Rivia | Matt Connarton Unleashed

0:00 Speaker 1: There it is. I love it. That is such a great track, piece of view. The band is Rivia And let's see. I know we've got members of the band on the line. Let's see who we've got. Welcome everybody, can you hear me? Oh, it's always such a relief when this works. You know, these international calls don't always go as planned. Welcome to the show, Welcome back, I should say. I know you've been on before, but it's been a while since we've talked. Uh, who do we have? Who do we have with us from the band?

0:27 Speaker 2: Full house, all of us?

0:29 Speaker 3: Oh?

0:29 Speaker 1: Nice, nice, wonderful. So how are things, Uh, how are things going over there? Says what did we talk last? It's been a few months, right, I think we talked after the release of Fallen. Was the last time we had you on? Correct?

0:43 Speaker 2: Yeah? That was a July definitely in the year, wasn't it.

0:48 Speaker 4: Yeah, loads of gigs spinning the studio, festivals, stock.

0:56 Speaker 1: Too, wonderful, wonderful, So you had to you had a busy summer.

1:00 Speaker 5: It sounds like, hell, yeah, it's been it's been great.

1:04 Speaker 1: Outstanding, outstanding. Tell me about tell me about festivals. What what festivals have you done? Because I always say festivals are such a fantastic opportunity for for bands, especially younger new bands like you, new were bands like you, because not only does it get you in front of audiences, large audiences that might not otherwise come across you, but it's also such a fantastic networking opportunity too. You know, you get in front of new fans, but you also get in front of of people in the industry and and other artists that you might work with in the future or have worked with in the past.

1:35 Speaker 1: Even But what what are some of the festivals that y'all did this past summer.

1:42 Speaker 2: We've done a couple.

1:43 Speaker 6: I mean, the most most memorable for us is because we made a weekend out at Isle of Wight Festival. So we'll drive down hop on the ferry and then head into Islow eight and that was a full weekend, well just all of it, but the all weekend. Yeah, we brought some posters down with us and just meeting a loads of people and chatting about the band and just made it really personal to no seeing them come down to the show and never even there of us, and then they just meet us with a post say come to our show, please come We got some.

2:15 Speaker 3: Nice messages after that as well, people, and we've had a few comments on things on YouTube and stuff saying, you know, like this was a really nice thank you for coming and saying all those us was so glad we caught your set and stuff.

2:24 Speaker 4: Yeah, it goes to show that that human interactions still goes a long way, like oh, definitely.

2:33 Speaker 1: That's a yeah. And that's a good reminder too, because as Ai continues to uh to take hold of you know, especially, I mean, it affects everything, but it certainly is effecting the music industry. So uh, that's a good thing to remind people about the importance of human interaction, especially when it comes to music or any kind of art that you're making. How does a piece of you must go over really well live? I would imagine the song's got such a great energy about it. I just love it so much. How does that go over?

3:00 Speaker 1: How does that go over live? Because I would imagine, I mean, do you do you open or close your set with it? Or where do you put it in the set?

3:07 Speaker 5: It's usually second, doesn't it?

3:08 Speaker 2: Yeah? Seconds?

3:10 Speaker 6: And then it's it's a little bit heavier than some of the other stuff that we've done. So we before we were unsure on how it will go down, but the reaction to it's been really good so far.

3:21 Speaker 2: It's made mistake. Should we just go a bit heavy? Right? Right?

3:28 Speaker 5: Gets the people.

3:28 Speaker 1: Going like it is a little more aggressive than the other songs. But I love it. I love it. There's almost this is you know what I hear? What I hear in that song. There's almost like a sort of a desperation to it and and earnestness maybe that's a better word. Who wrote that? Who in the bed did you all write that together? Or who wrote the song?

3:49 Speaker 4: So the the instruments are a team effort, like everyone puts the bits on it, and Matt and my hello.

4:00 Speaker 5: Wrote the lyrics for it.

4:01 Speaker 4: And for me, it's basically like sort of it's about about getting revenge basically, but but knowing and being aware enough to know that it's not the right thing to do. Yeah, So it's it's tackling trying to tackle the sort of thoughts and the feelings that you get when you've been wronged and you want to you want to get revenge on people who've done done you wrong, but you know better effectively and just trying to trying to grapple with that and trying to move forward with that. And like I've I've been on a bit of a journey personally of trying to look after myself a little bit more and trying to trying to live life a little bit healthier and things like that and be a bit more positive.

4:43 Speaker 4: So it's really sort of it's a it's a it's a time capsual for me lyrically, and in that respect.

4:50 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's I think it's really good and I think that you know, the theme that you just described, I think is universal. I think we've all had moments like that, situations where you know what you're thinking about, you know, trying to get revenge on somebody, and you know, as you get older, you learn you know, really the best revenge is living well and being successful. But but but we certainly have, we certainly have those situations occur, no doubt, no doubt. Now what what what is the what is the plan?

5:16 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, you've released some great singles and I think I think one of you, at the start of our conversation said something about being in the studio. Are you working on an album or do you have another single? You're working on or what's kind of the future plan.

5:31 Speaker 4: So we have we have another one sort of in the chamber, ready ready to fire, and then we're going we're going back in the studio on Monday actually to do another one to follow that up, and then if all goes well, next year, I think we'd really like to do an album. I feel like we're at that sort of point as a band where we kind of want to do that, but it's just a case of whether we can make it happen.

5:59 Speaker 2: Yeah, the time, the time tying, I love to oh.

6:03 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, no doubt. I you know, I'm old enough to remember when it was you know, you release an album and then first single goes to radio six eight weeks before the album comes out, and then if everything goes well, you know, you release the album, and then if everything goes well, you get a second single and and maybe a third single and so forth. But today there's so many different ways to release music, and yeah, a lot of the guests that we have on the show in these times are are just doing a series of singles and just kind of seeing which does keep you well engaged, you know, in terms of the algorithms with social media and whatnot if you're you know, because you release, if you release an album, you know, you get that big bump from that, and then you don't necessarily depending on what happens after that, you don't necessarily get get a lot of traction on social media.

6:50 Speaker 1: But releasing a series of singles and maybe when you do, if the goal is to do an album, will the singles Maybe I haven't thought this far ahead, but I'll just ask you, will the singles that you've released so far be a part of that album or will the will the album be a completely separate thing? Do you think?

7:05 Speaker 3: And I think there might be one or two that have to be Yeah, Yeah, there something that we have talked about re recording and the like.

7:13 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's tunes that we've.

7:14 Speaker 3: Got in the set that we've had for years that we would like. We've always said that's going on the album.

7:20 Speaker 4: They've sort of as we've played them over the years, they've they've evolved into not new songs.

7:25 Speaker 5: But they're definitely.

7:28 Speaker 4: And they're sort of different in their versions and and how we sort of play them. And Yeah, the standard that we're right now as a band, we'd love to sort of get back in the studio and redo them and do them to the standard that that we could do them to now would be really cool.

7:45 Speaker 1: That makes sense. And to be able to do them too with the current lineup, right, because Rush, you've been in the band for a while just you joined this year correct.

7:54 Speaker 7: Yeah, I joined like kind of towards the end of April, so what like sexally seven months, so it's fairly recent. Well, it feels like I've been here forever.

8:04 Speaker 1: That's good, that's good. Yeah.

8:09 Speaker 3: It was a funny moment where because we said we'll do like a little trial period Shaw we get on you know, for all Joe and that, and then we came to the end of that trial period and basically like Rush came in and went, so, are we gonna have a discussion about you know, like being being in the band and stuff, And we just went, oh, we thought.

8:29 Speaker 2: You were in.

8:32 Speaker 7: Plan And I was like, you know, it's the trials coming to and they're like, okay, break it up and be like, you know.

8:40 Speaker 4: What am I in?

8:43 Speaker 2: We're still in trial. Didn't realize.

8:46 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's funny, But that's how you know it's a good fit, right when when some of you didn't even you know, give it another thought. It was just like, oh, yeah, this makes sense, and then but it's good.

8:56 Speaker 2: That was the big giveaway for us. Now we were like, yeah, definitely the one.

9:00 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh that's excellent. That's excellent going into I mean now that we're jeez, I can't believe it's already almost the end of October? Are you? Are you still playing a lot of shows? As I know in the United States, a lot of a lot of bands, they kind of they don't go into hibernation. They're still working, but they kind of use, at least in this part of the country where it gets cold in the winter, they kind of use winter time to maybe focus more on recording because traveling isn't so great when it's snowing and icy out.

9:28 Speaker 1: But I mean, what, what's kind of your plan? Are you still playing a lot of shows now? Do you plan to play through the winter or I don't even know what the winter is like exactly where you are.

9:37 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's not it's not great. It's definitely wet.

9:39 Speaker 6: Ye've got a couple to see us out, But that's the plan for those as well, to be honest, do some bits behind the scenes and they out again next year. So we've got two Liverpool shows, you know, one on Halloween which will all go in this pilots.

9:54 Speaker 2: Yeah, we want we want everyone to everyone.

9:58 Speaker 6: Rib Crews taking a nice and we've got there on the sixth of December as well, which was really good, really good line up on that. So we're looking forward to that and you know, who knows something some might come our way.

10:11 Speaker 2: I don't know.

10:12 Speaker 6: I was just squeeze in there, but at the moment definitely slowed down a little bit.

10:16 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we want to focus only on writing for next year.

10:21 Speaker 1: Excellent, excellent. Oh by the way too, I wanted to circle back to a piece of you for a moment. I wanted to ask about the video because I love the video. It's really really cool. I like that. I really dig the whole aesthetic of it, and and I was just curious if that was something that you all did on your own, or if you worked with with somebody, or how did the video come about.

10:43 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was quite funny.

10:46 Speaker 6: It was just kind of yeah, yeah, it was kind of it was just an idea that come to us and we went, what's the best and cheapest way we can do this?

10:58 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it ended up being Matt in the alley.

11:03 Speaker 6: We're holding the hose pipe over his head on the waterfall mode and one of.

11:09 Speaker 2: Us fell in with it and that was it and stick it in black and White's good to go.

11:13 Speaker 3: Well, you can't see behind the cameras me and was in suits because we just come from where Yeah he's old pipe molding the camera and.

11:21 Speaker 5: Post just laughing at me while I'm shivering. End right, it's a good idea for like shark time called dragons then no warm hose pipes.

11:35 Speaker 1: Well, if you go down, I mean, if you can, if you can come up with something that that is cheap, you know, but but still looks cool, then you've got something right, you know what I mean.

11:47 Speaker 2: That's some really good some good feedback.

11:49 Speaker 1: Yeah.

11:50 Speaker 2: Yeah, videos cost us a few quids.

11:55 Speaker 5: Yeah that was maybe three pounds.

11:59 Speaker 1: There you go. Oh you've also got this is cool too, by the way, and I want our listeners to know about this on YouTube. The piece of you Rivia in Matchbox Studio is a live recording and this is really good too. This is really cool, Thank you, Sean.

12:14 Speaker 2: Yeah, we love those guys.

12:15 Speaker 6: Batchbox are great over there, and you've got an amazing studio the recording as well as well as all the video stuff the package. Man, Yeah, the spot on make really nice lads.

12:27 Speaker 2: That was a good day.

12:28 Speaker 6: Every done Falling there as well. Yeah, so yeah, that's really good.

12:33 Speaker 1: Do you intend to continue to work with them?

12:36 Speaker 2: Yeah?

12:36 Speaker 3: Absolutely absolutely, Yeah, yeah I did the live The live videos are great with them and they do go down well. Falling Us now you can know, go and see that on the on YouTube as well.

12:46 Speaker 2: Ready to go.

12:47 Speaker 3: Yeah, so if anybody listening, it's only on YouTube. You can see the full thing if you want to go see.

12:51 Speaker 2: It, but we'd recommend them. That's to anyone for videos or the fantastic.

12:55 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh yeah. Oh there's also two Falling. There's this this acoustic version live from Northwest Connection that's also very very cool. We're going to play actually at the end of our conversation today too, we're going to play Falling to close out Side because that's another that's another great, great track.

13:12 Speaker 2: But I forgot me to that was the boss.

13:18 Speaker 1: Yeah, it looks like it looks like there's only three of you there, but the the oh this was yeah live from Northwest Connect. What is Northwest Connection?

13:28 Speaker 2: So that those guys.

13:29 Speaker 5: With the same talents as that.

13:33 Speaker 6: Can't remember the exact location, but it's a really cool spot.

13:37 Speaker 2: A radio station, a podcast.

13:40 Speaker 8: Mm hmmm, so we were we were on the podcast where we had a good, good shot for a good forty five minutes.

13:47 Speaker 2: Yeah, a couple of tubes, Yeah, good luck with them.

13:53 Speaker 1: Very nice, very nice.

13:54 Speaker 4: So what.

13:56 Speaker 1: I know I've asked you this question before the last time we talked, but for were listeners, are people who aren't familiar with you tell us about the name? I'm sure this is probably you probably hate this question because you probably get asked this question every single day of your lives. But what does that? What does Rivia mean?

14:13 Speaker 4: It's it's from It's from the Witcher if if you know what that is. It's a it was a series of books that got turned into video games that's now a crappy Netflix show. Yeah, and basically the main guy and it's called Garrels of Rivia.

14:30 Speaker 8: And when we were when we were making the band, I really I fell in love with this character. Basically, I just thought he was the coolest dude ever. And I was like, Riva is a really cool name. And then I was like, are there any other bands called Rivia?

14:43 Speaker 5: And look through the.

14:44 Speaker 8: Fire Instagram like every sort of music thing you can find, and there was no bands called Rivia, so we were like, well, that's that's a good start. The rarely condensed version of the story is he's in the sort of books. He's not actually from there. He sort of goes there and he saves them and they accept him.

15:07 Speaker 2: And I thought it was.

15:07 Speaker 8: Really cool, the idea of like, it doesn't matter where you come from, it's what you do that defines who you are.

15:13 Speaker 1: Yes, I like that. I like that very much. That is that's excellent. So what is now? What's kind of the short term? Do you do you have where's your Obviously we're in the United States, but we have listeners everywhere. When is when is your next show? When do you do you have anything this weekend that you're doing that you're playing?

15:33 Speaker 2: Is it next next Halloween? And we will be pirates? Yeah.

15:41 Speaker 6: So that's in Liverpool Cosmia stock Room, Saty First Report and the band called Holy Cove so a Welsh I believe.

15:48 Speaker 2: In the great bands.

15:50 Speaker 6: Looking forward to getting down seeing them there.

15:53 Speaker 1: Excellent, excellent, And then uh, where should people go online? Where's the best place for people to go to keep up with everything that Rivia is.

15:59 Speaker 6: Doing Instagram definitely, definitely Instagram at Rivia top and most of our stuff goes there, was putting up stories of what we're up to as well.

16:09 Speaker 3: So we've got all the other we've got like TikTok you too, You've got Twitter and stuff, all of them all, but our main sort of go to is his Instagram.

16:18 Speaker 4: Yeah, if you like nonsensical quotes and there is the place to go.

16:23 Speaker 3: Was Ho can full control of the Twitter and he does just put his thoughts out there.

16:27 Speaker 2: Yes, all welcome, you're go ahead.

16:33 Speaker 3: I was gonna say our TikTok's more like our behind the scenes stuff, isn't it Like he still having a bit of fun silly stuff.

16:38 Speaker 1: Yeah, No, that's excellent. Well, your social media game is strong and that's very very important of course, uh these days. So I commend you for that. And that's excellent And yeah.

16:50 Speaker 2: Thanks man. We've been working on that a lot this year, so appreciate that.

16:53 Speaker 5: I think we've got Rush to thank for a lot of that.

16:55 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely saved us.

16:59 Speaker 1: Excellent hard work.

17:00 Speaker 2: For me.

17:00 Speaker 7: It is stock hard work, like you know, thinking and stuff and then just having the time to like film it and the then edit stuff.

17:06 Speaker 6: It's hard, is it?

17:07 Speaker 2: Like, yeah, well, it's just it's.

17:09 Speaker 7: So important today, Like it's just a massive part of the music industry and I so.

17:13 Speaker 1: Right right because you're you're doing it all yourselves too, right, You're or do you have a label that you work with or is this all the I y, that's all the warm one. Yeah, that's what.

17:24 Speaker 6: We've got managers of management engineering from. We believe that love those guys the bits. In terms of social media, yeah, that's unfortunately just.

17:36 Speaker 1: Well unfortunately in the sense that it's a lot of work, right, but fortunately in the sense that that gives you maximum control, total control really over what you're putting out there and in terms of your image and everything, and that that can be that can be a wonderful thing to have that kind of autonomy. So that's that's.

17:52 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a bit more personal for social media now. That's kind of like we talk, isn't it.

17:57 Speaker 1: Yeah.

17:58 Speaker 2: We used to really struggle with like what what should we put off?

18:00 Speaker 3: And then we've realized we put it everyone, so yeah, ourselves exactly.

18:06 Speaker 1: It's it's easy to overthink it, but once you once you realize you know your fans, they just want engagement. So whatever you can put out there, you know, and and uh and if they don't like it, whatever, they'll ignore it. But if they do like it, then uh great, you know, then you've you've created that engagement that is absolutely critical to being successful in the music industry today. So uh so, yeah, absolutely, I commend you on that. Well, listen, we're gonna we'll uh, we'll let you go. We're gonna get to this track.

18:32 Speaker 1: We're gonna play Fallen to close out the segment, another great song.

18:36 Speaker 2: Uh.

18:36 Speaker 1: But I do want to thank all of you, Matt, Warren, Rash, Chris, thank you all.

18:40 Speaker 7: You know.

18:40 Speaker 1: It doesn't always work out where we get an entire band on all at once, so I appreciate that. Absolutely. We'll do it again and keep us posted on when the next single is ready to and and we'll uh we'll give it. We'll give it a spin here of course always and uh and we'll have you back on to talk about it and uh and I wish you continued to success. And thanks for joining us today.

19:02 Speaker 5: Thank you, so thank you so much.

19:04 Speaker 2: Touching about it.

19:05 Speaker 1: All right, Rivia, thank you. We'll talk to you soon. Take care, bye bye. All right, that is the members of the band Rivia, and we're going to close out our conversation, UH with this track. This is another great single. We were the first American radio station to play this. Of course, this is Fallen