RIVALS Announces 'Dark Matter' New Single, Headlining Tour

By Jessel Thomas First Posted: Mar 11, 2022 11:28 AM EST

Following last week's announcement of their forthcoming single as a newly independent band, pop/rock outfit RIVALS' revealed the tour dates and lineup for their first headlining tour, which is to be supported by Ashland (Rise Records), Josh Lambert, and star of SHOWTIME Network's Shameless, Ethan Cutkosky, who will be appearing on select dates of the tour.

The Dark Matter tour is aptly named after RIVALS' forthcoming new single, "Dark Matter," which hits all streaming platforms at midnight on April 6.

(Photo : Kyle Bertrand/ WTFpublicity)

On the forthcoming single, "Dark Matter," vocalist Kalie Wolfe states: "Were independent now, no label, no backing, just us and some bitchen ladies to push us through (our booking agent Ashely Ventura and our PR Steph Maksimow). 'Dark Matter' is our restart, our refresh of us and who we are, it's also our first song without ANY electronics, just raw instruments, and vocals. 'Dark Matter' is a song I wrote about just being a complete badass against all odds, a song about slipping but recovering. Also, a little nod at our bae Ariana Grande, if god is a woman, well then so is the devil."

RIVALS' latest album, Sad Looks Pretty on Me, exists in two worlds. The Los Angeles quartet - vocalist Kalie Wolfe, bassist Sebastian Clarke, guitarist Micket Woodle, and drummer Josh Alves - draw a wobbly line between blossoming pop-rock and wilting post-hardcore, often alternating between sides for earth-shattering effects.

By wearing their inspirations proudly (and enlisting the help of contemporaries), RIVALS clamor for the attention of both radio listeners and bedroom moshers. Their explosive live act-which has garnered the attention of audiences nationwide-will wear this new set of songs.

Try this on for size: how many songs have you heard that begin like "Fake Rich," out of the gate with stuttering percussion, but end up turning the corner with a gnarly breakdown courtesy of Cane Hill frontman Elijah Witt? It's a perfect distillation of the band's core ethos: create a club hit, curl it around sneering guitars and urgent drums, tear it down.

While this mentality of pop-metal destruction is relentless and well-stocked here, like on the pitch-shifted alt-metal of "On the Loose" and the dirtied, jagged synth-rock of "Little Mistakes," Wolfe and company are concerned with creation, too.

From the ashes of tortuous mental anguish, RIVALS always rise to the challenge of confronting demons head on-while fashioning their moods into something irresistible.

The Dark Matter Tour kicks off in Denver, Colorado on April 5, finishing up in Nashville, Tennessee at the end of the month. For more information, visit wearervls.com.