Platinum-selling indie trio Wild Rivers—Khalid Yassein [guitar, vocals, keys], Devan Glover [vocals], and Andrew Oliver [lead guitar, synths]—have a gift for penning introspective lyrics and genre-fluid melodies that transmit wisdom beyond their years.
Since their 2022 album, Sidelines, which landed at #9 on the U.S. Spotify Debut Album Chart, they have supported The Chicks on their North American tour, seen their 2020 breakout single “Thinking ‘Bout Love” be certified Gold in Australia and Platinum in Canada, sold-out headline North American and European tours, earned over 450 million streams with 4 million monthly listeners, and were nominated for Breakthrough Group of The Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
Wild Rivers show no signs of slowing down in 2024 as they enter the next chapter of this incredible journey, with new music and a European support tour with Noah Kahan.
Together since college, the trio have put down roots in new places, settled in different cities, tackled coming-of-age obstacles, and grown into themselves as adults. After nine years together, they’ve always found their way back to each other, rather like a marriage. And that’s why their new 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.
“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,” Khalid says of band life.
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. They reimagined their studio process, recording a number of elements live off the floor.
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.