Whether it be as a music man or a (new) family man, Steve Rivers puts his whole heart into everything he does. Coming up on the release of two singles along with a full-length album, Steve gives us a glimpse into the creative process, finding a balance in life and what’s next for him!
We’ve teamed up with Steve to unveil the brand new single, “Let Love Go”, check it out below and find out more about Steve in our interview.
New single “Let Love Go” has such a classic country sound from the very first note; is this influenced by any iconic singer-songwriters that you’ve admired through the years?
I’ve always been drawn to songs that create a deep emotional impact. Many of my favorite songwriters (Travis Meadows, Natalie Hemby, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Casey Beathard, Lori McKenna) just know how to do that so well. I try to model my approach to songwriting like that.
The track also has such a relatable message that I’m sure everyone has gone through (“If you love something, let it go…); is this coming from personal experience? Is there a limit to how personal you are in your songwriting or do you just let it flow?
I think vulnerability is important when trying to connect to a listener. My co-writer (Kari Lynch) and I drew from our real past experiences when we wrote this song. I also have some close friends and family who’ve gone through this battle in recent years.
How would you say your third album, “American Side Hustle” (to be released July 10th) differs from your previous albums?
This is the first album that I’ve produced, mixed, and co-wrote top to bottom. It started off as a series of demos that I recorded at my home studio in Nashville, which then evolved into a full project. I think my proudest accomplishment with this album is the “global collaboration” we did. There were parts we recorded in Nashville TN, parts that were tracked in Canada, and parts that were recorded in Germany. We kinda proved to ourselves that a record can be made remotely even before social distancing was a thing.
You have the most beautiful family photos posted on Instagram mixed amongst the music-related posts! How do you find a balance between the two areas of your life?
Thank you! I became a father less than a year ago and my daughter London has been the center of our whole world. I started thinking long and hard when she was born about the kind of songs I wanted to write and release. I ask myself, “would this be something that my daughter would be proud of me for in 20 years?” My wife is also a very creative person and we try to work with each other on projects. She actually shot all the footage for the “Let Love Go” music video.
What do your next six months look like?
Right now we’re in full album launch mode which I’m really excited about! I got a great team that’s helping me which I’m grateful for. We’re hoping if the pandemic dies down by the fall we can start booking some live dates again, but we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I just started a new live stream series called ‘Beer & Songs with Steve’. Each month I’ll be featuring one of my songwriting friends and a local craft brewery. A lot of our favorite breweries are struggling right now and I want to do everything I can to help bring business their way.
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