Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jordan Rivers. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jordan, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Music has always been a huge part of my life. As a child I would listen from the other room as my parents listened to U2 and Led Zeppelin and loved the energy and emotion that it made me feel. I didn’t start playing my own music until I was 15 years old. My father passed away of brain cancer when I was 15 and picking up his old guitar seemed the only way I knew how to express myself. At first I only played for myself, but then I remember seeing a recording of U2’s performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert and I knew that this is what I was meant to do. The way Bono connected with the audience was pure magic to me. From that moment forward I began trying to push my then hobby as a full time passion and career.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jordan Rivers. I am a singer songwriter originally from Malibu, California. I am currently living in Barcelona, Spain working on my second record. I split my time between Los Angeles and Barcelona. I have been pursuing music since I was 15 years old. I started by just playing for myself, more strumming the guitar alongside some poetry I had written to help me cope with the sudden loss of losing my father at a young age. Music was my therapy. As I reached my 20’s I began trying to do my music more professionally. I put a band together, met a producer and recorded my first EP Bullets in the Background. Once I started performing live on stages across LA like The viper Room and El Rey Theatre, I knew I had found exactly what I was supposed to do in life. I felt free and blessed to be connected to the audience and share the music. I never like to say my music, once I’m up on stage it becomes our music. In 2020 I moved to Barcelona, Spain to try something new and got stuck here during the pandemic. That was not the plan and it was incredibly hard to be so far from home in such an uncertain time. But I did what I know best, when times get hard pick up your guitar. I went deep into my songwriting and found incredible musicians here to collaborate with. I am currently teamed up with Argentinian producer and musician Tomas Aristimuño and we have just signed with Music Bus, a management team here in Barcelona, Spain. We are preparing to release our album and plan to come back to LA soon to play live and debut these new songs!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Plain and simple, society needs artists. We all need each other, it’s what make the world go round. When someone is stressed, no matter what their job is, they usually turn to art to help them through that moment. Whether it is putting on their favorite song, watching a great film or staring at a beautiful painting, some form of art has usually helped that person to feel at peace, happy and joyful. It has become increasingly difficult for artists to pursue their careers, especially those who are new to the field. I encourage people to search out new artists in anyway they can. If someone you know has released a new song, take the 3 minutes to listen to it. Share it, give your feedback. We leave in a society now, where everything is instantaneous, to find good and new art, we need patience. Take the time to listen to new music, watch new films, go to an art gallery and share your findings with friends.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As I’m sure every creative can relate, there have been numerous times where pursuing my passion and calling has felt incredibly overwhelming and I have been on the verge of giving up. Negative voices come streaming in, you’re too old, you’re never going to make a living at this, you’re not good enough. But somehow we continue to always find the strength to continue. I moved to Barcelona, Spain in February of 2020. My plan was to stay for 3 months and get my creative juices flowing. Be inspired by the new city and write new songs so that I could record a new album when I got back to LA. Well, the world had different plans. A little thing call Covid happened and I ended up getting stuck in Spain. There were moments that the fear and loneliness were suffocating me and I truly felt lost. I used my music to help me through a lot of those dark emotions and I didn’t give up. My original plan was to head back to LA as soon as there were flights available again, but after I made it through a lockdown in a foreign country and had written a lot of new music I though I’d give Barcelona a chance for a few more months. Now, a few years later, I can say it has all paid off. I have just signed with Music Bus, a management company here in Spain and I’m preparing to release my next album. We just released two singles off the upcoming album ‘My Favorite Lie’ and ‘Only Rebels’.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riversandsuns/?hl=es
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiversandSuns/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DjrSLSyYVg
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/6nE4h7DiNi7QMMzU3OJKd0

Image Credits
All Photos By: Jodi Cash