Rival Tides (Previously Known as Harris Grade) Interviewed At Last!

I've been a friend and fan of local band Rival Tides (formally known as Harris Grade) for several years now and at last I got to interview them! I thought it was a perfect time since they just changed their name and just had a show last night - the first under their official new name! 

If you're unfamiliar with Rival Tides, it's time to get familiar. Please check out their Facebook page and music; all links included after the interview. Their humor is hilarious, if you've ever met them or seen videos, and I think it really carries through in some of their answers here. I know they had me laughing and I'm the one doing the interview!

(Alex Solca)

Me: How did you first get started as a band? Since then, how have any band member changes and personal ups and downs affected your sound? 

Rival Tides: We first got together in a previous project. As time progressed, the group experienced member changes and new experiences (both in life and musically) that really put us down a more focused path. Instead of continuing on with any old history, we decided to start over.

Me: Do you feel like your new songs are different from your older ones because you as people have grown? Or is this finally the "real you" coming out?

RT: Both, really. We’ve grown together as a group in a way that’s helped us get to the point of our true potential. It’s not that we’ve peaked or anything, but our new music is certainly the music we’ve always wanted to make together.

Me: Do you have one specific member who concentrates on writing a majority of lyrics and/or music or do you feel that it's an equal collaboration?

RT: Our vocalist, Robyn, writes all the lyrics, unless we just have minor suggestions to contribute. We all join forces to write the music. The success or failure of each individual song is the responsibility of everyone in the group.

  

Me: Tell me about your lyric writing process and how you're able to come up with such unique and moving songs? Has your process changed between albums?

RT: Robyn‘s lyrics are becoming a lot more personal, while being more relatable to those who listen. He starts with how a new song’s melody makes him feel and then writes what he feels is appropriate to that mood.

Me: Do you feel like it's hard to continue making a name for yourself as a band, while others seem to meld together under the pressure of the industry to make "popular" music?

(Alex Solca)

RT: Just wait until you hear our next album… jk. 

Either way, it’s a competitive market out there. Our goal is to make music that appeals to a wide variety of people, while keeping true to our own values.

  

Me: Have you experienced any problems or fallbacks while recording?

RT: Somewhat. As younger musicians we ran into problems clashing with producers’ visions for our style and direction. In recent times though, by the time we hit the studio, we’re confident and ready to record without any issues.

Me: I know you guys posted a statement about your name-change, but I think it's safe to say that everyone (including me as a friend and fan) who listens to your music would love to know what went into the thought process to changing your name, especially since you're already a fairly well-known band. 

RT: Our main reasoning was a fresh start. With the three songs we most recently released, (Mission:Control, How to Catch a Bullet, Oceans) we really felt that we discovered our true style. Instead of having a scattered history, we wanted all of our efforts from here on out to be as focused as possible. Rival Tides is all about having a good time while taking care of business at the same time. Kind of like a mullet: business up front, party in the back.

Me: Do you guys have any plans for a tour in the near future, whether local or US? 

RT: We’ve got some stuff in the pipeline being worked out, but until dates are confirmed and ready to be announced we’ll keep quiet about it.

Me: I'm curious as to how you guys personally feel about the way music sales have changed, including illegal downloading, iTunes, Amazon, and other online music retailers. Does this totally ruin music or do you think this improves how easily and rapidly music reaches your fan's ears? 

(Alex Solca)

RT: Each side of the debate has its pros and cons. Digital downloads provide easy access to new music discovery, but it also creates a much more saturated market. It does shut down a lot of those bands who just want to be instant rockstars though; the money just isn’t around for that anymore. The changed industry forces bands like us to think on our toes and look to the future at all times. Even if we’re not necessarily making visible moves or announcements every week, we’re still planning out the best courses of action at all times.

Me: Do you think that online sales will eventually completely replace CD and vinyl sales?

RT: I can see CDs disappearing. Sure, it could take a while since they’re still easily available, but most content can now be streamed online in cloud storage, or is just digital through mp3s. I think vinyl will stick around though. It makes music more of a collector item. With bigger artwork, better sound and limited quantities, it has staying power. Plus, something that I personally love about it is the fact that it’s really the only true way to “own” music. CDs are just data discs. Downloads are the same. A record is a physical item of music. If you put a needle to it, even without speakers, you can hear music from it. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty awesome.

***

Check Rival Tides out on Facebook, Twitter, and on their website! 

(Photos by the magnificent Alex Solca)

Taking Back Sunday, Bayside, and Man Overboard (#TAYF10 Tour) at Club Nokia October 25, 2012)

The scene was a beautiful one: a crazy long line of people all lined up for the Taking Back Sunday #TAYF10 tour! A lot of these people were wearing merch and some of them even had TBS shirts from "back in the day," showing that they had likely been around from when the album was first released. Many Bayside fans also showed up, some excited to see the bands for the first time, while some had been to many shows and had more of a relaxed vibe as they waited in line. I didn't see any Man Overboard shirts, but I know there were many loyal fans out there in the crowd once the band went on later.

Personally, I've seen Taking Back Sunday twice: The Next Big Thing 6 (Tampa Bay 2006) and Warped Tour 2012 (My first Warped Tour this year in Pomona) and Bayside once at the same Warped Tour this past summer. I was beyond excited to get to see them, even though I felt a little nervous about the venue size, crowd, and the VERY small pit that they had given "limited" access to. (Which really meant as many people as they could fit in there without killing someone.)

After waiting in line and getting our pit access, my friend and I squeezed as close to the front as possible and waited for the show to start. There were so many people who were excited for Man Overboard to open. Although I hadn't been as long-term of a fan of them as others in the crowd, it was great to see how much excitement there was for them. Many people knew the lyrics to their music as they started playing, but the crowd didn't go nearly as crazy as I would soon witness. Now, I've been to a LOT of shows. I've been to shows in all sorts of venues with all kinds of music and different crowds and I've been hit in places I had to think about later (how?! why?!) but never have I seen a crowd like the one that night.

Bayside played a solid set to a sea of singing fans who knew the lyrics very well and it almost sounded like a live recording of their album. I was very pleased and glad to be part of a crowd who knew and apparently loved Bayside as much as I do! (A few people, not surprisingly, screamed out their love for, and desire to have the babies of Anthony.) They put on an even better set than the smaller one at Warped Tour, which I had thought was amazing, so that's saying something.

The crowd started pushing some towards the end of Bayside's set and a couple people attempted to crowd surf, which is apparently their way of showing appreciation for the music. Nobody seemed amused. When Taking Back Sunday took the stage, the change was enormous. Not only did everyone start shoving and "moshing" (I put it in quotations because these individuals have clearly never been to a hardcore show and were trying to mosh/circle pit but don't know what they are doing.) but the voices got louder and the excitement was even more clear.

On the upside, a great show was had and they played a great set, comparable with the one I saw at Warped Tour (with a much smaller crowd at Club Nokia) but the downsides were the tight space and people kicking and throwing elbows everywhere (even in the parts of the crowd you usually would be safe in) and one guy who tried to crowd surf to the stage 12 or 13 times in a row and didn't get kicked out. I would put the downsides mostly on the venue/security, because that's not really on the band. But I did get punched in the face so hard I thought my nose was broken, and my glasses were ripped off my face a few times. (Not the first time it's happened... La Dispute...)

All in all, great show.

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