Jive Revival

Local rockers Jive Revival have played more than a few shows at Cherry Street Brewing Co-op but they swear their next one is going to be something special.

On Saturday, April 26, at 7 p.m., the four-piece band will release their debut, self-titled album at Cherry Street with a free show.

For the band, there was only one place that made sense for the release.

“When the album is released, we want to share it with everybody and put it out there and push it,” said Ross Talbott, the band’s lead singer and keyboardist. “We felt that Cherry Street was the most fitting place for us. We kind of started cutting our teeth live at Cherry Street, that was kind of home for us in a way. I’m not sure how many shows we’ve played there, but we’ve played very consistently every few months since we started.”

The band came together in 2016, when Talbott and longtime friend Chad Honea, who plays guitar and provides some vocals, started playing together and were soon joined by Ryan Cross, who plays bass and also sings. Drummer Mitch Smith rounds out the band's lineup.

“We’ve been kind of busy building a vast catalog of music that appeals to any particular person that could be in the crowd,” Talbott said. “We play a lot of music. We think our original music that we’ve written that will be featured on this debut album here is pretty relatable, so that’s kind of what we’ve been busy with for the last three years, creating a good catalog that we can play and building originals.”

Several members of the band are graduates of the local school system, with Honea and Cross attending North Forsyth High School, Talbott graduating from West Forsyth High School and Smith going to Forsyth Central High School.

“[We’re] products of a fine education, for sure,” Talbott said with a laugh.

“We were rivals for sure, but I guess we worked some things out over time,” Cross finished.

Since coming together, the group has created a sound so unique, even they have some trouble putting it in words.

“That’s kind of a tough question for us because we all have like a variety of different styles that kind of culminates to make our specific sound that is the ‘Jive sound,’” Cross said. “It’s mostly pretty straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll stuff, there’s some riff stuff in there that’s deeply rooted in the blues…”

“.. Not afraid to take chances,” Talbott continued. “We all kind of really have our taste that really helps build what we’ve been working for. I think the most straight-away answer that I could give you is a lot of the music is rooted in blues and Southern rock, but we’re also not afraid to get funky and also step out of a comfort zone and improvise in a way that makes the live shows interesting.”

To keep those live shows interesting, the band said every performance is a chance to try something a little different, which adds variety for both the band and audience.

“The music is the same and it’s not going to be unidentifiable, but it is different enough that if you’ve heard that song before, the solo is going to be different or what I sing may be a little different,” Talbott said.

While very experienced playing together live, recording the album is the first time the band stepped into the studio together, a process they described as long and arduous but gave them a chance to experiment with their sound.

“There is that magic of the studio that you can do, calling back to Sgt. Pepper’s or [Pink] Floyd albums or whatever you’re doing, where you can really expand on the basis of a song that is a simple tune … and really bring it to its fullest potential in the studio because of whatever studio magic you want to put on it,” Cross said.

The album was recorded at Prana Recording Studio in Lilburn and will feature seven original songs.

“They’ve got a range of genres that you can put on. Some that are very bluesy, some that are riff rock and there are a couple of really great … melodically-based songs that you can get an earworm for and have those good melodies, good choruses,” Cross said.

When the album is released on Saturday, it is expected to also be available on major streaming services. More information about the band, including upcoming shows, can be found on their social media pages.

“Stay tuned for more Jive,” Talbott said, “because we’ve got a bright future, I believe.” - Forsyth County News

To kick off the night, Jive Revival turned the venue into a rock and roll lounge. Hailing from Cumming, these four guys play some mean jams. Jive Revival has that spunk and spirit found buried in the music scene of the 70s but in the modern day. They have a fun time up on stage while keeping it tight in their set. Their bassist and guitarist kept cuing each other to stay on the beat with their drummer keeping a steady pace on his kit. And a special shout out to their lead vocalist as the man has chops. Jive Revival definitely put soul in their craft and were a sweet surprise as they were just the opener. - Target Audience Magazine