They have released eight albums and one EP, and have twice been nominated for Grammy awards.
History
Formation and debut album Before the Fire (2006–2009)
Rival Sons formed in Long Beach, where Jay Buchanan and Michael Miley lived. Buchanan previously recorded as a solo artist and with his Buchanan band. He independently released All Understood in 2004 and True Love EP in 2006. Rival Sons formed from the remnants of guitarist Scott Holiday's previous band.[1] He had been active in a number of bands, including humanLab, who were signed to Atlantic Records, but which he left and formed Black Summer Crush with Michael Miley, Robin Everhart Thomas Flowers and original drummer J. Harley Gilmore. Black Summer Crush recorded an album and the vocals on those tracks were later replaced by Jay Buchanan and released as Rival Sons’ debut album.
In 2006 Holiday came across Buchanan while searching on MySpace for a singer. Drummer Michael Miley had previously worked with Buchanan (as well as having been in Veruca Salt and the Carson Daly TV show band) and he had met bassist Robin Everhart playing at a benefit concert at Isaac Hayes house for Hurricane Katrina in Long Beach. The union of Holiday, Buchanan, Everhart and Miley led to the formation of Rival Sons.
As a singer-songwriter Buchanan was skeptical about joining a rock and roll band but after seeing the reception to the band's debut album Before the Fire (2009) produced by Dave Cobb, Buchanan committed to Rival Sons full-time. Jack Rivera of The Huffington Post declared them "A rock band to watch" in November 2009.[2] Following this acclaim, they were invited to perform as a supporting act for AC/DC, Alice Cooper and Kid Rock shows.[3] During this time, Rival Sons also performed on the race track during a televised show of the Indianapolis 500.[4]
EP, signing and worldwide release of second album Pressure & Time (2010–2011)
After the success of Before the Fire, the band recorded a self-titled EP (independently released) in 2010, which caught the attention of Earache Records founder Digby Pearson and the band was offered a record deal in November 2010. The signing led to the band immediately recording the album Pressure & Time on the Earache label in early 2011. Their self-titled EP was re-released digitally by Earache Records in February 2011, from which their debut European single, "Torture", was taken.[5]
Rival Sons played at Gene Simmons' "Aces & Angels" Super Bowl party on February 2, 2011,[6] before making their European debut appearance at Camden Barfly on February 12, 2011, for the HMV Next Big Thing. The band Vintage Trouble supported their act and the show sold out in advance,[7] which started a nearly unbroken string of European sell-out shows.[8] In March 2011 a string of shows at Canadian Music Week, SXSW and the House of Blues was announced.[9]
Rival Sons released Pressure & Time in June 2011. It reached number one on Amazon's Hard Rock best sellers and nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100.[10][11]
"I don't think you can be certain what's going on here. To me it's a picture about fear or concern. Here's someone about to descend and doesn't know what they'll face, or where this might lead. So, in his mind he's imagining the action. That's what you see, into his mind, as he focuses on what's about to happen.
When he gets to the bottom of the stairs, where does he go? Turn left, right or straight ahead, anything's possible. And I hope this cover will have fans of the band intrigued for a long while. To me, the cover should be part of the album, and not just packaging."
Rival Sons' track "Torture" was featured in the film Real Steel in October 2011[15] and the band, by personal request of Amy Lee, supported Evanescence in the US in October 2011, whom they would play with again in January 2012.[16] While Rival Sons continued to tour extensively, in 2012 they featured on the Harald Schmidt Show and played an acoustic set at the annual Classic Rock awards at the Roundhouse in London. They were voted 'Best New Band' by listeners of Planet Rock Radio. In mid-2012, Pressure & Time was voted number two album of the year and the band named "Breakthrough Artist of the Year" by Classic Rock Magazine.[17]
Head Down and Dave Beste joins the band on bass (2012–2013)
Head Down was released in September 2012 to critical acclaim.[21][22] The album charted at number 31 in the UK album chart, number 5 in the UK indie chart, number 6 in Sweden, number 13 in Finland, number 14 in Norway, number 30 in Switzerland and number 38 in Germany. The debut single "Keep On Swinging" started a trend on Twitter, and the video was filmed in a church with snakes. The band then went on to complete another sold-out European tour and were featured on the cover of Classic Rock Magazine. They also received the 'Breakthrough artist' award presented by Vic Reeves.[23] In January 2013 the band released a second single from Head Down with a video for "Until The Sun Comes" directed by Simon Gesrel, known for his stop-motion work and his work with Michel Gondry (The White Stripes, Björk).[24]
Rival Sons did a small Mid-West USA tour in May before returning to Europe in June to play more summer festivals including Download, Kivenlahti Rock, Bergenfest, Bravalla, Main Square and Open Air St. Gallen. The band also supported Kiss in Italy and Switzerland. During this time bassist Robin Everhart quit the band for 'personal reasons' stating "After years of intensive touring with Rival Sons, I have come to the conclusion that I am not a road-warrior and that the rock 'n' roll lifestyle' is not for me."[25]
In September 2013 Rival Sons supported Sammy Hagar across the US with new bassist Dave Beste, previously of Rocco DeLuca and the Burden. The band played Hard Rock Vegas in December and started the new year by headlining a street party in their hometown of Long Beach.
Great Western Valkyrie and Hollow Bones (2014–2017)
Rival Sons in 2015
In January 2014 Rival Sons returned to the studio in Nashville with Cobb to produce their fourth full-length LP album. Amidst great anticipation of their fan base, the critically acclaimed Great Western Valkyrie was released in June 2014. Even before the album's release Rival Sons began their 2014 European Tour opening for Aerosmith in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden. The summer tour continued through Europe with club and festival dates in Germany at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park, then onto four sold-out shows in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Wight Festival 2014.
They returned across the Atlantic to begin the USA 2014 summer tour with a sold-out show at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville. The US tour included several festivals and two sold-out dates in New York City. Rival Sons travelled back and forth between US and Canadian dates mid-summer, before heading back to Northern Europe for four large festivals, ending the summer with a trip to South Africa to play the Oppikopi Festival.
After a rest Rival Sons began the second leg of the US tour playing dates in California including The Fillmore in San Francisco and a sold-out show at the legendary The Troubadour. More Fall 2014 US Tour dates included shows in Arizona, Nebraska, Nevada, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and New Jersey.
Rival Sons had several live television performances in 2014, the first on Le Grand Journal (Canal+), where Rival Sons first introduced their first ever touring keyboard player Todd Ögren, who has since become known as ”The Fifth Son”. In October Late Night with David Letterman and Later… with Jools Holland. They performed live at the 2014 Classic Rock MagazineClassic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. Great Western Valkyrie was released in late 2014. It was nominated for "Album of the Year" in 2014 by Classic Rock Magazine. In the Classic Rock magazine gala they famously met Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. The encounter resulted in them being invited as an exclusive support act for Black Sabbath final The End tour.
In October 2015 they recorded their fifth LP album Hollow Bones, again with music producer Cobb, in just three weeks. Rival Sons toured the United Kingdom from March to April 2015 as well as played the main stage at Download Festival in 2016. Hollow Bones was officially released July 2016.
After the recording they toured with Deep Purple in their 2016 European tour. Throughout 2016 and into early 2017 they toured as main supporting act on the entirety of Black Sabbath's notable The End Tour.[26]
Signing to Atlantic Records and Feral Roots (2018–2021)
On February 27, 2018, it was officially announced that Rival Sons had signed on with Low Country Sound an imprint of Elektra run by Dave Cobb.[27]
Rival Sons performing in Moscow, Russia on 30-11-2019, Izvestiya Hall
On May 9, 2019, the band appeared on the Late Late Show with James Corden,[30] performing "Too Bad". In Fall 2019, the band capitalized on the success of Feral Roots and embarked on a Co-Headline tour with Stone Temple Pilots across North America.[31] On October 11, 2019, Rival Sons performed a stripped-down version of "Do Your Worst" at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.[32]
Pressure & Time 10-Year Anniversary Tour (2021-2022)
In honor of their 2011 album, Pressure & Time, the Rival Sons went on tour beginning in 2021 as a 10-year anniversary of the album.[33] On some shows, the album was played in its entirety. At this time, Nobody Wants to Die, on their later 2023 album, was debuted.
Darkfighter and Lightbringer (2023)
On October 14, 2022, the band released a single titled "Nobody Wants to Die"; a music video was also released. Three more singles were released, in 2023, Rapture, Bird in the Hand, and Guillotine. On May 23, 2023, it was announced that Todd Ögren was leaving the band; whether this is permanent is currently not known. The band's seventh album, Darkfighter, was released on June 2, 2023 on CD, streaming and on vinyl.[34] Only two months later, a single for the second album, Lightbringer was released, Sweet Life.Mercy was also released soon after. On October 20, 2023, Lightbringer was released, as six-track album with their longest track to date, Darkfighter. According to Jay Buchanan, the band spent the most time on these two albums compared to previous releases, and many tracks such as Darkside are very personal to the band members.[35]
The Darkfighter tour began in America, but moved to Europe in October. Due to Ögren's departure as well as difficult vocals for Jay Buchanan in songs such as Mirrors or Darkfighter, some tracks were performed live in an alternate manner, such as using transpositions or substitute instruments. In the early stages of the Darkfighter tour, Buchanan used a horizontal strummer for songs such as Guillotine or Horses Breath.
European Double Tours and Two-Headed Beast Tour (2023-2024)
In fall 2023, the Darkfighter tour moved to Europe, beginning on October 13. After Lightbringer was released, many of these songs were included in the setlists. Jay Buchanan began to express the shock and sympathy he had towards the victims of the Israel-Hamas conflict by dedicating Shooting Stars to the children victims.[36] During this tour, a new keyboardist was introduced. Whether he is the temporary or permanent replacement for Ögren is yet to be known.
In summer 2024, a second European tour began, this time dedicated to Head Down.[37]
In fall 2024, Rival Sons will have a Two-Headed Beast Tour in America with Clutch, in which they dedicate to Great-Western Valkyrie.[38]
Artistry
Songwriting and recording process
Rival Sons' early albums, including Pressure & Time, were written and recorded in the studio in an intense period of creativity. Speaking about the sophomore album that was written and recorded in 20 days, with producer Dave Cobb, guitarist Scott Holiday said, "This is just the simplest way to not cheat ourselves or the listener, rock and roll can't be over-thought, and if it is, it loses its immediacy and instinct...it needs to be a knife fight, not a knife dance."[39]
Rival Sons have recorded regularly, releasing seven records in ten years. "Opting to keep the sound intact and very accurate as to deliver to the listener exactly what was happening in the room when we put it down" – Holiday, talking about the album Great Western Valkyrie.[40][41]
The band has a long-standing, friendly and professional relationship with Grammy award-winning music producer Cobb, who has worked on all the band's albums and is often referred to as another member of the band. He is interested in simplicity in the recording and with the sound and vitality of real musicians in a room.[42] Cobb encourages and captures the vocal punch of the band's mainman, Jay Buchanan. "He's unbelievable, a one-take guy — done. It's such a pleasure, because then you can get wild with things. You can experiment when it doesn't take long for the singer to do his thing."[42]
Rival Sons recording process changed for their major label debut Feral Roots, for the first time writing and recording over a process of months. Jay Buchanan stated that "You need to shift and constantly find new soil" within the creative process, taking eight months to write and record the Grammy nominated album instead of all their previous work which took less than six weeks.[43]
The band are often cited for the sartorial style as well as their musical style, with Scott Holiday known for working with tailor Ray Brown and the band often wearing boots by UK bootmaker Jeffery West. Scott Holiday is known for his slim-line tailored suits, moustache and sunglasses, Jay Buchanan's style is unpredictable including wearing flowers in his hair,[46] flowing floral shirts and tight leather suits.[47]
Band members
Current members
Jay Buchanan – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica (2009–present)
Scott Holiday – lead guitar, backing vocals (2009–present)
Whitesnake are an English rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entity, Coverdale is the only constant member throughout their history.
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers. As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden released a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including 1980's debut album, 1981's Killers, and 1982's The Number of the Beast – its first album with Bruce Dickinson, who in 1981 replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer. The addition of Dickinson was a turning point in their career, establishing them as one of heavy metal's most important bands. The Number of the Beast is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide.
Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979, by lead vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson, and drummer Tony Reno. They obtained a major breakthrough in Sweden in 1982 by winning the televised competition "Rock-SM" ; it was the first time this competition was held, and Europe became a larger success than the competition itself.
Carcass are an English extreme metal band from Liverpool, formed in 1985. The band have gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Bill Steer and bassist-vocalist Jeff Walker as the only constant members. They broke up in 1996, but reformed in 2007 without original drummer Ken Owen, for health reasons. To date, the band have released seven studio albums, two compilation albums, four EPs, two demo albums, one video album, and six music videos.
Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing early grindcore and death metal records between the late 1980s and mid-1990s. Its roster has since diversified into more mainstream guitar music, working with bands such as Rival Sons, the Temperance Movement, Blackberry Smoke, Scarlet Rebels and the White Buffalo. The company also hosted the 'Earache Express' stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2017 and 'The Earache Factory' at Boomtown 2018. The label's logo is a homage to Thrasher magazine, as Pearson was a skateboard culture enthusiast.
Black Stone Cherry is an American rock band, formed in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky. They were signed to Roadrunner Records until 2015; the band is now signed to Mascot Label Group. The band consists of Chris Robertson, Ben Wells, Steve Jewell and John Fred Young. Black Stone Cherry has released eight studio albums as well as two EPs and have charted seventeen singles on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. Their latest album, Screamin' at the Sky, was released in 2023.
The discography of Buckcherry, a rock band from California, includes nine studio albums, one live album, one video album, thirty-two singles and thirty-eight music videos.
Oceano is an American deathcore band from Cook County, Illinois. Formed in 2006, the band signed to Earache Records and released their debut album, Depths, on April 7, 2009. Their second album, Contagion, was released on November 9, 2010. Their fourth album Ascendants was released March 23, 2015. Their fifth studio album Revelation was released on May 19, 2017. It was their first release with their new label, Sumerian Records. Their sixth and final studio album, Living Chaos, was released on August 30, 2024.
Blackberry Smoke is an American country rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2000. The lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Charlie Starr, lead guitarist Paul Jackson, bassist Richard Turner and keyboardist Brandon Still. Richard's brother Brit Turner was the band's drummer before his death in March 2024. In 2018, they added touring members, guitarist Benji Shanks and percussionist Preston Holcomb. They have released eight studio albums, two live albums and five extended plays.
Pressure & Time is the second studio album by American rock band Rival Sons. It was released on June 20, 2011, in the UK and was released in the United States on June 28, 2011, through UK independent label Earache Records. The cover artwork was designed by Storm Thorgerson, who had worked for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd before. A music video has been released for title track "Pressure & Time", which features the band performing in different backgrounds. The title track was also used as the theme song of the 2013 action-adventure video game Ride to Hell: Retribution, was featured in the movie Swearnet and in the commercial for the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado. The track Get Mine was featured in a Jeremiah Weed premium malt beverage television advertising campaign showing an arm wrestling competition.
Love and Death is an American Christian metal band formed by Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. The group was officially announced in February 2012 as a re-branding of Welch's solo music project.
Head Down is the third studio album by the blues rock band Rival Sons. The album was released on September 17, 2012 in the UK and was released in the rest of Europe on September 14, 2012. It is the last Rival Sons album recorded by the original line-up, prior to bass player Robin Everhart's departure in August 2013. On May 24, 2024, a remaster of the album was released.
Black Star Riders is a hard rock band formed in December 2012. The band began when members of the 2011–2012 line-up of Thin Lizzy decided to record new material, but chose not to release it under the Thin Lizzy name. While Thin Lizzy continues on an occasional basis, Black Star Riders is a full-time band, described as "the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story". The band's first album, All Hell Breaks Loose, was released on May 21, 2013, and the follow-up album, The Killer Instinct was released on February 20, 2015. The band's third album, Heavy Fire, was released on February 3, 2017, and reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.
The Temperance Movement are a British blues rock band formed in 2011 by Glasgow-born vocalist Phil Campbell and guitarists Luke Potashnick and Paul Sayer. The rhythm section consists of bassist Nick Fyffe and the Australian-born drummer Damon Wilson. The band released their Pride EP in 2012, and their eponymous debut studio album was released on 16 September 2013. Collectively the band have a rich history of experience, having previously played with Rooster, Ben's Brother, Jamiroquai, Ray Davies, The Waterboys and Feeder.
Great Western Valkyrie is the fourth studio album by American rock band Rival Sons. The album, which is the first to feature new bass player Dave Beste, was released in June 2014. It garnered positive reviews from critics who praised the band's musicianship in recapturing late 60s hard rock. Great Western Valkyrie peaked within the top 40 of countries like Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, and spawned three singles: "Electric Man", "Open My Eyes" and "Good Things". To promote the record, the band toured across Europe and North America with appearances at music festivals and talk shows.
The Struts are a British rock band formed in Derby, Derbyshire in 2012. The band comprises lead vocalist Luke Spiller, guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott, and drummer Gethin Davies.
Hollow Bones is the fifth LP studio album by the American rock band Rival Sons, released on June 10, 2016.
Massive is a hard rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The current line up consists of Brad Marr, Ben Laguda, Brenton Kewish (bass) and Andrew Greentree (drums).
Feral Roots is the sixth studio album by American rock band Rival Sons. It was released on January 25, 2019, through Low Country Sound and Atlantic Records. It is the band's first album since Hollow Bones (2016), and their first release on Atlantic Records. It was preceded by the lead single "Do Your Worst", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in March 2019.
Darkfighter is the seventh studio album by American band Rival Sons, released on June 2, 2023, through Atlantic Records. It was produced by Dave Cobb and preceded by the singles "Nobody Wants to Die" and "Bird in the Hand". It was originally scheduled for release on March 10 before being delayed. The band toured North America in support of the album from May to June 2023. The album will be followed by Lightbringer, set for release on October 20, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
