by Lorie Lewis Ham

Last month we had a chance to chat with members of a popular new local band from Fresno, The River Wilde. Here is our interview with members Cole Elliot and Nathan Taylor. You can also watch one of their music videos at the end of the interview.

KRL: When did you get started and how?

Cole: We started making music last year in High school for fun. We usually just played around with our Yamaha keyboard, acoustic guitar, and percussion instruments after school. We didn’t get serious until the beginning of this year.

KRL: What is your position with the band?

Nathan Taylor & Cole Elliott

Nathan Taylor: We make all of the music and decisions together.

KRL: Is it all original members?

Cole: Yes. It is mainly Nathan and I.

KRL: What are the names of the band members and what part do they sing, or instrument they play?

Cole: We both contribute to each song but I mostly do the vocal and guitar parts.

Nathan: I do all of the drum parts and most of the bass parts. When we play live we have our friends Jesse Romero on second guitar and Aaron Jimenez on bass.

KRL: Why did you decide to start a band?

RW: We both really enjoy making music and the feeling of creating something people can enjoy. Also in our lyrics, you can see that we make music because God has given us talents and we thank him through our music.

KRL: What style of music do you sing?

Cole: We play mostly Indie Rock with poppy riffs, but you can’t really pin us down to a specific style.

KRL: Is it original music?

RW: We play all original songs. We currently have a eight song set.

KRL: Do you have any CD’s?

RW: Yes. We’re actually releasing our first EP at our next show June 7! (This interview took place before June 7)

KRL: Where can people find you on the internet?

RW: We have a Facebook and @_TheRiverWilde– and bandcamp-TheRiverWilde.bandcamp.com

KRL: Are you all from Fresno?

RW: Yes we are, but our guitarist Jesse that plays with us live is from Madera.

KRL: Where do you perform?

RW: We perform in our hometown of Fresno. We have played two shows at Victory Cafe in downtown Fresno. We have played one show at Kuppajoe All Ages Nightclub, and we will be playing another show on June 7.

Left to right-Aaron Jimeniez, Nathan Taylor, Cole Elliot and Jesse Romero

KRL: How often do you perform?

Cole: We have only played three shows. We played our first show April 6th. Ever since then we have been playing every couple of weeks.

KRL: Future goals?

Nathan: We would love to go on tour someday, and it would be rad if we ever played with bands that inspire us like Beach Fossils or Local Natives. We would also like to get signed by a record company!

KRL: Future goals?

RW: We try to practice as a full band at least once a week or a couple times a week. Nathan and I play music a lot together and we’re always trying to make new.

KRL: How long have you all been in music and in what ways?

Nathan: I’ve been in music classes since 4th grade. I started doing school bands in 6th grade playing the trombone. In high school and now in college I play tuba for the orchestra. I also played the drums in high school for jazz band, and sometimes filled in on bass.

Cole: I started playing guitar when I was eleven years old and I’ve been teaching myself ever since. I also played Bass in the Orchestra in high school. I traveled to Ireland and England and played in the orchestra my senior year. Now I play guitar, bass, and, vocals at my church.

KRL: What do you like best about being in a band and playing music?

Cole: I really enjoy playing shows and seeing everyone at the shows. It’s great to see the energy and everyone enjoying your music. It also feels good to make music that you’re proud of and that people can enjoy.

Nathan: Cole pretty much said it all. Just having a good time enjoying the music.

KRL: What is the hardest?

RW: Writers block sometimes gets to us.

KRL: What makes your band unique-different from the others?

Nathan: You can’t really compare us to any other band and we really like that individuality.

KRL: Anything else you would like to add?

RW: We also we have a YouTube account channel name: River Wilde

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and an enthusiastic contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet.