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 The Rivers are a 5 piece from Brighton- UK.
As yet they are unsigned and waiting very patiently for the day they can scribble their names on the dotted line.
Making the journey from Brighton to London, specially to talk to me, I meet with singer Tom Borsberry in Soho, for a cup of coffee... |
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Florence: Hi Tom! You are the Rivers’ front man and you also write most of the material....
Tom: Well, it’s actually myself and the two guitar players, Liam Dackombe and Ben Hatwell.
We lock ourselves away, jam together. We’ll all bring something in.
Someone will bring a piece on the guitar and Steve Wellbelove (drums) and Ben Edlestone (bass) will conjure up something to go with it.
We’ll work on each part together until we’re all happy.
It’s a very democratic process, we never set out to be the kind of band with only one songwriter, and we all have to follow his direction, we’re much happier mixing different influences.
Florence: Do you feel ready to be signed up if the opportunity was to arise tomorrow ?
Tom: I believe so even though at the moment we’re still working on a lot of stuff, I am still doing a lot of writing, we’re trying to get a lot of things together, also we’re fitting in a lot of rehearsing, a lot of gigging around the South-east and Brighton. |
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Florence: Do you have enough material for, let’s say an album ?
Tom: Yes and we’re always working on something new anyway.
Luckily we’re very good at deciding what’s good enough to stay and what’s quite shit !
We would want the album to feel like something ‘new’ as opposed to what’s out there right now.
In this industry you never know how many album you are going to make or even how many singles you will be able to put out so we really want it to feel right. I would want to deliver something I am really proud of.
The last few months have been all about shutting ourselves off and writing as much as we can.
Most of the new material has already been tested live.
Florence: How frustrating is it for you not to be signed ?
Tom: It’s actually two ways on that one.
It’s not frustrating in the sense that we’re really enjoying what we’re doing, signed or not. We’re having such a great time right now, we love playing live and a lot of people are coming to see us, we write a lot as we like having something new for them every time we do a gig...we want to keep it interesting.
On the other hand it is frustrating as we want to be ‘there’, we want to be playing the big shows and move forward.
But we accept that’s the way it is, and not being signed yet is not massively disruptive as long as we can do shows.
Florence: Things will happen when the time is right...
Tom: We aren’t setting out to go and grab whatever is out there, just for the sake of it.
We’re happy to wait, hoping that we’ll get signed up sooner rather than later.
Florence: Which route would you take ?
The Kaiser Chiefs’ long winding road or the Arctic Monkeys’ shortcut ?
Tom: Either !
No no no....Some of us in the band have know each other for 15 years,
since school, and we all agree that if we work hard we can do it.
The Kaiser Chiefs are people to look up to, they’ve shown that if something doesn’t happen straight away then try again and again until you succeed. There shouldn’t be a time limit if it’s really what you want to do and there will always be an opportunity.
The Arctic Monkeys have got a number one so you can’t knock them but I think that there must be something really satisfying about getting there through hard work.
With the Kaisers you have the feeling that they really deserve what they’ve got now, they should be where they are now.
We’ve worked on this band, seriously for the past 3 years, and there are good sides to struggling a bit....everything we’ve done so far has been great, also travelling in a clapped out crappy van....it all makes you realise how much you do want it.
Florence: There is an interesting section on the Rivers’ web site where you’re inviting fans to send pictures in of your live performances.
Right now your fans are the most important piece of the puzzle..
Tom: Our fans are everything !
It’s nice for them to show off their photos and it’s really good for us to see what they see !
We want to be as close to them as we can, we’re on ‘Myspace’ as well,
where we can communicate with the fans and get feedback.
A lot of the time we’re having a drink with these people.
Florence: One day you won’t be able to do that anymore.
Tom: In a way I’d hate for this to change, it’s so nice and personal to get to the bar after a gig and have a drink with the audience, and at the same time I know it will inevitably change.
It’s especially nice to have feedback through the web site, for the people who couldn’t make it to a gig.
We love the fans to be involved as we’re doing what we’re doing because of them and thanks to them.
Florence: As far as influences are concerned who would you name ?
Tom: The Jam, The Who, The Doors, The Stones and of now....The Strokes, Razorlight, The Kaisers...you can’t help but being influenced by the stuff that’s going on now, as long as it’s not too much....
Florence: Tom I know you need to catch your train back to Brighton, but thanks very much for your time and good luck with your forthcoming gigs.
Tom: Thank you.
Talking about luck, we’re aware of how lucky we are...we’re 5 guys on the same page who just don’t want to stop having fun!
Words: Florence ACHERYPictures: Tony BARTOLO |
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