I had the pleasure of interviewing solo artist Viv Peyrat about his new band, Viv and The Revival. Check out the interview below!
You said that you’ve been playing music your whole life. When was your earliest recollection of playing music?
I remember being really little. Do you remember that song that Bryan Adams did for Robin Hood? The “Everything I Do” song? It was a SUPER corny ballad. I was really little, probably 3 or 4. I remember at a family party I got up and I was singing it to everyone. (laughs) My grandfather recorded it too. Looking back on it, I just think “oh my god”. If that tape ever gets out, I’m gonna be in trouble (laughs). My dad always had drumsticks around, too; he’s a professional drummer. I always use to grab the sticks and drum on things like pillows. I’d get excited watching him play and stuff. I became serious about it when I was about thirteen or fourteen. I just gravitated towards it, but I had always been around music.
If you had this, what was that moment for you where you realized “this is what I want to do for the rest of my life”?
It was really unique for me to pick up the guitar. I think I was practicing one day, and I thought “wow, I’m really going to do this”. School just started to not matter to me anymore. I started playing in bands and things like that.
Where does the name The Revival come from?
I was having a really weird time with music, and I wanted to have a really cool band name. I needed something that was going to re-ignite my passion for music and wanting to do this. I thought “the revival”. Like, a new life. A new start. I just thought it was a really cool word. It’s been used in weird terms before. For me, it means a rebirth of music, and life, and just wanting to make some beautiful music.
What was the whole process like working on The Introduction? What was the process like working on the full-length in comparison to anything you had written before?
It was a long process, but I think I grew a lot during this record. I think I was a different person recording this album than I was before. I looked at everything differently: melody, lyrics, production. It was a good learning experience for me.
What was it that makes you look at it differently?
I think it was the people that I was surrounded by during the whole process. It was a great crew. I recorded this album in different studios at different times. It was always a really cool group of people. I like to surround myself with people who are a lot more talented than me (laughs). It was awesome. I was really learning a lot about music and songwriting. It was really good. When the people you are working with are invested in the songs just as much as you are, it really doesn’t get any better than that?
What kind of music were you listening to at the time of recording The Introduction? Were there any particular influences that played into this album?
This record was pretty varied in terms of whom I was listening to. I was listening to a lot of OneRepublic and Black Keys. I was also listening to a lot of Bruno Mars, for all of his soul melodies. I listened to a lot of old stuff too like Petty, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson. Just to get their vibes and energy on the record.
What was the song “Criminals” about in particular?
I was watching the movie True Romance. I’m really drawn to the idea of this desperate romantic situation. A situation that contains every kind of emotion you can think of. It’s like the Bonnie & Clyde situation. There’s two people that are so in love that no matter what happens, there always focused on each other. I took inspiration from that kind of thing; being in a romantic situation, but it’s violent and grimy. The things you do for love are fucking crazy, you know? (laughs). I think everyone can relate to that to. There are times in everyone’s life where they stop and go “ah, what am I doing?” when they’re so crazy for this other person. That song happened so quickly, too.
What was it like working with producers Rick Friedrich and Scott Bricklin?
It was awesome! Those dudes are so cool. You realize a lot about what makes people successful. They’re very creative and patient. They’ll try anything. They’re very focused in the studio. I learned through them to be confident in what you choose, and how to have a vision in your head of what you want the song to be.
What kind of message would you like fans to walk away with after listening to your music?
That anything is possible. You can do whatever you want to. The world is a big beautiful place. A lot of people are focused on the negative aspects of life, and I try not to be. I try to wake up and envision positivity wherever I go. I think more and more people are starting to get that vibe. I think it’s going to change the world.
What does music mean to you?
It means everything to me. I’ve always felt a certain way about music, and one time someone described it as noise, and I thought “damn! That’s really all it is!” Even without lyrics, you’re making things where people are going to hear certain notes and get goosebumps. Something you’re going to sing or play is going to give someone memories or bring back memories. Music is everything. It can change the world. It’s a trip when you think about it even more (laughs).
What are the future plans for you right now?
We’re releasing a new song October 8 (today!) and we have a big CD release in our hometown of Philly coming up. We’re also playing the CMJ Music Festival on October 16, and we’re setting up a bunch of tour dates that will be later in the fall. We’ve got a ton of videos coming out for this album as well. We have a video coming out in November. We’re going to be everywhere.