California’s Rival Tides deliver infectious lyricism and memorable melodies with their latest single.

What determines our love for an artist or group? Is it the lyrics, the melody, the riffs, the bass, of the drums? Is it mixing and production? Is it an image, or perhaps a video? I can’t speak for everyone, but in my experience, the answer is a little bit of all those things. Talent needs a hook to get our attention, but a hook alone is not enough to make someone a fan. Converting listeners to fans requires a little bit of everything I just mentioned, as well as something else, something intangible. It’s the kind of thing you cannot name or describe, but you know it exists because you feel it in your soul. It’s that link between the fiber of your being and the sound pouring through your speakers or headphones that make you feel as though you weren’t fully alive before that piece of music reached your ears. It’s what Rival Tides demonstrates with every song they release, including the track we’re premiering from the band today on Substream.

“All My Friends Are Stoned” is the lead single off Rival Tides’ forthcoming debut album, My God Is Fire. The track, like the mission of the band, is all about living in the moment. Rival Tides recognizes that nothing is promised in this life, not even the next breath, and the members intend to make the most of their time on this planet by writing and performing music that encourages people to embrace their true selves. Too many people waste away in jobs they hate and towns they feel like strangers in because they convince themselves it’s too late or too hard to make meaningful change. Rival Tides knows that kind of thinking is wrong, and through their music, they are urging everyone to take action to improve their existence before time runs out.

The video for “All My Friends Are Stoned” compliments Rival Tides’ message in a simple, yet brilliant way. The group performs in front of a white background while allowing themselves, as well as a series of random individuals, to get lost in the moment at hand. There is costumes, dancing, and balloons aplenty. It’s a good time set to good music intended to induce happiness in anyone who sees it. You can view the Robyn August directed video above.

Speaking about the band’s upcoming record, August claims “The message behind My God Is Fire is to embrace the things that make you feel alive. Instead of putting too much worry into what music others were making, we focused on our own musical growth and everything clicked. We created catchy rock songs that we feel will resonate well with listeners.”

Rival Tides will be celebrating the release of My God Is Fire at a headlining show on March 28 at The Satellite, in Silverlake, CA. Tickets and additional details can be found at the venue’s website. The band will also be sharing a stage with Audiovent in Scottadale, AZ, as they reunite to play at Pub Rock Live on March 16. Tickets are available here.

My God Is Fire will be released March 15, but you can claim your copy today through group’s official Bandcamp page.