterhout said. “I’m constantly writing in the Notes app on my phone. I start with a one-liner, a very specific one or two lines, put it to melody, and then build off that emotion.”
Bike Routes’ biggest success to date is its latest EP, Rush of Energy. Released in 2024, the EP marked the beginning of Osterhout’s shift toward a louder, more aggressive pop-punk and post-hardcore sound reminiscent of bands like Movements.
The EP’s centerpiece “World Apart,” which is “the soul” of the record for Osterhout, almost didn’t exist. “That was the last song we recorded,” he said. “We had all the other songs done, and only about a 45-second instrumental that eventually became ‘World Apart.’” With just one studio day left in Los Angeles, his producer challenged him to arrive with a fully written song. While the friend with whom he was sharing a hotel room slept, Osterhout spent the night holed up in the bathroom writing until nearly 6 a.m. The next day, they recorded the song in full. “When we were done, it just felt like lightning in a bottle,” he said.
That lucky strike now serves as his set closer, a moody, angsty song about longing for connection. “Driving back to Philadelphia/ But there’s nothing for me there,” he sings. In a characteristically Bike Routes turn, the song then cuts straight to the emotional core: “I just want someone to look at me/ The way my father looks at nature.”
So, what’s next for Bike Routes? A sold-out date opening for The Wonder Years at Philadelphia’s iconic Theatre of Living Arts, followed by a run supporting Chicago’s own Worry Club on the Southern U.S. leg of their spring tour. In a surprise announcement, Osterhout also shared that fans can expect a full-length album by next summer. Working again with Zach Tuch, who produced Rush of Energy, this release suggests a continuation of the EP’s spirit. Osterhout described their partnership as one shaped by different creative strengths: “He’s very good with instrumentation, while I [focus more] on lyrics and melodies. We complete each other.” With 11 songs already written, mixed, and mastered, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for Bike Routes. While there’s no set date for Osterhout’s return to Chicago, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him headlining a tour of his own next time around.
