Catching up with Run River North… and The Folk Rocking Sextet’s Closing Thoughts on 2014

LA-based folk rockers Run River North have gotten to be quite the friends of PHILTHY MAG over the past two years.  We first spoke with them about a year...

LA-based folk rockers Run River North have gotten to be quite the friends of PHILTHY MAG over the past two years.  We first spoke with them about a year and a half ago, when they were recording their Phil Ek (Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse)-produced self-titled debut, an epically modern take on the whimsicality of classic folk songwriting.  We caught up with them once again this April, when the band were alternating dates at mega-venues, opening for Goo Goo Dolls, with hyper-intimate headlining dates (which wrapped with a sold out show at our very own Ortlieb’s on May 2nd).  I recently had a third chat with vocalist/acoustic guitarist Alex Hwang about how far the band’s come since the recording sessions behind their debut, in addition to their highlights of 2014 (Run River North have two remaining appearances of the year: a sold out show once again supporting Goo Goo Dolls on December 15th at the Troubador in LA and a free gig as part of LA’s Grand Park’s 2nd Annual New Year’s Eve Festival.)

“I feel like we’ve grown up a lot in the past year and a half.  The first time we talked we were up in Seattle, recording the album.  The biggest difference in us as a band now is we’ve played like 100 shows since we put out the album, so now we know what it’s like to be touring musicians.  The highlight has mainly been doing our headlining tour and selling out places we’ve never played, which was great.  All these sellout dates have been great.  The live dates have also evolved the way that we play together.  Since we’ve played so many shows we’re just breathing more during songs.  We’re jamming more and not chugging along so much.  And we’ve gotten to hear so many people tell us their stories about how our music has affected them.  So we’ve already told our stories, so now their stories will also be part of the music… One other thing that was really exciting is we got to London and getting to play under The Libertines at Hyde Park was pretty fuckin’ cool… That was super inspiring.”

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During the day Izzy Cihak teaches transgression, subversion, and revolution at Temple University. At night he haunts Philthy's best venues to cover worthwhile acts for Philthy Mag. Morrissey is everything to him and, in their own heads, all of his friends see themselves as Zooey Deschanel.

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