Grammy-nominated Rival Sons have quite the summer ahead of them. With a UK tour on the horizon and a support slot on the upcoming Guns N’ Roses tour, it’s fair to say this summer belongs to Rival Sons. Cameron Wright caught up with vocalist Jay Buchanan and guitarist Scott Holiday to talk touring, songwriting, and chasing the magic.
How does it feel being back on the road?
Jay: It’s always the best feeling -we love the road. Simply put, tours are fun. We’re exploring a few new places in the UK this time, so that’ll be fab.
I’m surprised there are still places you haven’t ticked off – you’re pretty tenacious tourers…
Jay: Tenacious is the only way to be in life. For anything – you’re either tenacious or a deadbeat.
Some bands live for the studio and the process of creating a product, while others thrive off the energy of live shows. You seem to be somewhere in the middle?
Jay: We’re definitely wedged in that Venn diagram. An album should be like a family portrait of the band – your experiences and emotions. It’s a snapshot of who you are in that moment. Then, when you expose those songs to the sacred ritual of touring, they take on a life of their own.
Scott: When I’m writing, I try not to think about how they’ll play live. It bleeds in occasionally, but I try to separate it. We’ve got songs that don’t often make the setlist – not because they can’t work live, but because they don’t fit the narrative we’re creating for that show.
Talk me through how you curate a setlist…
Scott: The songs have to be in competition with each other. It’s about the arc and the journey. We keep it fresh for ourselves, of course, but if you want those indulgent moments – the deep cuts or sprawling jams – they’ve got to feel earned.
Jay: Form follows function. As long as we keep the magic alive, I’m happy. I don’t believe in being reckless – I don’t think ‘reckless’ exists. I think ‘safe’ exists, and that’s what should be avoided. We don’t do recitals. We make songs, not products, and we’re constantly chasing that thing we don’t fully understand. They say a good lover is a selfish one – and that’s me.
What about music don’t we understand?
Jay: I’ve dedicated my life to that exact pursuit – trying to fathom it. But music isn’t something you can fully understand; it’s something you experience. Whatever biblical text you read, it’s pretty clear to me that God was a songwriter.
Scott: You can learn the facts – the chord progressions, the theory – but then you hear someone like Son House, who didn’t have that formal knowledge, and it just destroys you. It’s raw, it’s pure, it’s truth. That’s what matters. That’s the spiritual magic of music.
Let’s talk about Guns N’ Roses…
Scott: They’re our friends. That’s a surreal thing to say. We were raised on them, obviously, but now we’ve played with Axl a few times and with Slash and his band over the years. It’s wild to say we’re friends with these titans.
Jay: The shows are amazing – just massive. Playing to that kind of audience is intense. And it helps colour the summer for us. One night we’re walking into a stadium, the next it’s some tiny dive bar. That contrast is beautiful.
What’s it like playing such different types of venues?
Jay: I love turning off the air conditioning in small rooms – make it a little uncomfortable, a little sweaty. It raises the stakes. You can feel the energy buzzing.
Scott: Every room has a personality. We’re not chasing money – we’re chasing the cool. If we can melt into a gritty old venue, that’s cool. If we’re playing a stadium, that’s cool. We were talking to our buddy Jack White recently – he’s doing tiny venues right now just because it makes him happy. That’s as cool as it gets. As long as it’s a good time, we’re happy. And we love you guys for showing up.
Rival Sons head to Stockton Globe on Thursday 3rd July. Tickets, priced from £37.40, are available at stocktonglobe.co.uk.
