Paper Rival

              I often come across bands I feel people would love if only they knew about them. It’s become my personal mission to spread the word about said bands, because while there’s a place for the Rihannas and Madonnas of the world, your music collection is so much more fulfilling when you have small gems like these to bridge the gaps.
            Right now, there’s a great movement of sooty southern rock bands emerging on the scene, one of which is Tennessee’s Paper Rival. With a short-lived stint as Keating, these five twentysomethings have mastered the art of rock, running free with seething guitar lines and casting forth moving bridges that are iced with viscous melodies.
            After two EPs, Paper Rival has released their first full-length record, Dialog, and is blowing out venues across the country in support of it. I got to catch up with lead singer Jake Rolleston at the start of their tour to talk about the new album and growing up in the South, a conversation that reinforced my appreciation for indie rock bands who, despite not being at the top of the charts just yet, are doing what they love and loving what they do.
 
Why did you change your name and how did you end up with Paper Rival?
 
 There was a band in Canada with the name Keating. We got served a cease and desist order and they kind of became our rival on paper. That was kind of our clever way of looking at it. Also, we wanted to have a name that was unique, one that we could use on the internet. With all the changes we had gone through, it was time for another band name. We didn’t mind too much.
 
How has your southern upbringing affected your songwriting?
 
Just about every song comes from my experiences and heritage. The south is so different; it’s not like any other place. The conservative people there are so conservative and the people who are liberal are so liberal. It makes you want to kill yourself. My mother is just an insane lunatic and my dad’s a preacher. They were divorced, so I grew up being with my mom on the weekdays and being able to do whatever I want. I wasn’t the partying kind of kid, but my older brother was, so there were always drugs around and all these crazy nut jobs in my house. Then on the weekends I would go to my dad’s and he would make me go to church. Luckily I had great friends who kept me grounded and straddling the fence.
 
Did wanting to be in a band have anything to do with wanting to get out of your town?
 
Oh, definitely. When I was 11, I remember asking my dad for a guitar or a ferret for my birthday and he obviously got me the guitar. As I was getting older, I realized that Chattanooga was such a small city that it was like a vacuum. It just has a way of making you want to leave no matter what your profession.
 
Which current bands do you consider your peers?
 
We were stoked when we went out with Steel Train because their new album is incredible, and I think their music kind of lines up with what we’re doing. Person L—that band Kenny [Vasoli] from The Starting Line is in—is like the Toadies and Nirvana. It’s all the ‘90s alternative rock stuff that we feel like we play. Bands that I would like to tour with are like The National, Colour Revolt, Manchester Orchestra … bands in that vein.
 
Do you think of the album as a dialog between you and the listener?
 
I do. That’s exactly how I feel. Everything is very straightforward on the record, even on different levels. It’s just a conversation between the entire band and the listener. We also felt that the album was a dialog in itself. When I listen to it, it’s almost like I’m talking to myself.
 
Where do you hope to be in the future, and what do you hope to get out of playing music?
 
I like touring and playing shows, and would like to continue to write records, but with the music industry the way it is, who knows if that’s going to be able to happen. Just making records, putting them out and having people listen to them is enough. I love where I am right now.
 
For more information on Paper Rival visit paperrival.com or myspace.com/paperrival.