After sitting near the Arts Club in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle quietly enjoying a pint of Murphy’s, time was ticking on, and it was dawning on me that I might well be in the wrong place to interview the band Rivia? A quick call to Rosh revealed I was, what an idiot!! I should have been at The Arts Bar about ¾ of a mile away, the prospect of hobbling down there with a dodgy back wasn’t looking good but it was worth it.

Rivia Band are delightful with that typical ‘scouse’ wit that makes interviews flow nicely. Quickly recollecting, Rivia began as 2 school friends with Matt (RG & LV) and Warren (LG) making music together and with the addition of Chris (Drums) and Rosh (Bass), it has steadily transformed into a structured, ambitious and managed 4 piece.

While their roots are firmly planted in Pop-Punk, the band described their early sound as a blend of American Grunge and Hard Rock drawing influence from multiple generations, such as Bon Jovi and Paramore whilst sitting comfortably alongside early 2000s icons including Avril Lavigne and No Doubt. 

That experimentation intensified and the result is what they described as a “more developed and polished sound from 2024”, I suggested a Sum 41 / Blink 182 sound, and they seemed ok with that! However, Rivia are difficult to define with a single label—and that's exactly how they like it.

Now Rivia are becoming increasingly adventurous. Their drumming has evolved far beyond straightforward pop-punk rhythms, embracing more technical and challenging arrangements that add greater depth to the songs. Equally important is the band's growing emphasis on excellent vocal harmonies, which they view as one of their strongest assets especially with the later addition of Rosh.

Away from the music, most bands today adopt the collaborative spirit, and this extends into every aspect of Rivia’s career. From the songwriting to decisions on merchandise and even the band's name (always a favourite question), for the curious it was inspired by The Witcher character Geralt of Rivia; the band didn't simply settle on a name they liked though. Before committing, they jointly conducted extensive Spotify research to ensure the name wasn't already saturated by competing artists.

It's a small detail, but one that hints at the band's increasingly professional approach to their career. One that included the decision to adopt professional management by We Believe Music from early in 2026.

The impact was immediate and within just two months, the group had secured twelve live dates and dramatically increased their visibility through podcast appearances, interviews and promotional opportunities. “It feels like things are finally moving," is the sentiment shared by many independent artists when the right support structure arrives—and Rivia appear to be experiencing exactly that.