THE RIVEN: Visions of Tomorrow: Raw Emotion Meets Rock Revival
In a world where rock music continually evolves, some bands manage to capture its essence while infusing their unique touch. As Visions of Tomorrow gears up for its release on April 25, 2025, the band shares insights into their creative process, the emotions driving their music, and their reflections on the current state of the world. From the challenges of songwriting to the exhilaration of live performances, they open up about their journey and what lies ahead.
Hey, thanks for your time! With Visions of Tomorrow about to be released, how are you feeling? What emotions are running through you as you prepare to share this new chapter with the world?
We’re feeling great! We’re excited for people to listen to our new material and to be able to play our new songs live.
Your music carries a powerful blend of raw energy and deep emotion. When you write a song, do you think more about how it will make people feel or about what you personally need to express in that moment?
I think it’s a mix of both. Writing the songs lyrically and melody-wise is a way for us to express ourselves and what we’re feeling or going through. While arrangements can be more in line with what we believe the listener will enjoy. Ultimately, we always stay true to ourselves though.
Many of the lyrics on Visions of Tomorrow seem to reflect a sense of urgency and frustration about the state of the world. Do you see this album as a warning, a call to action, or something else entirely?
I wouldn’t say it’s a warning or call to action, but writing lyrics is definitely a way to process what’s going on around us. The three main lyric writers for this album are Joakim, Max, and myself, Totta. Some lyrics are co-written and some individually, and while I tend to put words after I get a feeling and melody, Joakim and Max usually come up with a lyric first which then sets the mood of the song.
The album title itself suggests a look toward the future—do you feel hopeful about what’s ahead, or is there more of a dystopian edge to the vision you’re presenting?
Good question! I believe that there’s a mix; some songs are love songs that are holding out for a brighter future, while others are more about heartbreak or questioning what the hell is happening around us. I think that looking through history, you can also get a glimpse of tomorrow, and that is something that some of the lyrics might hint at.
Throughout your career, how has your relationship with rock’s past evolved? Do you ever feel the weight of comparison to classic bands, or does it fuel you to carve out your own space?
We all grew up with our idols in the classic rock scene, but I have to say for myself it’s feeling longer and longer ago haha! I still love classic rock and I think a lot of people in the scene do, but it’s more so nice to have roots in classic rock, knowing the history while writing your own songs. Recording and playing live is amazing because then we get to carve our own space in time!
Creatively speaking, what was the hardest song on this album to bring to life? Was there a track that tested your limits or pushed you in an unexpected direction?
I think «Set My Heart on Fire.» Not because it’s a complicated song but the opposite! It was hard to keep it short and simple. We’re used to writing slightly longer songs with more room for solos and stuff, but «Set My Heart on Fire» is a short and rather cheesy song, which is new to us!
Live performances seem to be a huge part of your identity as a band. Do you ever feel like different versions of yourselves on stage and off, or is performing simply an extension of who you are?
As with anything else, you become better with practice. I think that someone who saw us live in 2018 would be happy to see us live again now! We’ve become more secure with each other while we rock out more—a good combo if you ask me! Obviously, we have some sort of switch on and off stage, but we rock out in our rehearsal too and even on the dancefloor sometimes! I think we just enjoy rocking out to good music.
If you had to describe Visions of Tomorrow as a place rather than an album, what would it look and feel like? Is it a dystopian city, a burning battlefield, a dreamscape?
Interesting! I think it’s definitely more of a city vibe. It’s from the bar down the street, from falling in love with someone walking home after a party, from observing people around us in the city hustling and bustling.
Looking beyond this album, what scares you the most and excites you the most about the future of the The Riven?
What scares me the most is not being able to grow bigger as a band because it’s difficult to reach out with such hard competition, both on record and live. What excites me the most is going on tour and playing live, seeing new places, meeting new people, and getting to do what I love for a living.
Once again, thank you for sharing your insights with us. Is there anything else you’d like to add or any message you’d like to convey to your fans and listeners?
Thank you for having me! Listen to the new record! Come see us live! Keep on being awesome and listen to and support the music scene!
