As a band, Wild Rivers have never been better. This goes double for the band as individuals, even as they settle in different cities and grow into themselves as adults. Together since college, Devan Glover [vocals], Khalid Yassein [guitar, vocals, keys], and Andrew Oliver [lead guitar] have put down roots in new places and tackled coming-of-age obstacles. After nine years together, they’ve always found their way back to each other, rather like a marriage. And that’s why their new, forthcoming album, the follow-up to 2022’s folk-rock triumph Sidelines, will be called Never Better.


An earnest, soul-baring look at where they’ve been and where they’re going, Never Better (co-produced with Gabe Wax, who has previously worked with The War On Drugs, Soccer Mommy, Adrianne Lenker, and Jeremy Zucker) showcases Wild Rivers’ joy around being together, particularly after they’ve faced burnout, mental health challenges, and extended periods away from home, among other things. “Being in music is like a deal with the devil,” Khalid says of band life. “You have to give up so much, but you have the opportunity to have the richest experiences of your life. You have to ride the wave and not put too much weight on the highs or the lows. It took us a long time to learn, but that’s a real mindset shift for us.”


Recording in Joshua Tree, Devan, Khalid, and Andrew initially set out to just unplug, reconnect, and rediscover the beauty in creating. Soon, they realized they potentially had a new record on their hands—the results of which appear on Never Better, an album that finds Wild Rivers letting go of their studio-perfectionist tendencies and capturing the energy of their uninhibited live shows. “We used to think it was important to be precious,” says Devan. “I used to take five hours to record a vocal and not be happy until it was perfect. Now I think we're more instinct-driven. I realize now that it’s  actually much more of a skill to be able to do four takes and be like, ‘that's the one,’ because the feeling is there, even if it isn't technically perfect.”


For Never Better, Wild Rivers reimagined their studio process, recording a number of elements live off the floor. “We actively wanted to have a lot more fun making this record,” Andrew adds of recording as a live band. “It's way more enjoyable to record songs all together and be able to see each other laughing and reacting to moments, rather than slowly building it up one little thing at a time where someone goes into a room by themselves. We wanted to maintain that connection the whole time.” 


As they look to the future, Wild Rivers are placing a new emphasis on finding balance and taking care of themselves on the road. Devan says. “We’ve gone through really difficult times, mentally, and the strain of being on tour can take a toll. Mental health has always been top of mind for us, and we want to find that balance for ourselves and help other people with the issues that we're struggling with."


Wild Rivers’ effortless synchronicity shines through on the gorgeously harmonized anthem “Everywhere I Go,” which builds from a piano-based jog to a full-fledged sprint with propulsive drums and shimmering keys. "I was thinking about my grandpa, who I was very close to. He passed away a few years ago,” Khalid says. “He was the only other musical person in my family. We used to sit at the piano and play together. He was one of the funniest people I've ever met. I was thinking about how something benign can remind you of someone who's gone and how it can elicit a powerful emotion. It’s the positive feeling of holding on to a memory of something that's inherently sad but beautiful and uplifting.”


Elsewhere, on the swaying “Cave”—pieced together in Nashville and London —Wild Rivers sing wanting something regardless of consequence. “It’s about caving to temptation,” Andrew says. “The temptation being something you know might not be the right thing, but you’re down to just give into it.”


Similarly, the bright and cheery title track gives itself over to the thrill—and risk—of romance. "We have so many breakup songs—so many heartache, pouring-our-souls-out songs," Khalid says. "We are in our 20s, we've had fun experiences and made mistakes in life. The concept of the song is when you're in a messed-up, secret hookup situation. And someone asks 'How's it going with this person?' And you say, 'Never better.' It's a tongue-in-cheek reference to romantic chaos and throwing caution to the wind."


Finally, of the earnest piano ballad “Backfire,” Devan says, “The demo I made was piano and vocals, and the band had the idea to make it more crunchy guitar, lean slightly more '90s, which I never imagined when writing it. It's more story-based. It's more of a build. It felt like what we have done best up until this point. It feels like a bridge from what we've been doing to the new era.”


Khalid adds, “As soon as I heard ‘Backfire,’ I was like, ‘Oh, this is completely Devan as a person. I just believed every moment of it. Vocally, you can hear that. We were all moved by that. It's one of our favorites of the record. It’s really emotional, really unabashed.”


Just as Wild Rivers move from one exciting stage of their career to the next, they are very much still figuring out what it means to grow together. Their journey, filled with peaks, valleys, and everything in between, has never been more beautiful to witness.

Composing, recording and mixing my music on a sailboat in Guatemala.

Judy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 50-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.
The award-winning singer-songwriter is esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell's “Both Sides Now” from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Judy’s dreamy and sweetly intimate version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical A Little Night Music,won "Song of the Year” at the 1975 Grammy Awards. She’s garnered several top-ten hits gold- and platinum-selling albums. Recently, contemporary and classic artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Shawn Colvin, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen honored her legacy with the album Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins.
Judy began her impressive music career at 13 as a piano prodigy dazzling audiences performing Mozart's “Concerto for Two Pianos,” but the hardluck tales and rugged sensitivity of folk revival music by artists such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger seduced her away from a life as a concert pianist. Her path pointed to a lifelong love affair with the guitar and pursuit of emotional truth in lyrics. The focus and regimented practice of classical music, however, would be a source of strength to her inner core as she navigated the highs and lows of the music business.
In 1961, she released her masterful debut, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, which featured interpretative works of social poets of the time such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Tom Paxton. This began a wonderfully fertile thirty-five year creative relationship with Jac Holzman and Elektra Records. Around this time Judy became a tastemaker within the thriving Greenwich Village folk community, and brought other singer-songwriters to a wider audience, including poet/musician Leonard Cohen – and musicians Joni Mitchell and Randy Newman. Throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and up to the present, she has remained a vital artist, enriching her catalog with critically acclaimed albums while balancing a robust touring schedule.
On September 18, 2015, Judy will release her first studio album in four years, Strangers Again.  She invited a cast of icons and young talents to sing with her on this fresh collection, from Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne and Jeff Bridges to Glen Hansard, Ari Hest and Bhi Bhiman.  Judy delicately soars over a revitalized “Send In The Clowns” and breathes new life into “Hallelujah.”  She puts her indelible touch on songs by Leonard Bernstein, Randy Newman, James Taylor and more.  


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