Quick & Dirty - Young Rival
By: Andrea Grassi
Homemade vegetarian burritos, Bob Dylan's "When the Deal Goes Down" and an undetermined bedtime mark the Wednesday night that Noah Fralick of Hamilton's Young Rival entertains SoundProof in a phone interview. It's a pretty quiet night for the drummer of a buzzing suburban garage band praised for tapping into '60s rock veins and pumping them with youthful blips. Then again, the Rivals are winding down from a cross-Canada tour, playing songs from their new self-titled, independent EP, with the likes of another youth-hugging band, The Bicycles.
The EP, a tight six-song offering often classified as vintage rock, is getting a lot of play on CBC Radio 3 and is spawning legions of followers on the net. "I'm not going to lie," says a friendly Fralick, "the goal of the EP was getting that rock 'n' roll sound." And get it they do. There's a strong line of psychedelia winding through the album – especially on "Poisonous Moves" – as well as plenty of ambient guitar. "Your Island" has wide drum rolls at a comfortable pace and the sophisticated choice of up-tempo moments that ultimately achieve the rejuvenation of rock the band wanted.
A lot of their warm sounds (how vinyl often melts our hearts) are attributed to the boys wanting to record the studio sessions live. Their purist approach results in a nostalgic earful with a coarse honesty. "We weren't into the layering of instruments and I think you can hear the difference," says Fralick.
The EP was recorded in both New York City and Hoboken, New Jersey, and was produced by veteran Emery Dobyns. A few producers were considered, but after finding their cuts remaining cold and flat like the plastic they were burned on, Dobyns was chosen. His laidback and aligning rock philosophies attracted the band (that and the fact that he's worked with the likes of Lou Reed, Patti Smith and Suzanne Vega), so the Rivals suited up for New York City. "The idea of knowing we were in New York and recording was amazing," says Fralick. "It was really flattering to be in [Dobyn's] company."
This sophistication is not often found on an EP, but the Rivals are not new players, having been around, self-managed and self-propelled for five years. Even more interesting is the fact that essentially, the Young Rival EP is their third studio effort, as they released two full-length albums under their original moniker Ride Theory.
It's unusual for a seasoned band with the same lineup to cut back their portions in order to reinvent themselves. Fralick explains the step as a "renewed outlook" in order to repackage themselves for their audience. "Ride Theory hadn't reached a static point," he admits. "But we wanted something new and fresh that would showcase the direction our songwriting was going." The new name, Young Rival, was a testament to this change – a fresh and youthful alternative usurping an old hat.
What's to love about this band is that they're quintessentially indie – unsigned and having managed themselves since their humble beginnings. It's only now, as they're getting busier, that they've taken to hiring publicity and management. Fralick admits that a record deal isn't really a major focus for them. "Self-releasing taught us a lot of what we can do on our own terms," he explains. "With digital distribution you have a lot of control, and we never want to lose that. There are good record deals out there, and that doesn't mean we will never sign, but we're more focused on recording an LP right now." An LP they're planning to produce themselves.
Keep your eyes and ears peeled for a very literal, lyrical interpretation of their single "Your Island" for a music video produced by Videofact later this December.
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