Introducing: REIVER

Reiver are a Leeds-based alternative rock band blending the anthemic punch of early-2000s guitar music with the grit, pace, and emotional intensity of modern rock. Drawing comparisons to Paramore, Neck Deep, Twenty One Pilots and more, their sound fuses distorted, hook-driven guitars with immersive synthscapes, all underpinned by lyrics that confront the chaos of the technological age, climate anxiety, and the fragility of being human.

Their ethos is simple: write the music they want to listen to. If it doesn’t feel right, it gets scrapped. Every track begins with a stripped-back core — a guitar riff or vocal melody that must hit just as hard on an acoustic in the corner of a pub as it does fully produced on Spotify. From there, they build upwards, taking inspiration from the raw storytelling of Modern Baseball, the dynamics of Paramore, and the atmospheric breadth of Bring Me The Horizon and Twenty One Pilots.

Reiver’s lyrics act as a form of therapy, carved from the grit of real life and the urge to keep going when everything feels overwhelming. That tension — dark themes wrapped in uplifting, high-energy instrumentals — defines their unique sonic identity. And live, Reiver transcend the music entirely, creating a space where people of all ages and backgrounds can jump, dance, and fully express themselves.

Their critically acclaimed track Mylingar — one of their rawest songs to date — exemplifies this. Written almost entirely on acoustic guitar in under an hour, its emotional final third lets the instruments do the talking, a moment that has become explosive at shows and deeply resonant with fans.

With multiple sold-out shows across Leeds, appearances at Live at Leeds: In The City, and thousands of streams across DSPs, Reiver are entering a new era. Their upcoming single Liberate arrives January 2026, followed by a string of releases leading into their second EP on 15th May 2026 — showcasing a darker, more atmospheric take on their red-and-grey visual world, without abandoning the punchy guitars and driving drums fans know them for.

1. Your music blends early-2000s anthemic guitar sounds with modern rock intensity. How did that hybrid style develop, and which influences have shaped your sound the most?

Our style really comes from a place of writing music we want to listen to. If something doesn’t feel right, it gets scrapped. This often results in us creating a simplistic core revolving around either a guitar riff or a vocal melody. Making sure the song sounds just as good on an acoustic guitar in the corner of a pub as it does fully produced on Spotify is a key part of our DNA. Once we have the song, we spruce it up often taking inspiration from a plethora of bands, recently I’ve been taking inspiration for the guitars from modern baseball, and Paramore and the synths and soundscape from twenty one pilots and bring me the horizon’s more ambient work.

2. Your lyrics often explore the pressures of the technological age, climate anxiety, and the emotional highs and lows of modern life. How do you approach writing about such heavy themes while still keeping the music energetic and accessible?

Our whole ethos is that whilst life is gritty and complicated and the reality that we live in is quite frankly painful to face, it’s important to find something to help you carry on. All of our lyrics are written either as a form of therapy or about something we have found therapeutic and often come separately from the music itself. This urge to keep fighting is what drives the upbeat nature of the instrumental.

3. You’ve built real momentum on the Northern live circuit, with multiple sold-out shows across Leeds and beyond. What has performing in these grassroots venues taught you about your audience and your identity as a band?

Over the past couple of years we’ve come to realise that Reiver isn’t just about the music, it’s about giving people a good show and creating an environment in which people can jump and dance; be free to express themselves. I think that’s reflected in how diverse our audience is, we see all ages of people from all walks of life all dressed in different styles, it’s lovely to see.

4. Your critically praised track "Mylingar" resonated with early-2000s alt-rock fans. What was the creative process behind that song, and why do you think it connected so strongly with listeners and press alike?

Mylingar is one of the most raw songs we have ever written, in fact it’s one of the only songs we have that wasn’t written directly into a laptop. It started with just that chord progression on an acoustic guitar and the lyrics came out in about an hour. The final third of the song was always an opportunity to let the instruments do the talking and express the emotions of the song. I think it’s that final part that really resonates with our fans, it’s all fine and dandy writing a break up song but giving the lyrics and the melody space to breath presents the audience with something to latch onto, and the instrumental ending is something that goes mental live.

5. With your new single “Liberate” arriving in January and more releases leading into your next EP in May 2026, what can fans expect from this next era of Reiver, both sonically and thematically?

Thematically, we’re really leaning into the observation of the human condition. These songs were all written during a time of our lives when we had to look out for one another, we didn’t have much time to look beyond what was in-front of us and create songs that comment on the state of the world like some of our other material. We’re pushing our visuals further than we have previously, delving further into our red and grey aesthetic and allowing that to curate the art we create around the music. Sonically, we’re sticking to our roots with the distorted guitars and punchy drums but we’re widening our soundscape both live and in the studio with synths.