Most creative people have a passion for something that they love to do in their spare time. Whether it’s writing, photography, rescuing animals, movies, cooking, music, or a plethora of other interesting activities.  For a group of amazing individuals who call themselves Rivers Monroe, their passion is creating music and playing it for thousands of fans around the country.   On the surface, if you follow them on social networks, their lives look really exciting, full of laughter and fun memorable moments, as well as the support of fans everywhere.  Behind the scenes, it’s a different story altogether.

“We do this for our fans, because without their support, we wouldn’t be here today.” Said Mat Rivers, vocalist and keyboardist. “People don’t realize how hard we truly work on a daily basis, whether managing our schedule, keeping up with social media, and being in the studio for weeks on end to create music that hopefully touches the hearts of people everywhere and helps them get through another day.”

I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing this talented group for a video interview that you can see at the end of this article.  What I found out during the interview was that not only are these guys generous, talented, and creative, but they are also relentless, passionate, dedicated, determined, and they have been this way for five years as they have been working their way to the top of the music industry.  One of the songs on their new album (also included in the middle of the interview video below) called “Emily, or Every Second” is all about Universal Love and how it affects all different types of people.  It shows how much these guys love people, their fans, their music, and the world in general.

One of the first things I learned about Rivers Monroe that boosted my confidence to know that they will succeed (and already have), is that they embrace digital media and social networks instead of bashing them and saying that the digital era is ruining music. When famous rock stars or pop singers, complain about how digital music is ruining the music industry I want to throw my record player at them. I was lucky enough to be a DJ & producer in the 1990s and early 2000s to witness the transition between vinyl and turntables, to CDs and cassettes, and eventually to laptops and MP3s.  The fact that Rivers Monroe has all of their music on their website and lets people listen to it for free, releases music videos for the world to watch, and teams up with companies like Instamour to help gain awareness, they are nothing short of brilliant.

“People think that being a musician and traveling on the road 24/7 is all fun and games. Don’t get me wrong…it is, but it also takes a toll on you.” Said Mike Monroe, lead singer. “You don’t get to see your family or friends very often, you live on a tour bus, you’re always on the go, performing late at night, and it can get very tiring.” Needless to say, the Monroe boys truly love what they do to keep up with such a demanding schedule. To sacrifice everything in their lives and bring the joyous sounds of their creative music to the ears and hearts of fans everywhere is truly a selfless act in itself.

Not only am I impressed with these guys, but I am ultra-proud of them in a way that makes me feel positive and inspired, and makes me want to be as passionate as they are about everything I do. I am honored to call them my friends, I’m honored to call them musicians, and finally I am honored to call them human beings. I wish them all the success in the world, even though they have already succeeded by being invited to perform at the 2015 Warped tour, which is validation enough that they have reached the pinnacle of their success.

“Being asked to perform at the Warped tour this year is a dream come true.” Said Kirby San, Bassist.  “We have worked so hard to get here, and now that we achieved such a massive goal, it’s surreal to imagine that we are actually going to perform at such a monumental and historic concert.”

There is no doubt in my mind that you guys earned this and fully deserve it.  My hats off to you, and I wholeheartedly give you my Universal Love.

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