by Ari Roth

Heirs to the fertile pop-punk legacy of the 2000s, Rivers Monroe are intent on expanding the style and pushing it forward through excellent songwriting performed with passion and creativity. The band has a particularly close connection with their hometown of Philadelphia as one of the great up and coming acts in our local scene. Citing radio support from 104.5 and 97.5, lead guitarist Matt Varga (nicknamed “Doc”) says that “we are very fortunate to have met a lot of great people who support local bands, who have helped to get our music out there and to promote us in Philadelphia.”

Lead singer Mike Monroe agrees: “Nowadays it’s easy to pick up fans anywhere, as long as someone is connected to the internet, but, at the same time, you definitely have to have that strong local following as well. When you’re going out and playing shows and hitting the streets locally, you have to make sure that you have that solid fanbase to back you up. It all starts with your home base and where you’re from, and once you’re able to create a buzz in your hometown, it’s a lot easier to transition into other cities and other parts of the country.”

Still, it’s not just a pragmatic matter for the growth of the band, and Varga affirms that “it also becomes part of your identity. We’re a Philadelphia band, and we label ourselves as such. We play the Rocky theme wherever we go,” he laughs.

With the release of their self-titled debut album, Rivers Monroe are finally realizing their ambitions of becoming a top tier rock band. “There’s a little piece of each of our souls in this album,” says bassist Kirby Chin. “The vibe that we wanted to get with this album was that when people listen to it, we immediately hit them with a good track, and we say, ‘this is Rivers Monroe.’ We are a local band from Philly, but we intend to compete with anyone else at the top. We want our music to be heard, catchy, and stuck in your head for probably the next couple of hours.”

Keyboardist and vocalist Mat Rivers describes the album’s lyrical themes as dealing with “being on the road and what we go through as a band, good and band. It’s about partying, having fun, struggling with our day jobs and relationships, and juggling that with being in a band.”

The band’s writing process is heavily collaborative, and there is no one core songwriter in the group, a quality which makes the band’s dynamic unusually egalitarian in structure. This is aided by the band’s hands-on approach to recording. As Monroe explains, the band has access to an in-home studio, which they use for initial recording during the writing process, with Rivers being particularly involved in production. This allows them to focus on the subtleties of arrangements, creating a sound that is rich with detail even as it as it aims for big pop moments, full of creative harmonies and euphoric hooks, electronic production flourishes and straight ahead rocking out in equal measure.

Varga says that the secret to this is care and attention. “The important thing is that we take our time. The first time you write a song, you can usually come up with something better by thinking about it and playing it over and over. We spend a long time writing our songs, to make sure that it has that dynamic, that intricacy, that sound that we’re going for. We’re very patient with it.” Chin effuses humorously about Rivers’ songwriting, calling him “one of the most underrated songwriters in the Philadelphia area,” and likening him to “a crazy mad scientist in a laboratory, where he has unlimited funds and unlimited time. He’s Doctor Robotnik trying to get Sonic the Hedgehog, but he’s actually successful at it.”

At this, the rest of the band explodes into giggles, both confused and appreciative. Monroe, a little more down to earth, observes that “none of us will say that we’re amazing musicians. I think what we’re good at is having a good ear for music, and I think that we’re all pretty good songwriters. That’s really where our strength is, in songwriting.” He pinpoints the band’s goal as aiming “to make our music as catchy as we can,” a target which Rivers Monroe unquestionably hits time and time again on their debut album.

The band’s influences are varied, but generally reflect an interest in tight, pop-rock songwriting: Monroe loves Pearl Jam, Blink-182, Angels & Airwaves and All American Rejects, while drummer Kevin Sitaras takes technical inspiration from Dream Theater and also is a fan of Finch and Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy’s influence in particular looms large over the band’s songwriting style, and each member is quick to laud vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump’s brilliant songwriting acumen. Mat Rivers, on the other hand, draws from classic rock from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as pop artists such as Michael Jackson and Prince. Pop is also a big touchstone for Kirby Chin, particularly superproducers like Max Martin.

Chin says that “when each of us get a fresh track that’s still in the concept phase, we all do our own personal revision to it. It becomes a little poppier here, it becomes a little more rock here, it becomes a little more this or that as each of us puts our own personal touch on the track. And then, once it’s all done, it’s Rivers Monroe!”

Varga agrees that this diversity of influence is central to the band’s stylistic development, drawing from “very different influences that we bring to the table. That’s how we got our sound. Any of us writing on our own would sound very different from what we come up with as a band.”

Given the fully realized sound that Rivers Monroe presented on their debut album, I wondered whether they were already looking to the future and beginning to shape the sound of their next record. Rivers responded that “we want it to always sound current. We don’t want our music to sound dated. The fact that we all listen to modern music and stuff on the radio helps. You soak in all of that stuff as well. As far as the direction that our music is going to go, it’s hard to say, but personally I want our music to have more production and to become more epic.”

Sitaras agrees, and he wants Rivers Monroe’s music to “get bigger. I want it to sound huge. I want you to put it on in the car, and for it to fill all of your speakers, and you just have a big smile on your face because it’s just that filling.” Rivers shoots even higher, citing the Beach Boys’ epochal album Pet Sounds as an inspiration. “They had progressed into an area of their career where pretty much nothing was thrown out the window. Every possible sound was thrown into that album to be creative. I’m not saying we’re going that far, but being creative to some extent without losing our sound as band would be amazing.”

Rivers’ synthesizer and production work plays a huge role in the expansion of the band’s music, drawing from his vast library of electronic sounds and taking inspiration from “a lot of modern dance music and a lot of indie pop like Chvrches and Two Door Cinema Club. I really dig all of that stuff, and since I get ideas from the synths they use, I’ll try to take a little bit of this and a little bit of that and incorporate it with what I know, which is a lot of older music that I grew up on, like the Cars and Styx and stuff like that.”

Alongside the band’s traditional instrumentation and arrangements, Rivers mines electronic textures to give the songs a bright, modern sheen. On Rivers Monroe, the band also worked with the high profile producers Glenn Barratt and Kory Gable, as well as self-producing in their home studio, resulting in a highly professional, glistening sound on the record as a whole.

Both Monroe and Rivers emphasize the importance of their fanbase, affectionately nicknamed “The aRMy.” The aRMy is nationwide, raising the band’s profile across the country. Rivers Monroe is tightly linked to their fans, and they foster a close connection with those who fall in love with their music. Rivers emphasizes the importance of “making a personal connection with people, letting them know that you’re not just using them to buy your music, but actually becoming sort of like a family. You want them to be a part of something. It’s like being a fan of this band isn’t really just being a fan of any band, because we consider you closer to us. If you’re having problems in your life, talk to us, like you would a friend or a family member.”

Monroe says that the aRMy “is just so, so supportive,” and that “we want them to be a part of this whole journey that we’re going through, coming up as a band trying to break through.” The band also highlights the importance of the internet to the development of the aRMy, earning them fans internationally in places such as the Philippines and Germany and fostering direct, personal interaction online through their personal Twitters. The band uses social media to make themselves felt as a human presence beyond the band’s image.

With their debut album released and new opportunities opening up everywhere, Rivers Monroe now have a shot at reaching their potential as a truly big pop act. All of the pieces are in place, and it’s clear that this band is going to get even better from here.

by Ari Roth

Heirs to the fertile pop-punk legacy of the 2000s, Rivers Monroe are intent on expanding the style and pushing it forward through excellent songwriting performed with passion and creativity. The band has a particularly close connection with their hometown of Philadelphia as one of the great up and coming acts in our local scene. Citing radio support from 104.5 and 97.5, lead guitarist Matt Varga (nicknamed “Doc”) says that “we are very fortunate to have met a lot of great people who support local bands, who have helped to get our music out there and to promote us in Philadelphia.”

Lead singer Mike Monroe agrees: “Nowadays it’s easy to pick up fans anywhere, as long as someone is connected to the internet, but, at the same time, you definitely have to have that strong local following as well. When you’re going out and playing shows and hitting the streets locally, you have to make sure that you have that solid fanbase to back you up. It all starts with your home base and where you’re from, and once you’re able to create a buzz in your hometown, it’s a lot easier to transition into other cities and other parts of the country.”

Still, it’s not just a pragmatic matter for the growth of the band, and Varga affirms that “it also becomes part of your identity. We’re a Philadelphia band, and we label ourselves as such. We play the Rocky theme wherever we go,” he laughs.

With the release of their self-titled debut album, Rivers Monroe are finally realizing their ambitions of becoming a top tier rock band. “There’s a little piece of each of our souls in this album,” says bassist Kirby Chin. “The vibe that we wanted to get with this album was that when people listen to it, we immediately hit them with a good track, and we say, ‘this is Rivers Monroe.’ We are a local band from Philly, but we intend to compete with anyone else at the top. We want our music to be heard, catchy, and stuck in your head for probably the next couple of hours.”

Keyboardist and vocalist Mat Rivers describes the album’s lyrical themes as dealing with “being on the road and what we go through as a band, good and band. It’s about partying, having fun, struggling with our day jobs and relationships, and juggling that with being in a band.”

The band’s writing process is heavily collaborative, and there is no one core songwriter in the group, a quality which makes the band’s dynamic unusually egalitarian in structure. This is aided by the band’s hands-on approach to recording. As Monroe explains, the band has access to an in-home studio, which they use for initial recording during the writing process, with Rivers being particularly involved in production. This allows them to focus on the subtleties of arrangements, creating a sound that is rich with detail even as it as it aims for big pop moments, full of creative harmonies and euphoric hooks, electronic production flourishes and straight ahead rocking out in equal measure.

Varga says that the secret to this is care and attention. “The important thing is that we take our time. The first time you write a song, you can usually come up with something better by thinking about it and playing it over and over. We spend a long time writing our songs, to make sure that it has that dynamic, that intricacy, that sound that we’re going for. We’re very patient with it.” Chin effuses humorously about Rivers’ songwriting, calling him “one of the most underrated songwriters in the Philadelphia area,” and likening him to “a crazy mad scientist in a laboratory, where he has unlimited funds and unlimited time. He’s Doctor Robotnik trying to get Sonic the Hedgehog, but he’s actually successful at it.”

At this, the rest of the band explodes into giggles, both confused and appreciative. Monroe, a little more down to earth, observes that “none of us will say that we’re amazing musicians. I think what we’re good at is having a good ear for music, and I think that we’re all pretty good songwriters. That’s really where our strength is, in songwriting.” He pinpoints the band’s goal as aiming “to make our music as catchy as we can,” a target which Rivers Monroe unquestionably hits time and time again on their debut album.

The band’s influences are varied, but generally reflect an interest in tight, pop-rock songwriting: Monroe loves Pearl Jam, Blink-182, Angels & Airwaves and All American Rejects, while drummer Kevin Sitaras takes technical inspiration from Dream Theater and also is a fan of Finch and Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy’s influence in particular looms large over the band’s songwriting style, and each member is quick to laud vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump’s brilliant songwriting acumen. Mat Rivers, on the other hand, draws from classic rock from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as pop artists such as Michael Jackson and Prince. Pop is also a big touchstone for Kirby Chin, particularly superproducers like Max Martin.

Chin says that “when each of us get a fresh track that’s still in the concept phase, we all do our own personal revision to it. It becomes a little poppier here, it becomes a little more rock here, it becomes a little more this or that as each of us puts our own personal touch on the track. And then, once it’s all done, it’s Rivers Monroe!”

Varga agrees that this diversity of influence is central to the band’s stylistic development, drawing from “very different influences that we bring to the table. That’s how we got our sound. Any of us writing on our own would sound very different from what we come up with as a band.”

Given the fully realized sound that Rivers Monroe presented on their debut album, I wondered whether they were already looking to the future and beginning to shape the sound of their next record. Rivers responded that “we want it to always sound current. We don’t want our music to sound dated. The fact that we all listen to modern music and stuff on the radio helps. You soak in all of that stuff as well. As far as the direction that our music is going to go, it’s hard to say, but personally I want our music to have more production and to become more epic.”

Sitaras agrees, and he wants Rivers Monroe’s music to “get bigger. I want it to sound huge. I want you to put it on in the car, and for it to fill all of your speakers, and you just have a big smile on your face because it’s just that filling.” Rivers shoots even higher, citing the Beach Boys’ epochal album Pet Sounds as an inspiration. “They had progressed into an area of their career where pretty much nothing was thrown out the window. Every possible sound was thrown into that album to be creative. I’m not saying we’re going that far, but being creative to some extent without losing our sound as band would be amazing.”

Rivers’ synthesizer and production work plays a huge role in the expansion of the band’s music, drawing from his vast library of electronic sounds and taking inspiration from “a lot of modern dance music and a lot of indie pop like Chvrches and Two Door Cinema Club. I really dig all of that stuff, and since I get ideas from the synths they use, I’ll try to take a little bit of this and a little bit of that and incorporate it with what I know, which is a lot of older music that I grew up on, like the Cars and Styx and stuff like that.”

Alongside the band’s traditional instrumentation and arrangements, Rivers mines electronic textures to give the songs a bright, modern sheen. On Rivers Monroe, the band also worked with the high profile producers Glenn Barratt and Kory Gable, as well as self-producing in their home studio, resulting in a highly professional, glistening sound on the record as a whole.

Both Monroe and Rivers emphasize the importance of their fanbase, affectionately nicknamed “The aRMy.” The aRMy is nationwide, raising the band’s profile across the country. Rivers Monroe is tightly linked to their fans, and they foster a close connection with those who fall in love with their music. Rivers emphasizes the importance of “making a personal connection with people, letting them know that you’re not just using them to buy your music, but actually becoming sort of like a family. You want them to be a part of something. It’s like being a fan of this band isn’t really just being a fan of any band, because we consider you closer to us. If you’re having problems in your life, talk to us, like you would a friend or a family member.”

Monroe says that the aRMy “is just so, so supportive,” and that “we want them to be a part of this whole journey that we’re going through, coming up as a band trying to break through.” The band also highlights the importance of the internet to the development of the aRMy, earning them fans internationally in places such as the Philippines and Germany and fostering direct, personal interaction online through their personal Twitters. The band uses social media to make themselves felt as a human presence beyond the band’s image.

With their debut album released and new opportunities opening up everywhere, Rivers Monroe now have a shot at reaching their potential as a truly big pop act. All of the pieces are in place, and it’s clear that this band is going to get even better from here.