I used to be a huge sucker for melodic punkrock. When I was about 16 years old I bought every Fat Wreck and Epitaph release blindly. My interest faded as I got to know new music. I never bothered to check out new punkrock bands but occasionally listen to old favorites. Untill I stumbled upon RVIVR. They’re melodic but also have an edge and are deeply into the whole DIY philosophy. Check them out, download their releases on http://www.rumbletowne.com and donate something. They sure as hell deserve it!
Introduce yourself to the readers and give us a short history of RVIVR and the previous bands you were in.
Erica - We started RVIVR 2 1/2 years ago because we wanted to be in a band that made us feel good. We've all been in loads of other bands in all sorts of genres of music.
You toured Europe in september/oktober. How was that experience? Any crazy tour stories?
Erica - That experience kicked major ass and made us feel super lucky. A crazy tour story is... we got to swim naked in the French Riviera and Kev got stung by a mysterious jelly fish and acted cool about it til he reached shore and then his arm swelled up. AND THEN we went to a little
apothecary and this man had concocted his own personal liquid cure for Medusa (jellyfish) stings with a handwritten label. And then, to celebrate, we did a human pyramid with our French friends and the other band we were on tour with, Offshore Radio from the UK.
Some of you are involved in Rumbletowne Records, which is a label that uses the whole 'download and donate' philosophy. What's the reason behind this? Why did you start the label?
Erica - We started RTR to try out what it would feel like to release our own music. The download thing just makes sense. We obviously want people to hear the music if they want to hear it. You can download anything that people care to hear on the internet ANYWAY via mediafire and torrents and all that bullshit. We wanted to make it super easy for people to have access to the records as ENTIRE COMPOSITIONS, so they don't have to download tracks 2,7 & 4 and wonder what order they go or or what record they're from. And if people want to donate, that's so fucking rad and thank you very much.
RVIVR and Rumbletowne Records are based in Olympia, a city with a very rich history musicwise (the early grunge days, riot grrl, labels like K Records,...). Did you grow up in Olympia? If so, how was it to grow up in a city with so much music? Are you influenced by the city's rich musichistory?
Erica - I grew up in Olympia. I know that Oly's history is beautiful and powerful and has affected and inspired a ton of cool shit. I'm 28 and so I was just starting to go to shows in like 1996 as Riot Girl was winding down. I missed it. I went to some of those bands' shows, but I didn't understand at the time. The punk I was listening to was shitty, masculine, destructive, sloppy small town shit, in the same venues that were hosting the rad powerful women dominated shit on other nights of the week. Go figure. People my age in other parts of the country/world were more tuned in to what was happening within a mile from where I was spending my teen years. Ok, but that aside, whether or not I was aware of the IT music
scene(s) happening in Olympia, it was definitely normalized in my young life that people (not just MTV people) were creating really really good music. That's radical, breaking down that barrier that stands between
YOU and people who inspire. Role models you can get a coffee with. We are all just a bunch of messy damn humans!
How is the current music scene in Olympia? I see you're playing a show with Wolves In The Throne Room. Are you friends with the band? What other Olympian bands do we need to check out?
Erica - Wolves are friends. We went to highschool together. The February 2011 issue of MRR has an article about active Olympia bands. Socks and Sandals is a good Olympia band. There are good and bad bands in Olympia.
Your lyrics are kind of personal and introspective. Would RVIVR ever write a political song? I see you're playing benefit shows. Is the socio-political aspect of music important for RVIVR?
Erica - It wouldn't be a stretch to say our songs ARE political. And personal. We write about what weighs on us and the injustices of the world are fucking heavy. Also, I think it's important to use what power you can to bring good into your community/the world. If people will come to see our band and like our band, then it's good feeling to play benefit shows or to use RVIVR as a tool to raise money for projects that need money to exist.
What's your top 5 favorite records of all time?
Erica - I'm bad at that game. All I'm gonna say is the Hidden Spots, but that's just what I'm thinking of RIGHT NOW IN THIS MOMENT.
What are your future plans as a band?
Erica - Rock. Record. Tour. Make beautiful art. Live a fucking good life.
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