Interview & Gallery: Rivals at Vans Warped Tour in Pomona, CA

Rivals are a punk band from Los Angeles, CA. They were invited out to Pomona, CA to play a set on the very last cross-country run of Vans Warped Tour. Photographer Taylor Brielle had the chance to speak with them for Suburban Rose Magazine about their recent tour with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, new music, and how they felt about playing Warped Tour.

Suburban Rose: So you guys recently did a tour with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Was this your first time supporting them? How was your experience touring cross-country with good friends?

Kalie Wolfe: It's been great! We have one more run left with them in July and August. We've never been on tour with them before besides these runs. They are really cool dudes and we feel really blessed they asked us to go on tour with them.

SR: While you were out on this tour with RJA, you guys posted a flyer to the Rivals Instagram offering drum lessons with your very own drummer Josh Alves. I've never seen a band do that before, especially not while on tour. What inspired you to want to give back to the community?

Josh Alves: I've actually seen a lot of drummers do it. Mostly in the metal world. For example: Matt Halpern from Periphery gave me my first lesson while he was on tour. Giving lessons also helps me want to be a better drummer. It's been very successful so far and I hope to do more with it.



SR: Billboard recently featured the official music video for your latest single "Damned Soul." Congratulations! What message did you hope to give to viewers who watch this video?

Wolfe: When I wrote "Damned Soul" it was about my personal self and my reflections on the people surrounding me in my life. That's why in the video everyone is frozen and no one can hear me. In a sense, I'm like drowning. Sometimes I overthink everything around me and the people around me hurt me and I don't realize it sometimes.



SR: What would you say has been Rivals' biggest accomplishment thus far? And do you have any future plans for Rivals?

Wolfe: Today was pretty good! We weren't even supposed to be playing and it kinda just ended up happening. We have something big coming up in the future that all of us have dreamed of since kids. I can't say it yet, but we are all very excited to play with a certain band.

SR: Lastly, how does it feel to be playing on the very LAST cross-country run of Vans Warped Tour? And what did Warped Tour mean to you growing up?

Micket Woodle: It's bittersweet. We've all always gone to Warped Tour growing up and we always wanted to play Warped Tour and now we're doing it.

Sebastian Chamberlain: The 15 year old me is flipping out because I remember the first Warped Tour I ever went to. I saw Oceana and I was like, "I'm gonna be up there one day. I don't know what it's gonna take but I'm gonna play Warped Tour,"—and then here we are.





Make sure to check out Rivals on Spotify and be sure to shoot them a follow on Instagram @wearervls. Photos and Interview by @taylorbrielle_