What a year it’s been for Riven By Ravens. If you’ve been following their journey, you know that they’ve cannonballed straight into the deep end. With a fall tour that had them sharing the stage with rock legends like Buckcherry and Living Colour, the band took on venues most groups only dream about, including their first amphitheater gig.

And they’re doing all of this while welcoming not one but two new members into the fold. Now, with a sophomore album brewing and plans for even bigger shows, Riven By Ravens is charging full speed ahead. We caught up with the band to talk about the wild ride of 2024, the energy of their new lineup, and how they’re redefining what it means to make your mark in today’s music scene.

photo by Elle Jaye

Every band seems to have its own rhythm – some are all about the quick singles, others take time crafting something bigger, like a full album. Riven By Ravens has a sound that seems to fit all of those approaches, really. So what’s next for you all? Are you looking at recording, dropping singles? What’s the next chapter here?

Paul: We appreciate that.  The next chapter for us is loaded with a ton of stuff.  Recording our sophomore album and releasing singles from it along the way are a big focus next.  As well as securing plans for hopefully a few music videos and of course booking some big shows for 2025.

Brian:  We’re going to put our effort into a sophomore album. It probably won’t be as ambitious as 14 tracks this time around but more focus on improving our production and songwriting. One thing I would prefer not to do this time is give ourselves a release date prior to having the album finished.  So we’re 100% satisfied with it. There are still a couple of tracks on Venerate I would still like to go back to and remix and remaster. We will release singles, but it won’t be until we feel all the tracks are completed and cohesive.

Joe: Being a new member to this I’m excited myself to see what’s next.   I’m really looking forward to not just writing but recording and hearing the next creation come to life.

Mike: Yeah, we have a few ideas for our next album.  Songwriting is the most fun part of playing music to me.  It’s very satisfying to have an idea grow and manifest into an entire track.

Playing alongside Buckcherry and Living Colour, in an amphitheater no less, sounds like a rock dream come true. That’s not a typical start for most bands – it’s a big one, and I’d bet the crowd energy was electric. Tell us a bit about how that October run of shows came together. How did Riven By Ravens end up on a stage with those guys, and what was it like to have that kind of exposure so early?

Paul: The October run was insane!  Every show was so different and in a different city.  The Amphitheater show was huge for us.  Not only was it our first amphitheater performance, but with two big well-known rock bands.  Pretty solid for our 4^th show!  I do the booking for the band so when I heard an amphitheater was being built, I immediately contacted the booking agency, Spade Entertainment.  I annoyed them for months asking if we could open that show.  I really didn’t think we would even be considered.  None of the shows had any local bands and it was a brand-new amphitheater with a 6,000-person capacity.  It was amazing the day we got the gig though.  It was a Friday and it also happened to be my birthday.  Todd from Spade Entertainment invited me out to the amphitheater on a press tour to see how the construction was coming along.  He announced in front of the press crew while we stood on stage that they wanted us to open that show.  It was a special day for the band.

photo by Elle Jaye

Brian: Man! October was a gauntlet. We all work full-time jobs, and some of us had to take some time off work, we had to travel, go home the next day, and go to work after travel and a late night. It was great! It was exhausting and it was a great learning experience. Paul does an amazing job for us as far as booking goes. He’s our networking and marketing dude and he does a fantastic job. Being able to play an amphitheater was a dream come true, kind of regardless of who the other bands were. I will say, Living Colour were super nice and professional guys as well as excellent, experienced musicians. Being a new venue there were some technical issues that caused sound checks to run long and we kind of got rushed there toward the end and had some more technical issues. There are things that could’ve gone better. We learned a lot that day. In a way it was jolting, rushing to get a small sound check, rushed on stage, mics not working correctly at the start of the set. Things you can’t plan for. But we just played on and pushed through as professionally as we could. 

Joe: It’s not who you are it’s who you know and luckily, I know Paul.  October was an awesome busy month thanks to that guy. It was awesome to see and hear each show getting better for us as far as playing comfortably, playing tight and getting into the music. The amphitheater was nuts and awesome.   The crowd was great and a good experience as well as a big learning moment for us.

Mike: September and October were very busy for the whole band with all the rehearsing and shows.  It was awesome to see our hard work payoff while playing in front of some nice sized crowds!  Playing at the Adventist Health Amphitheater and opening for Buckcherry and Living Colour was an honor for us.  Getting on stage and looking out and seeing an ocean of people was mesmerizing.  They rushed us because the show was so far behind schedule that unfortunately we couldn’t finish our entire set, but overall, it was an experience all the boys and I will never forget.

You recently brought on two new members – Mike and Joe – which, in band terms, is like adding a whole new set of flavors to a recipe. Some bands keep things tight, but others open the door and let new people shake things up. What do you think drew them into the Riven By Ravens sound?

Paul: Brian and I always planned to add two more members once the album was done and we were ready to perform live.  We would have added them sooner if we could have.  Mike and Joe are amazing musicians and it was almost shocking how easy it was to bring them in and just hit the ground running.  They are just professional creative players.  We just have a lot of fun together.

Brian: I’ve known Mikey for about as long as I’ve known anyone. I played with him for years before in a band where he was the bass player and I was the rhythm guitar player. I’ve lived with him; I’ve been best friends with him for over twenty years. He had just stepped away from music for a while but he was my first choice when we decided to bring in new members. I honestly just didn’t know if he would want to do it, it took a little convincing. He was worried about not being able to knock the rust off quickly enough. But having played with him, I knew his style and how it worked with my style of writing, and I knew he would fit in with our group. He’s a hard-working, honest, down-to-earth dude who loves music as much as the rest of us. He’s killed it, he’s been an awesome addition to us. Same with Joe, I didn’t know Joe prior, but Paul did. He came in, completely ready to learn a style that he wasn’t completely familiar with. He absorbed it, learned it, practiced it, and has the same type of work ethic and commitment as any of us. He’s been fantastic and he and Mikey both accentuate our stage presence in a massive way. It’s an honor to have them on board with us. 

photo by Elle Jaye

Joe: I knew Paul from work and when he left, we kept in touch and would get together a few times and jam a bit. He told me of this project he had going on and would show me song rough drafts from time to time.   I was digging what I was hearing.  It was heavy, catchy and melodic. So, when he asked if I would be interested in joining, it was an easy yes.

Mike: For a few years Brian had been showing me some of the songs that he and Paul had been writing and I was digging what they were doing.  Like Brian mentioned, we have been best buds for over 20 years and had played music together prior.  He would constantly remind me, “Hey Mikey, we still need a bass player.”  It’s something I had been considering but after my work schedule changed after accepting a new position, I had the ability to fully dedicate myself to the band.  Brian and Paul have given me the freedom to explore things while playing the songs they had wrote originally, but honestly, I’m trying to play everything as it was recorded with just a slight twist here and there.  Joe stepping in has been awesome as well!

What’s the creative process like now? How does everyone bring their own ideas to the table, and what has changed since Mike and Joe joined?

Paul: We are all eager and excited to start writing new material together to really bring to life that new dynamic of the four of us.  It’s been nothing but rehearsal so that will be a nice change of pace.  Brian and I work together comfortably and have the same work ethic in the studio.  Joe and Mike came in and it was just as comfortable and creative.  It felt like they had been there since the beginning. 

Brian: Paul kind of nailed it there. Paul and I work together well. In all honesty, we haven’t really gotten into writing and testing those waters yet as the four of us. We’ve spent literally 99% of all our time playing together getting our live set ready. It’s going to be new and I can’t wait to explore new ideas, creativity and collaborate. It has been natural and easy having Joe and Mikey come in. The next step is writing new material. So, since we haven’t started jamming on new stuff it’s going to open new and exciting ideas. We will maintain our base identity of sound, I think, but it’s going to open new doors and ideas that we couldn’t have thought of just the two of us.

Joe: Can’t wait to see what we create and to hear these ideas come out and take form.

Mike: That is by far the best part of being in music.  When you get to all get together and someone says, “Hey I got an idea.  I have been working on this riff….”  Then you get a drumbeat and so on.  Before you know it, you are on the verge of something really cool.  Unfortunately, we haven’t been spending a lot of time writing but instead rehearsing.  We have jammed here and there and that has been fun.  Brian and I have co-written songs together in the past and have been successful so I am very much looking forward to getting started on some new material.

Choosing songs for a live set is like putting together a puzzle, isn’t it? There’s crowd energy to think about, the flow, the build-up, and the big finish. Venerate has some serious moments – the kind that stick with a crowd. How do you decide which tracks make it into the live set?

Paul: Absolutely, that’s exactly how we write a set.  We are not a band that just throws a pile of songs together.  The set list for us is as important as an album song list.  We spent a good six months designing and rehearsing our set list for the October run.  It’s a buildup and crescendo of songs that have a purpose and an order.  It’s a show!  Our songs aren’t exactly super short radio songs, so time had a big factor in this first set as well.  We wanted to make sure to get as many songs as we could this first round so people could get a better idea of our sound.

Brian: I don’t know how I can expand on that more. Paul said it exactly right. We practice, we time our set, even to the point where I have opportunities to address the crowd and how I address them. We don’t want dead meaningless time in our sets. We get, typically 30 minutes, to show a crowd what we can do and hopefully create some new fans. We leave it all on stage and give it everything we have got. There’s very little filler. That’s how we design our set. 

Joe: For me I’m all about flow and how things tie together and either ramping up your emotions or calming them down.

Mike: I think we all had a consensus on what songs we liked the most and what songs we wanted to play live.  After that it’s all about figuring out timing and flow.  It’s amazing how much of a difference it makes when playing a live set by simply swapping songs.  Like Joe stated, it’s about feel and having a good mix of emotions.

Let’s be honest – everyone has their thoughts about what’s broken in the music industry. You guys are right in the thick of it, facing the ups and downs firsthand. If you had a magic wand to change one thing about the industry, what would it be? What’s the one thing you think could make life better for bands like yours?

Paul: Opportunity and respect.  There’s just this awful segregation of the bottom and the top.  Never a middle and there never seems to be a clear way to even get to the top.  The industry seems to just deem bands as, “local/openers.” And it’s as if you can’t escape that label.  It can be so deflating, especially when you work so hard and watch some musicians sling shot into some incredible opportunities they have no business in.  It just always comes down to who you know, having thick skin and focusing on why you do it.  The industry is lazy when it comes to the art of music and bands.   It’s all about online superficial stats and “content.”  That word makes me want to vomit.  The actual music and the artist are always last.  Which is why we try to ignore as much as we can and go by our own rules to some degree.  We basically look at what local bands do and do the opposite.  We are fearless when it comes to trying to get opportunities.  Seems to be working out so far.

Brian:  Again, Paul nailed it. Opportunity and respect. Where are all the new big bands in this genre? It’s not a dead genre, if it was then they wouldn’t be bringing back Limp Bizkit, Godsmack, Taproot, Staind, Creed, Static X, etc. etc. etc. The opportunity needs to be there for new bands to make a mark. Sometimes you get roadblocked by a diva or an egomaniac or shit on at a show by a has-been that has the headlining slot, that shit happens. But we have also learned that a lot of the problem is that recording this genre of music and taking the time and effort to develop good albums with live drums and guitar cabs isn’t nearly as monetarily efficient as creating pop or hip hop. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with someone making beats for a living, but it’s an entirely different skill set than creating a rock or metal album with live recording. In most cases, labels aren’t even interested because of the disparity of cost when it comes to recording hard rock or metal with live drums and instruments. It’s just way more cost-effective to make a pop or hip-hop album. But then everything starts sounding the same. Everything is boring. Wasn’t it cool when music really pushed the fucking edge of creativity? I thought so.

Joe: Opportunity and respect and less Taylor swift!

Mike: I don’t know enough honestly to have very specific things to gripe about.  What I do know is that in the entertainment business there are always people with their dirty little fingers trying to take some of what you’ve earned.  I feel because of that it is becoming harder and harder for artists to succeed in this industry.

The life of a musician is intense, and sometimes you need something outside of that world to keep you grounded. Plus, hobbies often reveal a lot about someone’s personality. What are some hobbies or interests that each of you brings to the table when you’re not making music? Is there something totally unexpected we might not know about?

Paul: I love working with my hands and building stuff.  I’m a contractor on the side and build custom raised garden boxes.  I love the art of brewing beer, spending more time outside than inside, half marathons, camping, fishing, anything with my kids and my wife and watching movies. 

Brian: I’m the same way. I’m a builder, I like working with my hands, there’s something therapeutic about that. I enjoy woodworking, home improvement, and just building things. I have my eyes on completely revamping our studio in the next few months and I can’t wait. It’s going to be a huge project, but when it’s done it’s going to be a fantastic place for anyone to play or record, or even listen to music. I’m a big football fan, Go 9ers!, Hate me if you want!  I love baseball and I play Destiny 2 a little more than I would like to admit. I enjoy cooking when it’s not just for me and going out to play a little blackjack on occasion with my girl.

Joe: I’m a big nerd, I love comics books, video games and Warhammer 40k. I have a nice size blu ray and cd collection that keeps me company too.

Mikey:  I am really into all thing’s nature related: Weather, geology, ecology, zoology, birding etc.  For that reason, I think we could all agree that I’m a freaking dork!  I do love to cook and experiment with different recipes.  I like being outdoors and by the water.  I’ll be honest here though; I still love to party!!!

photo by Elle Jaye

Every musician has that dream collaboration, right? That one artist or band they’d jump at the chance to work with – whether it’s out of pure admiration or because they know it would lead somewhere new and wild creatively. If you could collaborate with any famous musician or band, who would it be and why?

Paul: I can think of 50 bands I want to do that with.   I’ve been really into Sleep Token lately.  They have such a refreshingly diverse sound, crisp tones, and beautifully technical style.  I think they would be so fun and interesting to collaborate with and create something.  It would be so experimental yet so skilled.

Brian: It’s a good thing that you specified “famous” because the most exciting collaboration I can think of right now is working with Mikey and Joe on new music. Outside of that, I would love to work with Wes Borland. I think he is an amazing guitarist, artist, and all-around creative genius. I would also love to have Rick Rueben around for a while and just see what it’s like to be in his presence. It’s kind of a hard thing to say until you meet someone whether you would want to collaborate though. You must have a deep connection with someone to write music. It’s a very intimate thing. I honestly couldn’t say who I would want to collaborate with anyone until I had the chance to get a sense of their vibe a little, I guess.

Joe: For me, Faith no more is one of the best bands on the planet.  Or Halland Oates, I think I can get Daryl and John to set aside their differences to hang out with me.

Mike: I hate to sound generic but any member of Tool.  They have been my favorite band since the release of “Aenima” and ever since the first time I heard “Stinkfist.”  But yeah, probably Justin Chancellor the bass player from Tool to be more specific.  The way he brings songs to life and unites Adam’s guitarwork with Danny’s drums is incredible.

What’s your dream venue to perform in? And what has been your favorite place to play so far – maybe somewhere that surprised you?

Paul: Red Rocks and The Fillmore in San Francisco.  The Amphitheater was my favorite venue to play out of our October run.  It was just something we have never done before which is exciting.

Brian: Yup, Red Rocks. Ever since Paul showed me that venue I wanted to play there. So unique, so picturesque. It’s awe-inspiring. I also really want to play Toyota Amphitheater in Wheatland. It’s a place where I’ve seen so many bands that inspired me. So many shows that were just fantastic. The sound is awesome, you just can’t go wrong there.

Joe: Swinging big with Madison square garden; I hear its nice this time of year.

Mikey:  The Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento.  For many reasons and not because of size or prestige, but the acoustics and the fact I’ve seen several of my idols play there.  The Tulare Amphitheatre show was my favorite to play so far simply because of the size and prestige.

Alright, – time to get sentimental. When you look back on everything Riven By Ravens has done so far, what’s the one thing you’re most proud of? Whether it’s a song, a show, what stands out as a moment that reminds you why you’re doing this?

Paul: Creating and performing Venerate is still a fresh achievement for us all, I think.  But I have to say what I’m most proud of with this band so far is our ability to stay cool under immense pressure.  Shows are so much more stressful than people realize and we just completed an insanely difficult run of big shows with all kinds of wild obstacles and issues that thoroughly put us to the test.   Everyone handled each thing with grace and ease.  For me, it just makes it feel so much better knowing we are a group of tight friends and professionals that can at this point take on anything.  

Brian: One thing I’ll disagree with Paul on here, is the “with ease” part. Nothing about this was easy. Not for anyone. But damn, the perseverance, the commitment, the fortitude, professionalism, and downright tenacity of all these guys is astounding. I’m speaking for myself, but I couldn’t ask for more, even if I did, I truly believe they all would answer the call. It’s special to be playing with these guys. The comradery is incredible. We have fun, we really do. We joke and laugh and razz the shit out of each other and have a lot of fun with it. But when it’s time to get to work, we flip a switch and do our jobs. It’s super fucking cool. For me, the moment that stood out was when we got the video back from our live show at the Goldfield for “Say What You Mean”, our album track was laid over the live performance as an “Official” music video for us. That kind of cemented to me, how in time and in sync we were, and how much all the hard work and practice we put in paid off. 

Joe: For sure, the Goldfield show was a moment for me.  When we were all backstage about to go on, I knew this was the place I was supposed to be with these guys.  Getting the video back of the show was icing on the cake. 

Mike: We are a crew.  We are bros.  We are a pack.  We stick together when things go our way and even when they don’t sometimes.  The way we pulled through the Tulare Amphitheater show given all the circumstances we had to overcome reminded me of the type of strong-willed and courageous type of guys that make up this band.  For that I am truly grateful and proud.

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