Riva Sinistra

If the Smiths had composed the soundtrack for a Dario Argento film, it might sound something like Riva Sinistra. The story goes that the band met on the cobblestones of a dark Left Bank, guided by the call of a harpy. Hailing from the southern suburbs of Paris, the two composers, Alec (guitar/backing vocals) and Rawad (guitar/vocals), were hungry to write, to compose, to mix their influences and to share the spirit of their troubles. Riva Sinistra was formed, then the band stabilized with Étienne on bass (ex-Red Woods) Michael on keyboards (Mandarina) and Susan on drums. With their debut EP “Nothing To Be Said” released in late 2021, they sang their bad blood across Parisian venues and on the Culturebox TV show. Several media hailed their inspiration from across the Channel. In the course of 2022, the band returned to the studio to capture new wanderings and record a second EP entitled “In The Mood For Nothing”, released on March 10, 2023. Their second EP, “In the Mood for Nothing”, released in March 2023, already displayed a certain casual melancholy. Fuzz on the guitars, danceable rhythms, heady melodies – the codes of British indie rock are there, but they’re imbued with cinematic influences that stick to the skin. Here a cheesy Farfisa organ, there an interlude where the light finally shines through. It’s with just the right balance of mystery and teasing candor that the five Parisians compose.