Lost your password?

Song

Nobody Wants To Die

Artist

Rival Sons

Rival Sons backstory

There’s an argument that Rival Sons reinvented — or at least revived — classic rock at its bullish and most bluesy.

Long before Greta Van Fleet rebooted the genre, the mighty Sons had crafted a back catalogue par excellence.

Dazzling debut Pressure & Time put the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons.

And can it really be a decade since follow-up Head Down turned heads?

Rivals Sons swiftly became the go-to support for the biggest bands on the planet on the back of some seriously sexy rock and roll.

Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Guns N Roses have all come to learn that Jay Buchanan and co. are a tough act to follow.

And 2019’s Feral Roots — the band’s fifth long player — firmly established Rival Sons as sophisticated scene leaders.

That remarkable record bagged two Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance (Too Bad).

And in 2021 Rival Sons went back to their roots by celebrating a decade of Pressure & Time and launching their own record label.

Nobody Wants To Die is the first taste of new album Darkfighter — due for release in March 2023.

In frontman Jay Buchanan’s own words

“You live your life knowing that the sword of Damocles is hanging over your head by a thread. 

“You’re fully aware of the impermanence of your existence but you can’t think about it all the time — or it’ll fuck your life up. 

“I used to work in a mortuary as a service advisor for a few years, driving and opening the hearses. 

“I’d attend three funerals per day. Sometimes, they would be filled over capacity. 

“Other times, it would just be me, a priest, and a hole in the ground. 

“It doesn’t matter who you are — the great equalizer is coming. 

“I was thinking of this because the music sounded like pursuit.”

The verdict on Nobody Wants To Die

Best enjoyed as an audio-visual treat, the madcap video for Nobody Wants To Die is one of the best clips we’ve seen all year.

The canny juxtaposition of a farcical crime caper and Buchanan’s typically affecting lyrics works a treat.

But there’s more substance than style underpinning this supercharged track.

Buchanan’s words have never resonated so deeply and one of rock’s most familiar voices is elevated to the next level.

Somehow, Rival Sons’ frontman exceeds all expectations.

Then there’s the mid-song drumming masterclass from the mercurial Mike Miley.

And a blast of typically scuzzy guitar from the scorching Scott Holiday — a signature tone that’s become the go-to sound for blues rock’s new generation.

Nobody Wants To Die and why would you?

Rival Sons make life worth living. 

What’s next for Rival Sons

Darkfighter drops next spring via Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records.

The band has five shows booked in before Christmas — kicking off in St Louis on October 28.

Expect a full 2023 UK tour to be announced soon.