Rival Sons, band photo, Bird In the Hand

Photo: Rival Sons by Pamela Littky, Bird In The Hand

Two-time Grammy nominated rock band Rival Sons have shared a new single, “Bird In The Hand” from their forthcoming album Darkfighter, out June 2nd.

Commenting on the new track vocalist Jay Buchannan noted, “There’s a lyric in there, ‘Let’s go down to the river where the water runs still and deep, to scatter the ashes of the mess I used to be.’ You can burn through a whole lot of time just trying to find your lane, your realized intention. At some point you accept reincarnation as a waking process. Build, refine and burn again and again and the lyric, ‘A bird in the hand, now that’s a miracle I can believe’ is the immersive commitment to the present.”

“Bird In The Hand”

 
Stream “Bird In The Hand” HERE

Pre-order/pre-save Darkfighter HERE

In support of their forthcoming album, Rival Sons will embark on an extensive five-week North American headline run deemed “The Darkfighter Tour,” which will feature support from The Black Angels, The Record Company, and Starcrawler on select dates [tour itinerary below]. The trek kicks off on May 11th in Oklahoma City, OK at the Diamond Ballroom, visits major markets across the country, and concludes on June 18th in Denver, CO at the Ogden Theatre. In between, the band will perform at a handful of festivals such as Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on May 20th and Sonic Temple in Columbus, OH on May 27th. Tickets for all dates are on sale today at 10:00AM local time. For more information on Rival Sons’ upcoming live dates see HERE 

“SO happy to finally announce our full North America headline tour and have new music to play for you” exclaimed guitarist Scott Holiday. “Expect this tour to comprise of the forthcoming Darkfighter album in its entirety, along with familiar songs and a few deeper cuts. We’re working on plans to make it extra special. With a big added bonus of the incredible acts we’re taking with us: The Black Angels, The Record Company and Starcrawler. It’s going to make for a REALLY fantastic night of music!”

Furthermore, Rival Sons recently shared details of a companion album entitled Lightbringer—due out in late 2023.

Expanding on the two album set, Buchanan commented, “In comparison to our previous records, we certainly took our time both writing and recording this collection. When we set out, the intention was mostly to dig as deep as possible. Even in the beginning before the body had formed, we agreed to throw the map away and chop our way through the woods to make a new path. Then lockdown hit and it felt like the whole damn country decided to throw the map away too. For myself, 2022 was like an eight-stage rocket of life changing events, so every time I thought I was finished writing, a new bull would come tearing through the clothesline and I’d have to illustrate it in some way. By the end, there were really two different sides to the same story being told. On one side, you’re fighting the darkness and, on the other, you’re bringing your own light to where there is none. One side in a corner, on the ropes, and the other advancing, cleaning the ring. Without an intermission, a refractory period, the collection would be too big a bite, so splitting it in two was the only way to do it.”

Darkfighter, Rival Sons, album cover

Darkfighter Track Listing

1. Mirrors
2. Nobody Wants To Die
3. Bird In The Hand
4. Bright Light
5. Rapture
6. Guillotine
7. Horses Breath
8. Darkside

Darkfighter is led by the explosive singles “Rapture” and “Nobody Wants To Die,” the latter of which is joined by a Eli Sokhn-directed music video streaming on Rival Sons’ YouTube channel. Right out of the gate, Rolling Stone hailed “Nobody Wants To Die” as “hard-charging” and proclaimed, “the video has Kill Bill grindhouse vibes for days and is a literal blast.” Guitar World applauded, “It would be cliché to say it’s been worth the wait, but the phrase applies: ‘Nobody Wants to Die’ has enough high-gain riffage and classic rock fretboard throwdowns to more than make up for Rival Sons’ absence.”

Darkfighter and Lightbringer were both produced by longtime collaborator and multi Grammy Award-winner Dave Cobb. These albums mark the first new music from Rival Sons since the release of 2019’s Feral Roots, which earned the band two Grammy Award nominations.

In support of their forthcoming album, Rival Sons will join Great Van Fleet for a handful dates beginning March 26th at the Tucson Arena in Tucson, AZ and perform at Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on May 20th and Sonic Temple in Columbus, OH on May 27th. For tickets and more information on Rival Sons’ upcoming live dates, visit Here

Rival Sons, Darkfighter tour flyer