MMaRchive Session: The Revivalists

If living through a pandemic has taught us anything, it's how to appreciate our connections to the people and places that surround us. This gratitude helped shape the latest album from The Revivalists, who saw their vibrant hometown of New Orleans go quiet when the COVID lock-down was instated.

In a new interview, singer David Shaw explains to Pierre Robert: "I desperately needed to get off the road, and then, boom, happened. But then that space and that time away gave us all a revitalized appreciation for the things that we do, and the music that we make, and the people that love what we do... It was a terrible time for so many reasons, but there were some silver linings... You have to be able to find them. In any dark situation, you've got to find those."

When the band was able to safely reunite, it didn't take long for that connective spark to light up again. Pour It Out Into the Night harnesses that energy with twelve tracks exploring the search for joy, channeling it though buoyant soul and raw rock n' roll.

Joy is not always easy to find, of course, and The Revivalists' new single "Kid" reflects on those challenging moments. "There's a lyric in the song - 'living for the spirit now' - and that's the heart of the song," says David. "There's so many things that can grab your attention. We have a supercomputer in our pocket. There's a lot of negativity; there's also a lot of positivity, but I think it's really about not letting these things steal your joy, seeing the good things, seeing the hope, and living in the moment."

In this MMaRchive Session (our first in WMMR's new performance studio!) Pierre asked the band about their favorite songs on the new LP, the raucous fun of Halloween, and how they touch the lives of their fans through their nonprofit Rev Causes. We couldn't let them leave without playing a set for our studio audience, and all eight members of the band delivered, filling the room with energy of a NOLA street parade!

CONCERT NOTE: Don't miss The Revivalists when they return to Philadelphia for a show at the Mann in July. Pour It Out Into the Night is out now via Concord Music Group. Big thanks to them and to Neumann University for being part of this session, and thanks to our listeners who came to witness it with us!