Times Rival is a 4 man rock band from Vancouver, BC who doesn’t like to be described by labels. Their rock is classic and true form, electric guitar-driven and composed with measured perfection. Thanks to a solid lead vocalist and a tight, tempered rhythm, Times Rival certainly sounds like a band who belongs on the big stage.



Born out of the busy Vancouver music scene, Times Rival have managed to carve out a great reputation on the local scene. When they played the Van Sessions 3.0, they came out as one of the most popular acts and easily secured a 1st place victory at The Roxy. Winning 12 hours of recording time, the band has since gone on to release more original music, compete at the Biltmore Cabaret, and play a ton of other gigs around BC.



This live experience has really helped Times Rival to develop their own style and distinguish themselves from so many other bands. We took the time to interview these young musicians before they got too big, and to help introduce listeners to their awesome brand of rock.

Introducing Times Rival:

Dennis Smith - drums, used to play with...

Colin Pattullo - vocalist/guitarist, in a previous version of Times Rival years ago.

Mike Shearer - guitarist, and...

Arlen Kristian Tom - bassist, also played with Colin in their previous band The Saints Collapse.

So where does the name Times Rival come from?

We compiled a list of names and made a Facebook event where people could suggest and votes on names for the group. And after considering every stupid name possible, we decided to go with Times Rival. Our whole M.O. is just playing loud rock music and having fun, that's what got us where we are today.



What is the best thing about being in a band?

The most rewarding thing about being in a band is hearing the audience respond to your music. Nothing beats that.

How would you describe your music?

We just consider ourselves rock music. It's very guitar oriented, lots of riffs, pounding drums. It's like some kind of weird mix of the Smashing Pumpkins and Corrosion of Conformity.



What is the biggest challenge facing ‘new’ artists, in your opinion?

The biggest challenge in Vancouver is the lack of venues. So many have shut down or turned into dance clubs or country bars. Other than that it would be just standing out amongst all the different bands in the scene.

What is your most memorable moment (so far) as a band?

Our most memorable moment so far would be playing the Van Sessions show at the Roxy. It was our first show and it went really well and the crowd loved it. We couldn't ask for anything more.



How did your band find Supernova.com

We were aware of Supernova from signing up for CFOX's Vancouver Seeds competition with our former band The Saints Collapse. Supernova is a great avenue for getting your music to a broad audience.

So from your experience in the industry, what other advice would you give to fellow 'indie' artists?

First off, do music that you love, trying to go for what's marketable may payoff but it's not as rewarding as doing what you love. Second, you have to work at it. It may takes years for you to develop an audience, so don't give up too early.



What's more important: original music or original performance?

We think original music is more important. Having good original songs is much better than having some sort of gimmick to get people to remember you.



In your view, is there such a thing as ‘bad’ music?

Music is a matter of opinion. We all have varied tastes and like all sorts of music. We're very opinionated about music but we're not into mud slinging in a public forum.

Yes, please keep the mud in the pit. Is there anything else that listeners ought to know?

What makes us unique is our music. We don't take ourselves too seriously and like to have fun. If you like guitar based rock music full of riffs, solos and harmonies, then we're your band.


-- -- -- -- --

We hope to see Times Rival continue booking gigs in and around Vancouver, and maybe even hitting the road to reach some new fans in 2012.

For a complete list of the band's upcoming events, click HERE and be sure to get out and support these awesome independent artists. If you can't make it to the show, send them a shout out on their profile!