RIVAL SONS – THE ROADMENDER

DOUBLE GRAMMY-NOMINATED BAND RIVAL SONS WILL PLAY ________. SINCE THEIR EMERGENCE IN 2009, RIVAL SONS HAVE REIGNITED AND RECHARGED ROCK ‘N’ ROLL WITH TOWERING VOCALS, UNCOMPROMISING GUITAR PLAYING, AND THUNDEROUS GROOVES TO ENTHUSIASTIC FANS THE WORLD OVER.

LIKE A GANG OF TRIED-AND-TRUE MAVERICKS, RIVAL SONS MARCH TO THE BEAT OF THEIR OWN DRUM. RIGHT WHEN YOU THINK YOU’VE GOT THEM FIGURED OUT, THE LOS ANGELES QUARTET—JAY BUCHANAN [VOCALS, ACOUSTIC GUITAR], SCOTT HOLIDAY [LEAD GUITAR], MIKE MILEY [DRUMS], AND DAVE BESTE [BASS]—WILL FLIP THE SCRIPT AND SURPRISE YOU ONCE MORE. THEIR VERY EMERGENCE IS INEXPLICABLE IN THE BEST WAY. THEY NEVER FIT INTO ANY ERA OR CATEGORY, YET THEIR UNCOMPROMISING SPIRIT MIGHT BE MORE NECESSARY TODAY THAN EVER. A SENSE OF PANACHE, A DASH OF MYSTERY, AND AN UNAPOLOGETIC COMMITMENT TO THE CRAFT OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL UNDERSCORE THEIR DEEP CATALOG HIGHLIGHTED BY THE LIKES OF PRESSURE & TIME [2011], GREAT WESTERN VALKYRIE [2014], AND FERAL ROOTS [2019], WHICH GARNERED TWO GRAMMY® AWARD NOMINATIONS IN THE CATEGORIES OF “BEST ROCK ALBUM” AND “BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE” FOR THE SINGLE “TOO BAD.” MEANWHILE, THE ROCK RADIO #1 HIT “DO YOUR WORST” HAS REELED IN 70 MILLION STREAMS AND COUNTING. AT THE SAME TIME, HAND PICKED BY BLACK SABBATH FOR THEIR FINAL TOUR, THEY’VE HELD THEIR OWN ON STAGE WITH THE GREATS LIKE THE ROLLING STONES, AC/DC, GUNS N’ ROSES, AND LENNY KRAVITZ IN ADDITION TO BLOWING THE ROOF OFF TELEVISION STAPLES SUCH AS THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN, JOOLS HOLLAND AND JIMMY KIMMEL.

IN 2023, THEY CONTINUED TO SUBVERT EXPECTATIONS WITH TWO FULL-LENGTH LPS—DARKFIGHTER AND LIGHTBRINGER [LOW COUNTRY SOUND/ATLANTIC RECORDS]. THOUGH THE GENESIS OF THESE ALBUMS IS INTERTWINED, THEY ALSO SPEAK TO THE BAND’S PERPETUAL PROGRESSION FORWARD. 

“WHEN YOU DO TWO ALBUMS BACK-TO-BACK LIKE THAT, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT,” SAYS SCOTT. “THE FIRST RECORD HAS TO PACK ENOUGH OF A PUNCH AND TELL ENOUGH OF A STORY FOR THE SECOND HALF TO HAVE AN EVEN BIGGER IMPACT. WE BALANCED THEM OUT WITH ENERGY AND MEANING, BUT THE FOLLOW-UP ALWAYS NEEDED TO DELIVER A BIGGER BLOW. I THINK LIGHTBRINGER PROVIDES THIS,” HE GRINS.

“DARKFIGHTER IS A NEW RIVAL SONS, AND LIGHTBRINGER IS THE CLEAR DEFINITION OF WHAT WE ARE NOW,” ADDS JAY. “WE BROKE GROUND ON DARKFIGHTER, BUT LIGHTBRINGER IS A STEP BEYOND THE PERSONAL INNOVATION AND EXPLORATION. IT GOES A LITTLE FURTHER. WE REALLY TOOK EVERYTHING INTO OUR OWN HANDS AND PUSHED TO SEE HOW FAR WE COULD GO. IT WAS A SELF-EXPLORATION TO SEE WHO WE WERE AND WHO WE’LL BE NOW. WE HAD MORE FRICTION AND COMPROMISE THAN EVER, BECAUSE WE ISOLATED THE BARE ESSENCE OF WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO—AND THEN WE WENT THERE.”

“THE FIRST ALBUM PULLS YOU INTO A DEEP PLAC