Q&A: Riovaz is Trailblazing His Own Melodic Path

Q&AMusic

Nov 18

☆ By JOHN COTTER ☆

RISING TO INTERNET STARDOM BACK IN 2020 — with TikTok hit “Prom Night,” New Jersey’s Riovaz has become familiar with music virality. But the difference between the 18-year-old and others in a similar position is that Riovaz’s potential shined through the lo-fi, self-produced nature of his initial hit, and the track wasn’t like anything else that had come from the viral platform.

Fast forward to late 2022 and Riovaz is miles ahead of where he started. The Jersey house-infused vibes from “you’re a parasite” gleefully contrasts the sorrowful themes conveyed through his lyrics, just as “Tell Me Your Fears” takes a similar tonal contrast and runs to the finish line with it. Riovaz is not only in his very own lane but operating with the consistency of a veteran in the industry. He flawlessly brings ideas from his head into a song with little interruption, a fluidity that’s the tell-tale sign of an artist who wants to stick around for some time.

He’s set to perform throughout the US and Europe as part of the RioRave tour, kicking off in Feb. 2023 in LA and ending in London. The worldwide appeal is apparent for Riovaz, as he just finished a sold out New York show and supported glaive on his American is a Place That Exists tour, which is just wrapping up.

In between all of this musical chaos, Luna chatted with Riovaz via email, discussing his career’s success, his favorite tracks to perform, and the many interesting aspects that encompass his rapid success as his music continues to find audiences and entrance them with his fine-tuned melodic passion. Read our conversation below.

LUNA: How is this fall season treating you so far?

RIOVAZ: Fall always delivers — it’s definitely one of the better seasons that we have.

LUNA: Congrats on the release of “Tell Me Your Fears”! It's got a great beat moving the track along. Can you share your favorite moment from the creative process for this one?

RIOVAZ: Thank you so much! My favorite moment was definitely shooting the video and bringing that visual component to life.

LUNA: You've been making music for a while now and we've already seen your sound evolve with some of your recent releases. What direction do you see your music growing?

RIOVAZ: I don’t wanna ruin the surprise so I’ll just leave that question completely up to your imagination.

LUNA: Sonically, what have been some of your favorite elements to explore and incorporate into your sound?

RIOVAZ: My favorite elements to explore and incorporate are electronic sounds that make you feel like you’re being chased through a rave.

LUNA: On the visual end of things, the “Tell Me Your Fears” video is so sick. What role have you been playing on the visual side of your work? What do you like about bringing your music to life through this avenue?

RIOVAZ: Honestly, my favorite part about being an artist is making videos that represent the world I’ve been trying to build. I’m very hands-on with the visual aspect of things — I build out the ideas with the director, and that’ll never go away.

LUNA: You just wrapped up tour with glaive and have a few international shows to finish up the year. As you get more shows under your belt and hone in on your live performance, what can we expect from your 2023 shows?

RIOVAZ: Flashing lights, heavy drums, ethereal sounds, and lots of movement.

LUNA: Which track of yours has been your favorite to perform live lately?

RIOVAZ: “See u there” is definitely my favorite to perform but I also just announced a US and EU “RIORAVE” tour so I can’t wait to continue performing that track, as well as new music for my fans next year!“

RIOVAZ: I also just announced a US and EU RioRave tour so I can’t wait to continue performing that track, as well as new music for my fans next year!

LUNA: As the year winds down, what intentions do you have looking into the new year?

RIOVAZ: RioRave, RioVaz, RioHits.

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫