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We loved catching Rivers Monroe out of Philadelphia make a stop in San Francisco for The Grow Wild Tour earlier this month. You can check out our coverage of their show here. . They are definitely a band to check out on the 2nd annual Grow Wild Tour featuring Round2 Crew, Will Jay, Bad Feelings, Dylan Holland, Zach Matari, Ben Hazlewood, The House On Cliff, and James Barre. We had a chance to chat with them and are pleased to bring that interview to you here:

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Music Junkie Press: Thank you so much for taking the time out to talk with us here at Music Junkie Press. We were so glad to catch you out on the Grow Wild Tour in San Francisco. This has been quite a long tour taking you across the country. Can you share with us some of the highlights of the tour?

Rivers Monroe: It has been a long trip! This is actually our first fully national tour. We usually stop around Dallas and Kansas City so it’s great to finally get to the West Coast. As far as highlights, San Francisco has to be one of them. We were taken to Off the Grid last night and we had probably the best food we have ever had. The Grilled PB&J guy was epic! And when we say epic we mean the best thing ever. The other highlight is certainly the fans and the shows. We are getting to hit a whole new audience now and they have been incredible. We have so many new friends already and the tour is only half way done.

Music Junkie Press: How has it been to finally meet so many of your fans out on this tour?

Rivers Monroe: It’s crazy. Though we have been making many new ones, we are getting to actually see fans we’ve never seen before. Fans who have been with us for years waiting for us to get to them and we finally get to do it. That alone was worth the trip.

Music Junkie Press: You guys brought a great energy to the stage, do you have any pre-show rituals you can share with us?

Rivers Monroe: Hall and Oates…Seriously it gets us so pumped up.

Music Junkie Press: Your music brings influences from pop, punk, rock and much more. Can you share with us who were some of your biggest influences and what about the most influential album for you?

Rivers Monroe: We all love a lot of music and have different tastes but the one thing we all agree on is our love for the classic 80’s bands. There is just something about the drive, positivity and energy of that era that gets us pumped up. Our new album, which is currently in production, is certainly going to reflect that.

Music Junkie Press: Is there one artist or band that really grabbed your attention and got you to pursue music and say, “ I have to do this”?

Rivers Monroe: Taylor Swift. We all knew none of us were good looking enough to have a chance with her so our only recourse was to become rockstars. We now realize we still have no chance with her but you can’t blame us for trying.

Music Junkie Press: What is next in store for Rivers Monroe after this tour?

Rivers Monroe: Sleep. Lots of sleep. And quality time with our pets. But actually we only have two weeks before we hit the road again and then time in the studio to get our first single from the new album out. Followed by another tour in the Fall. We will be busy!

Music Junkie Press: Will we have to wait long for a return to the West Coast?

Rivers Monroe: Noooooope but that’s all we can say right now!

Music Junkie Press: You guys captured everyone’s attention with your song/video for Hero Inside. Are you currently working on any more videos?

Rivers Monroe: We will be releasing our new single with a video at the end of the summer! But, we also plan to add a few more cover videos by then too. Here is the link to our Medley:

Music Junkie Press: We see that you will still be performing in Florida and can you share with us how important it is for you guys to continue and perform?

Rivers Monroe: It is of the utmost importance that we play. We understand there are safety concerns but we truly believe the worst thing we can do in response to these terrible tragedies is to cancel our shows. We will do whatever it takes to get on stage there because we can’t let fear get in the way of our promise to fans. It’s the best way we know to honor the memories of those that were lost.

Music Junkie Press: One thing is certain, you guys deliver a set that gets the crowd pumped, including a great medley set with some excellent covers. If you guys could cover a song from a completely different genre or even era, what might you guys do?

Rivers Monroe: We shouldn’t tell you because we will probably do it. Maybe a Disney medley?!?! That would be epic. But as we said before, that medley is available online too!

Music Junkie Press: You have had quite long rides out on the road, so who is in charge of the playlist and how have you guys been spending some of your down time?

Rivers Monroe: The driver always has control of the radio. The other guys are either working on songs, interacting with fans, or sleeping. We are in the business 24/7. No time to waste. If you are awake you can work!

Music Junkie Press: Sometimes the Internet can become a dark place, do you ever find yourselves having to digitally disconnect? And what advice could you give to teens about dealing with cyber bullying or bullying?

Rivers Monroe: It is a dark place sometimes and we were all much more concerned about it in high school. But now we believe the more people that go out of their way to hate on what you do, the better you are doing. Hate is a sign of respect. You’ve got their attention and they spend time and energy trying to bring you down… there is no greater flattery than that.

We know it’s different for high school kids. Our advice is to just do you and get through it. Once you are in the real world things get way better. Just survive and try not to care. It’s amazing how fortunes reverse in life. Trust in Karma.

Music Junkie Press: Lastly, is there anything else you would like to share with your fans and our audience?

Rivers Monroe: Just keep us in your feed. We are constantly working to share new content and getting out across the country to be in front of you. If you don’t follow us already here are our links: