Interview: Atlas Rivers

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Hi Atlas Rivers, what is your songwriting process?

Steve writes the initial structure and melody for the songs, and we bring them to life collectively. We’re split between Carlisle, Manchester, and Barcelona, so a lot of that is done by layering parts individually and bouncing files back and forth, with a lot of discussion on what works. Sometimes, the songs change quite radically while we do that, and sometimes, it’s more subtle. Usually, it’s when we’re finally able to get in the same room that they take a massive leap forward and find their final shape. That’s how it went with Here Comes Morning.

Tell us about your excellent latest release, ‘Here Comes Morning’.

This song started it all again for us. We’ve been mates forever and played in bands when we were younger, but life took us away from music for a while. In 2023, we met up at Gav’s place in Barcelona, and one afternoon, we ended up in his basement with charity shop instruments wired up very recklessly through a TV stereo system. We played through a couple of covers before Gav asked Ste – ‘have you got any new songs?’ The beginning of ‘Here Comes Morning’ was the first thing Atlas Rivers played together. Twenty minutes later, the neighbours called the police, and that was the end of the beginning!

‘Here Comes Morning’ is a brilliant alternative-rock release; what draws you to the genre?

Thank you. There was so much guitar music around when we grew up, and we were really absorbed in that, so it’s always been part of who we are. It’s music that doesn’t limit self-expression or complex story-telling but still has a massive energy release.

Your first tour is planned for 2025. Can you tell us more?

We’re just on the edge of confirming everything, so we can’t tell you much just yet, sorry! But we’re planning a few consecutive gigs in North West England. The final gig will be in our base in Manchester so that one should be really special.

You are based in Manchester; what’s the live music scene like there?

Clearly, there’s a crisis for grassroots music nationwide, but in Manchester, it feels like there are just so many talented musicians and still many great venues. It’s absolutely brilliant to be part of and deserves support. We’re lucky enough to be part of a group of bands associated with South City Studios in Stockport who are gigging together and supporting each others’ music. It’s an exciting time.

What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?

Despite the songs normally being written music first with lyrics layered on afterwards, by the time we’re finished, we generally want each song to work for the lyrics and communicate those as clearly as possible. After that, we hope the lyrics stand up for themselves, and the message depends on the songs. I think the songs we’ve released so far are reflective but hopeful – there’s some optimism in the music. The world could do with that at the moment.

Who are your musical influences?

We listen quite widely, I’d say, though it doesn’t all make it through to our own music. When we’re together, we could listen through all of Love and Theft by Bob Dylan and follow that with Rancid’s ‘…And Out Come The Wolves. Quite often, we find artists that are really special for two out of three of us- that could be Jeff Buckley for Glen and Steve or Manic Street Preachers for Gav and Steve.

Who are your non-musical influences?

Can we say to each other? Some people have told us they’re quite inspired by how committed we are to doing this despite living so far apart. The work ethic required is definitely a mutual influence – if at any time it’s really hard for one of us, the other two will always step up. Long distance relationships – inspiring or ridiculous, take your pick.

What scares you most when releasing music?

Behind the scenes, we’ve built up a lot of tunes, and there’s quite a bit of variation in those, with different styles and sounds, all of which we love. When you release a song, though, especially if it goes to genre-based radio or playlists, you can end up being placed in a specific box. So, we’re sometimes worried the next song will be seen as too different, and it could be a struggle to find the right audience.

Other than that, I wouldn’t say we’re scared as such, but I think it’s natural and healthy to be a bit apprehensive about whether or not people will react the way you were hoping. If you don’t feel that apprehension, you haven’t put enough of yourself into the creative process.

What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?

Where to start? Certainly, everybody having the tools to promote their music is a double-edged sword- it has put some control in the hands of artists, but there are just so many distractions when, at heart, we want to invest our time in doing the thing that we all care about the most: writing, recording, and performing.

What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?

There’s an entire industry on social media with a bottomless supply of aspirational advice, which isn’t always healthy to pay attention to, so I don’t think anyone needs our additions! But the message for ourselves is roughly: try to tune out the noise, focus on what you care about, be prepared to work hard, and be yourself.

What are your hopes for the next two years?

There’s an EP planned after the summer that is shaping up to be on another level based on what we’ve achieved to date. Beyond that, the next big step would be to play a few festivals- we want to play as many live shows as we can fit in and continue to build momentum while sharing the stage with great musicians, songwriters and storytellers.

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