Pass the Aux Cord: Volvo Cars launches collaboration with legendary music studio Abbey Road

Last week, I attended the launch of Volvo’s brand new listening mode: ARSM, short for Abbey Road Studios Mode. When I first heard of this idea, it immediately intrigued me.

The car is where most of us consume our music, whether on our preferred radio station or with friends on the way to a party fighting over the aux cord. Our core memories of our favourite songs are made in the car. I often argue that the car ride on the way to the function is more fun than the event itself could ever be.

Volvo, being a Scandi icon at its core, is establishing itself as a music-first vehicle. Launching itself into the Scandinavian music phenomenon through this new endeavour with the most iconic music studio of all time, Abbey Road, most famously known from The Beatles’ album of the same name, you know it’s about to get serious.

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The music engineers at the studio worked in partnership with Bowers & Wilkins, the makers of the speakers for Volvo cars, to effectively capture the characteristics that make up that iconic Abbey Road sound and bring it directly to the car. This is what is now known as the Abbey Road Studios Mode (ARSM).

Essentially, you can pick and choose exactly how you want your music to sound: from vintage and warm, acoustic and small, to modern and big. You have the ability to create your own soundtrack to whatever mood you’re in – with any song, at any time. You get to be your own recording engineer.

If you've ever wanted to hear The Weeknd's Blinding Lights, for example, as an intimate, acoustic performance instead of a bright 1980s-esque tune, now you can. All you need is a Volvo.

ARSM and Volvo have entirely changed the game, about to become revolutionary for music lovers worldwide. Even when we didn’t think it could be possible, listening to music in the car just got a little bit more exciting.