Interview

TheNwothm: This has been long time coming but I am so happy to finally be interviewing you guys! For anyone who does not know who you are, can you introduce yourselves and where you are from?

C:Happy to be interviewed man! We are Riot City, based out of Calgary Alberta Canada 

TheNwothm: So you formed all the way backed in 2011 which must be a distant memory for you now. Do you remember how the band got together and did you know each other before hand?

C:The band is credited as starting in 2011, but never really came to be until a few years later, I am from the Vancouver area on the west coast and it’s there I founded the band, which was just a name and an idea until I move to Calgary, and met the boys in the scene around here

TheNwothm: Canada has a rich history of traditional metal, and bands like Cauldron and Skull Fist were at the forefront when the movement took off. Did they help shape your early sound, or did your influences come from elsewhere?

C:Absolutely they did! When I founded the band our first drummer is actually the original drummer for Skull Fist! So we have been connected with them since the very beginning, me and Zach actually shared demos of our last albums and helped with the mixes of each 

TheNwothm: Did you all play in bands before Riot City or was this all your first proper band? 

C:Everyone played in bands before hand but this was everyone’s first proper professional touring act. Everyone was in multiple bands before this one and some of us are still in some side projects and I things like that! 

TheNwothm: Looking back to your teenage years, who were the artists that inspired you the most? Was there a particular musician or band that made you think, ‘That’s it—I need to pick up an instrument or learn to sing’?

C: I mean was inspired by the classics like priest and maiden like everyone else, but one of the biggest was 3 Inches Of Blood from Vancouver, they gave me the extra little push for the love of harmony guitars and high vocals 

TheNwothm: So are you all from Calgary and if so what was it like for you growing up there?

C:Dustin, Roldan and Jordan are all from the Calgary area, Jake is from out east in Nova Scotia, and I’m from the other coast on Vancouver island, Growing up for me on the coast was amazing and I wouldn’t change it for anything, but being from a village in the mountains on an island in the Pacific Ocean, I very much yearned to leave and get to the city to follow my heavy metal dreams! 

TheNwothm: What can you tell us about the area and Canada in general? Beyond the fact that it has amazing scenery and maple syrup haha!

C:Calgary is nestled at the edge of the Rocky Mountains and the start of the Great Plains, it’s very beautiful, but can get super cold, so the 9 months out of the year where going outside hurts your face, we stay in and play heavy metal haha 

TheNwothm: Musically you are all killer at your instruments but where did you learn to play/sing?

C:Singing and playing has always just came naturally to me, I never really had to fight it thankfully! Definitely always a guitar player first, I wanted a singer who could sing piercing highs but that can be difficult to find, so I just decided to do it myself haha  

TheNwothm: Jordan’s pipes are nuts! How does he look after them so they are in tip top shape for shows and recording?

C:Jordan is asked this a lot, and he’s a bit of a freak, he has no routine, he can just sing like this, I don’t even think he has any idea how haha 

TheNwothm: How did you choose the name Riot City and did you initially have other ideas?

C:I started the band out in Vancouver just after the 2011 Stanley cup riots, which is the second riots in Vancouver over the cup, so the name was quite fitting at the time, first name we really thought of and it just stayed haha 

TheNwothm: So let us talk about your music! From what I understand you put out  your demo “Livin’ Fast” in 2014 as a limited run. How did those early songs come about and did you change “Livin’ Fast” much for the album version?

C:Just the early songs we got going, Livin’ Fast was one of the earliest songs that I ever put together for the band, it’s been recorded 3 times now I think, and just changed slightly each time, certain small vocal parts changed, but generally it’s very much how it’s always been 

TheNwothm: Soon after you landed a split release with Hellrazor, Crypt Sermon and  Old Wolf! How did that come about? I noticed you also included an extra song for it?

C:I actually just had to look this up to remember what extra song was on it hahaha, it was put together from our label at the time called Swords and Chains records, with a early demo of burn the night added! 

TheNwothm: Before we talk about the albums what can you tell our readers about yourselves? What do you like to do in your spare time when your off the road?

C:We have been on the road so much that it almost seems like it’s all we do haha, a few of us have kids and families so the off time for them consists of spending time with them, the rest of us, basically keep going, gotta get back on the road! 

TheNwothm: Dustin from what I understand is a tour manager for Road To Hell. That must come in hand with all the band business stuff?

C:Yeah! It’s a new thing he’s started up as he’s living in Germany now, so keeping in the scene and using music as work outside of music being work haha! 

TheNwothm: So speaking about the albums, “Burn the Night” came out in 2019 and what an album! It has so much energy I felt like I was on warp speed the first time listening to it. Can you give us some background about the record and tell us some stories behind some of the songs? For instance my favourite “In the Dark?”

C:These songs are very much those young hungry songs that most bands put out when they are starting, most of it is about personal moments in our lives and struggles. In the dark, is a song about substance and the struggles that come with it, we really try to keep our lyrics open to interpretation heavily, so that song to us is about that, but for you it could be about loosing a loved one, anything and anyways it hits you really. Crying out your name again, I am waiting in the dark 

TheNwothm: Apologies if I’m mistaken, but I am sure I recall Roldan mentioning at a Manchester show that the idea of creatures shooting lasers from their eyes started of as a joke. Now, it’s become a full-blown theme for your album covers! Do you think your next record will continue the theme, or are you planning to switch things up?

C:It was definitely somewhat jokey, but also somewhat of a way to get people’s attention, and everyone saw it, Judas Priest this Judas Priest that, very much worked out in our favour, not a bad band to be compared to! And also, like, cyborg animals shooting lasers is pretty heavy metal 

TheNwothm: Back in 2022 you turned it up a notch with “Electric Elite” delivering another killer record. How did your sound evolve from the previous album and are there any particular tracks you are fond off?

C:Definitely a lot more time went into the little things or Electric Elite, and we had all of Covid to work on it, so it was very thought of, how we everything would go together. Severed ties I’m always very proud of, just to put together such a long track that tells a story very well with or without vocals makes me very proud 

TheNwothm: How do you usually put an album or release together? Do you jam together in a rehearsal room or share ideas on line for instance? And Cale/Roldan what kind of guitars do you use when jamming/penning ideas?

C:So times have changed now, but before someone would bring a riff into the space on jam days we would run through it, and then just improvise and see what happens, while being recorded, and most of the stuff has came together that way. This time around since we have a member over seas, and everyone is very much busy after an extensive world tour, I’m doing demos at home and sending them to everyone that way 

TheNwothm: You then followed up with a live album recorded at Little Buildings (Newcastle) here in the UK. Was that a planned or spontaneous kind of idea?

C:A little bit of both I’d say, I’m not even sure if we knew it was being recorded, our booking agent Stu put it all together for us, we also have a live in Hamburg album that was released in the box sets for electric elite 

TheNwothm: So with fans absolutely yearning for new Riot City material where are you guys currently up to with the next album? Have you got the songs written or are you starting to demo ideas?

C:By the time touring was finished, we started on it, we didn’t have really anytime on the electric elite cycle to put together ideas heavily, there was basic stuff but it definitely is coming together! 

TheNwothm: Is there any tidbits of info you can give readers in the mean time? Potential themes etc?

C:It’s definitely darker theme wise, but in the best way possible, everyone has been through some stuff the last little while, it takes a toll on relationships and such being gone all the time, so we have a lot to put out there 

TheNwothm: Speaking about live shows, I witnessed one of your shows when you came to the UK and I must say I have never felt so much energy from a band in an intimate setting. Where the hell do you guys pull all that power and adrenaline from? 

C:I’m glad you think so! We just love playing heavy metal and enjoy making it a show more so then just dudes playing their instruments, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, have fun, it makes the crowd have fun and get way more into it, and in return gives us the energy we need to do it for an hour and a half every night for months on end haha, all for the show man 

TheNwothm: Jake is an absolute machine on drums and has only been with you guys a few years. He reminded me of animal in terms of how insane his drumming is. How did you find Jake and think yes this is the guy?

C:So interesting, Me and Dustin had a house years ago, the 329 house, (yes it’s an address) but we would take in touring bands if they needed a spot to stay in Calgary, and that’s exactly what happened, Jake’s band was coming through town and they stayed with us for about a week as they did shows in the local area. Their guitarist actually quit just before the tour so they had a fill in dude that didn’t really know what he was doing, so I stepped up and learnt the songs in a few hours to do all the shows with them, this was in 2014, Jake was at the very first riot city show ever, he was always the choice, so once Chad left, we called Jake while he was living in Toronto, and bought him a one way ticket out to Calgary, no one was every tried out, we knew it would work great! 

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TheNwothm: You guys are playing a whole host of shows throughout 2025! What are you looking forward to the most? And will you be returning to the UK anytime soon?

C:Mostly looking forward to getting a new album out for all the fans! And playing new material for everyone! And I’m sure we will be back in the UK before you know it 

TheNwothm: How can our readers buy your music and merch?

C:Links are on Facebook, Instagram all of that! You’d all look good in some riot city merch! 

TheNwothm: Where can fans follow you online?

C:Same as above! We are decently active on socials! If you dig I’m sure you can find everyone’s personal ones too haha 

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

C:Thank you to everyone who supports us! Our fans, friends, family, and the riot city crew, who make it all happen behind the scenes and are the best in the world! We will see you on the road, Always burn the night