…Steve Rivers, up and coming country artist and avid Superior Drummer 3 user. New song inside!

Since you last “visited” us (around the release of Superior Drummer 3), what’s been happening in the Steve Rivers camp?
I’ve been busy writing and recording new material. I made a promise to release new music in 2018 and so far I’ve released two new singles: “One Moment Closer” and “Don’t Take It Back”.  I will also be releasing more material to Spotify this summer.

You started working with Superior Drummer 3 right around release. Now that you have integrated it in your workflow, how has it helped in your creative process?
I honestly can’t imagine working without it now. I use it during the songwriting process and all through the production process. One of my favorite things to do is pull it up during a co-writing session and watch how it immediately creates a vibe with my co-writers and gets ideas flowing. Songwriting to grooves is like writing with a live drummer in the room that you have complete control of. One of the other challenges I’ve taken up this year is to do more producing and mixing of not only my work but of other artist’s projects. Superior Drummer 3 has allowed me the creative freedom to take chances on songs by laying down different grooves, and if the artist likes it we keep it, if not, we just simply go in and re-arrange the parts. I also love the ability to enhance live recorded drums using the sounds of Superior Drummer 3. I can turn a decent-sounding home recorded drum kit into tracks that sound like they were tracked in million dollar rooms.

On your new single “Don’t Take It Back”, the drums are mixed entirely using the sounds of the Superior Drummer 3 core library. What’s the story behind this song?
“Don’t Take It Back” is about the vulnerability of telling someone you love them and the fear of committing to it. Sometimes people can say crazy things in the heat of the moment but then take it back the next day. Production-wise I think we captured that vibe pretty good on this track; it feels open-ended. I’m known for doing a lot of country/rock recordings, so sound-wise this song is a bit of a different direction for me. I love alternative music and am glad I took this song in that direction. I’m also glad I got the chance to work with my co-writer Michael David and guitarist Garry Wood on this song.

Steve Rivers “Don’t Take It Back”
Songwriters: Steve Rivers / Michael David
Produced and mixed by Steve Rivers at East Town Sound (Nashville, TN)
Recorded at East Town Sound and Rad Records (Nashville, TN)