2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated band Rival Sons have unveiled the official music video for their anthemic hit single, “Bird In The Hand,” premiering today at YouTube HERE. “Bird In The Hand” heralds Rival Sons’ hugely anticipated new album, DARKFIGHTER, arriving everywhere via Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records on Friday, June 2. Pre-orders/pre-saves are available now HERE.
“Bird In The Hand,” directed by Kurt Kubicek, continues the narrative featured in the previously released companion videos for the explosive singles, “Nobody Wants To Die” (dir. Eli Sokhn) and “Rapture” (dir. Kurt Kubicek), both streaming now at the official Rival Sons YouTube channel HERE.
“The saga continues with another prequel in our new video,” says Scott Holiday. “Jay and I teamed up to write and produce this one again, as well as working with our pal, Kurt Kubicek (director/Rapture video). All shot in our backyard in the Hollywood Hills… right off the sunset strip! Right up the street from the world-famous Whiskey a Go Go actually! We found this incredible time capsule mid-century home that sets the scene for most of the video. It’s been incredible making these little vignettes. Really fun. All created on pretty tiny budgets. But the limitations force us to get ultra creative and focused. We’ve been extremely blessed to have such talented friends/crew/and collaborators working with us that see these videos as passion projects… which is the only way they come together. I think when you watch the series of videos you can feel the love that’s gone into them.”
Jay Buchanan adds, “’Rapture’ was a prequel to ‘Nobody Wants To Die’ and ‘Bird In The Hand’ is a prequel to ‘Rapture.’ Same cast of characters, different part of the story. It’s been a great time writing and producing these videos along with great directors and crew. With video production we’re really at that sweet spot where we don’t know the rules so we’re not afraid of breaking them. We’ll see where it goes from here.”
“Nobody Wants To Die” was hailed by Rolling Stone as “hard-charging,” adding “The video has Kill Bill grindhouse vibes for days and is a literal blast.” “It would be cliché to say it’s been worth the wait,” wrote Guitar World, “but the phrase applies: ‘Nobody Wants to Die’ has enough high-gain riffage and classic rock fretboard throwdowns to more than make up for Rival Sons’ absence.”
Rival Sons will mark the arrival of DARKFIGHTER with a truly epic live schedule, including a special guest run on Smashing Pumpkins’ “The World Is a Vampire” Summer 2023 North American Tour, also featuring Stone Temple Pilots and Interpol, getting underway August 1 at Salt Lake City, UT’s USANA Amphitheatre and then continuing through early September. Tickets for all announced dates are on sale now. For compete details and ticket information, please visit www.rivalsons.com.
In the meantime, Rival Sons will embark on their own extensive North American headline run, “The DARKFIGHTER Tour,” beginning May 11 at Oklahoma City, OK’s Diamond Ballroom and then traveling through mid-June. Special guests throughout include The Black Angels and The Record Company, with Starcrawler also appearing on select dates. What’s more, Rival Sons – who only just wrapped a series of arena dates supporting Greta Van Fleet – have slated a number of top-billed festival performances, including Daytona Beach, FL’s Welcome To Rockville (May 20) and Columbus, OH’s Sonic Temple (May 27).
“Expect this tour to comprise of the forthcoming DARKFIGHTER album in its entirety, along with familiar songs and a few deeper cuts,” says Rival Sons guitarist Scott Holiday. “We’re working on plans to make it extra special. With a big added bonus of the incredible acts we’re taking with us: The Black Angels, The Record Company, and Starcrawler. It’s going to make for a REALLY fantastic night of music!”
DARKFIGHTER will be accompanied by a stunning companion volume, LIGHTBRINGER, arriving later this year. Both produced by longtime collaborator and 8x GRAMMY® Award-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), the two new LPs marks the first new music from Rival Sons in more than four years, following 2019’s critically acclaimed, GRAMMY® Award-nominated sixth studio album, FERAL ROOTS.
“In comparison to our previous records, we certainly took our time both writing and recording this collection,” says Rival Sons vocalist Jay Buchanan. “When we set out, the intention was mostly to dig as deep as possible. Even in the beginning before the body had formed, we agreed to throw the map away and chop our way through the woods to make a new path. Then lockdown hit and it felt like the whole damn country decided to throw the map away too. For myself, 2022 was like an eight-stage rocket of life changing events, so every time I thought I was finished writing, a new bull would come tearing through the clothesline and I’d have to illustrate it in some way. By the end, there were really two different sides to the same story being told. On one side, you’re fighting the darkness and, on the other, you’re bringing your own light to where there is none. One side in a corner, on the ropes, and the other advancing, cleaning the ring. Without an intermission, a refractory period, the collection would be too big a bite, so splitting it in two was the only way to do it.”
MAY
11 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom * #
12 – Little Rock, AR – The Hall * #
13 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s * #
16 – Chattanooga, TN – The Signal * #
17 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle * #
18 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works * #
20 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville †
21 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater * #
23 – Richmond, VA – The National * #
24 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa * #
26 – Morgantown, WV – Ruby Amphitheater *
27 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple †
28 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom *
30 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore * #
31 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium * #
JUNE
1 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square * #
3 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall * #
4 – Albany, NY – Empire Live * #
6 – London, ON – London Music Hall * #
8 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore ^ #
9 – Chicago, IL – Radius ^ #
10 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore ^ #
12 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave ^ #
13 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Club 5 ^ #
14 – St. Louis, MO – Pageant ^ #
16 – Omaha, NE – The Admiral ^ #
17 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater ^ #
18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre ^ #
JULY
21 – Buktafestivalen – Trømso, NO †
22 – Malakoff Rockfestival – Nordfjordeid, NO †
AUGUST
1 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre **
3 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre **
5 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre **
6 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater **
7 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre **
9 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre **
10 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre **
13 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater ^^
15 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion ^^
16 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP ^^
17 – Huntsville, AL – The Orion Amphitheater ^^
19 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre ^^
20 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre ^^
22 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion ^^
24 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center ^^
25 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion ^^
30 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater ^^
31 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live ^^
SEPTEMBER
2 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage ^^
3 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre ^^
8 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater ^^
9 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center ^^
* w/ Special Guests The Record Company
^ w/ Special Guests The Black Angels
# w/ Special Guests Starcrawler
† Festival Performance
** The Smashing Pumpkins “The World Is a Vampire” North American Tour
w/Special Guests Stone Temple Pilots
^^ The Smashing Pumpkins “The World Is a Vampire” North American Tour
w/ Special Guests Interpol
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