Long Beach based rock and roll band Rival Sons are excited about their first tour out west, which will brings them to Lethbridge, Feb. 4 to Average Joes.
“This will be our first time out west,” said Rival Sons frontman/ vocalist Jay Buchanan, beginning the band’s tour in San Francisco.
They released their third CD “Head Down,” in Canada in October, but haven’t released it in the United States.
“We’ve never actually played San Francisco before. We‘re playing Portland and then Vancouver, where we’ve never played before,” he continued adding once he’s done the day’s interviews he is excited about checking out some of the sites and sounds of San Francisco.
“We’ve played Canada, but that’s usually the Toronto area, maybe London,” he continued.
“We‘ve just never got around to touring Canada. We’re so busy with U.S dates and in Europe. But I’ve got a lot of family and friends in Calgary and Red Deer, well really close friends, who are like family,” he said.
He is pleased with the response to the new CD and their live show. They have received considerable support from radio, fans and the media.
“It’s been fantastic, the last time we did a full tour we had sold out shows everywhere,” he enthused.
The band enjoys playing new places and seeing new faces, and especially seeing the numbers double each time.
“We’ll play a place and there will be 200 people, the next time there will be 300 or four hundred, the next time 800 and then there will be 1,200,” he observed.
They wrote and recorded the entire CD in only three weeks.
“We’ll start writing the Cd for three weeks and we’ll work on it around the clock, 24-7. A lot of bands will work on a CD in the studio and over think it, but we think spending three weeks writing good songs and bad songs creates an honest picture of who we are,” he said adding he didn’t think there were any “bad songs” on the new CD. He noted they use whatever they record during the three weeks they put into each CD.
One of the more interesting songs on the album is “Manifest Destiny,” a two part blues influenced jam about First Nations.
“It’s a long form song, the majority is instrumental. (guitarist) Scott Holiday tells most of the story with his guitar,” he said.
He emphasized they are a rock and roll band.
“We don’t play rock music. We’re a rock and roll based blues band. We have a lot of influences including native american music, bebop jazz, and the blues, but we also listen to a lot of garage rock, the Who and the Rolling Stones, they’re the easy ones (to pinpoint as influences). But we‘re still trying to get there,” he described adding they don’t consider themselves to be a classic rock band.
“We’re not a classic rock band, we have a couple years before that,” he said.
He plays many instruments, but only sings on stage.
“I play many instruments. Guitar is my first instrument. But we have Scott on guitar and he’s got it covered. I wouldn’t bring in a second guitar. That’s his identity. I just walk on stage and let him play,” he said.
He has been singing almost since before he could even speak. It’s all I know how to do,” he continued.
“I’m self taught. I’ve never had a lesson. I’ve been singing ever since I could talk,” he said.
He is also a big supporter of the Idle No More Movement.
“It’s a very polarizing issue. But it’s a cause I really believe in. It’s close to my heart,” he said.
“ We’re looking forward to getting there and seeing the people in the Alberta territories,” he said.
“We like playing for people who have never seen us play before because there is a real sense of adventure,” he said.
“We have to play each show like it’s going to be our last.”
Rival Sons will be playing Average Joes with special guests, Ottawa/ Toronto rock and roll trio the Balconies. The show is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Advance tickets are $20.
