Meet Rival Alaska: Indie Pop from Coachella Valley

Meet Rival Alaska: Indie Pop from Coachella Valley

Meet Rival Alaska – an indie pop collective from Coachella Valley ready to break out of the desert in an epic way.  Famous Talk is the name of their latest single, an endearing quirky, superbly infectious selection now available on Itunes and Spotify!  The band recently completed a showcase run at the opulent McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert and have an upcoming performance at Bart Lounge in Cathedral City on June 23rd.  Highwire Daze Online recently caught up with James Johnson, the charismatic frontman of Rival Alaska to find out a whole lot more about these dynamic band on the rise.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Rival Alaska, and how long the band has been together.
I’m James Johnson, frontman of Rival Alaska. Currently, Rival Alaska consists of Max Powell, James Johnson & Hugo Chavez. We’ve been performing for about five years as a group, and have re-established ourselves & act earlier this year.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
Our band is based out of the Coachella Valley. A massive music scene — highly competitive — incredibly sweet.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the lyrics of your single Famous Talk?
Famous Talk was a “comprising” song with myself after a heartbreak. I found a lot of comfort into shouting a lot of assumptions I was making about how my ex-girlfriend might’ve been living with her new lover. So relatable.

What could one expect from a live Rival Alaska show?
High energy — massive smiles — anthems of love — youthful/genuine entertainment.

If Rival Alaska could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
The Beatles, past — they are literally going to last generations, & to be apart of it would be an honor. The 1975, present — I mean. They are great!

A band you opened for was the funk band Fishbone. What was that experience like and where was it?
We had a fantastic time, they played a venue out in Palm Desert, and we were invited out, didn’t have much to say — we were all about 15 years old at the time.

If the music of Rival Alaska was a donut, what kind would it be and why?
A soft white cream cake — with Oreo crumbs, and light frosting. Too specific?

How close is Rival Alaska to releasing an EP or album?
We are working on it, but to address fans directly.. we want to only release quality, and something we take our homes time with. That way we feel confident in it’s totality.

What’s up next for Rival Alaska?
Local shows — close some out, and head out to regional shows! Hopefully soon we can hit Los Angeles & play to the beautiful people again!

Any final words of of wisdom?
Always see yourself in someone else’s eyes — understanding each other will become a lot easier.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

Rival Alaska on Facebook