Brave Rival Are Kickstarting Their Next Musical Chapter
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: Two Finger Media
Five-piece Hampshire, UK-based band Brave Rival have been making waves across the blues-rock scene and spoke to us about their new album campaign and their fans:
Firstly, I wanted to say a huge congratulations to you for reaching your Kickstarter target in less than 48 hours. What was your reaction when you reached the goal and how did you celebrate?
We were all in shock! The target was high so we were hoping we’d hit it in 60 days but we’d never dream of hitting it in 2 days. We video called each other and squealed to each other with massive grins on our faces. We’ve said we’ll celebrate with a glass of bubbly in a hot tub if we hit 20k!
You still have a packed live schedule for this year. What have been some of your highlights so far as a band?
It’s been such an amazing year. We loved starting the year at Skegness as it was the biggest stage we’d performed on. We had our first international gig in Norway which was so incredible. Our biggest sold out headline show in Putney was a big highlight for us. We also loved performing at Maid of Stone – the crowds energy was epic. We also really enjoyed performing in Dudley because it felt so intimate like we were performing to friends.
Without giving too much away, what can people expect from your second album?
As always, you will expect passion! The new album is leaning towards the new wave of classic rock sound but still with the heartache of blues. We’ve performed a handful of the new songs at live shows and have had such a wonderful response with fan favourites. We’ll still be using our well loved recipe of dual power vocals, epic guitar and a driving engine room. The lyrical theme has a thread of mental health which we feel resonates with our own stories and our loyal fans.
When you are songwriting, do you have a particular process?
It changes every time to be honest. Some ideas are born organically from a jam in the studio whilst the kettle is boiling. Others are ideas that have started acoustically or made digitally from home then put to the band to bring to life.
What kinds of music and artists do you enjoy listening to?
All of our influences vary drastically. The influences that we feel comes through in our music are Led Zeppelin, Heart, Guns N Roses, Fleetwood Mac and Thunder. We enjoy listening to our peers like Elles Bailey, Cardinal Black, King Herd, Alice Armstrong and Blue Nation.
Do you have any other music releases scheduled before the second album?
We do indeed! We are releasing our next live album ‘Live at The Half Moon’ which was recording in Putney in April 2023. We’re excited to share this because it shows our journey as a band since our first live album back in January 2020. We’re also hoping to release a special, surprise single so watch this space.
Which one of you in the band is the worst timekeeper?
Haha! Although she’s the drummer and her job is to keep time, it’s got to be our Donna.
How many songs have you written for the new album?
We have written around 30 songs which we’ve now cut down to 20. This is the hardest part to now cut that down to just 10 songs but hopefully 12 if we hit our stretch goal in the Kickstarter. We all have different emotional attachments to each of these songs and we like them for different reasons so it’s going to be tough!
Who will you have in the producing chair for the record?
We will have the brilliant Tarrant Shepherd producing and recording the album. We had Tarrant with us on our debut album Life’s Machine and we just had to work with him again; he’s an integral part of our Bravian family.
What would you like to say to your fans following your campaign?
A HUGE thank you for believing in us. By you backing us, it isn’t just supporting the past 5 years we’ve been together and how far we’ve come as a band but you’re also supporting us as teenagers in our rooms starting our craft and looking at this success as an impossible dream. You are literally making our dreams come to life and we are just so thankful. Here’s to the next five years! Stay Brave.
Photo Credit: Two Finger Media
Visit their website to stay updated and be part of the creation of their eagerly awaited second album.
https://braverival.com/
SUPPORT BRAVE RIVAL ON KICKSTARTER!
https://www.kickstarter.com/…/brave…/brave-rival-album-2
