SIVA is a new alternative rock band formed by Kari Mana, a former guitarist and vocalist for Hyperstatic (Argentina). The finest guitar rock of the 1990s, such as Stone Temple Pilots and Garbage, as well as Aussie/New Zealand current rock, such as The Superjesus and Shihad, influenced this band.
SIVA’s debut EP, Longer Days (2017), features powerful riffs, engaging choruses, and the ever-effective quiet-loud dynamics of alternative rock. The 2019 EP This Connection features a more robust post-grunge, modern rock sound. SIVA released “The Rockstar (calling the 90s)” with Riff Raiders (Australia) on April 21 and “LAST” in late 2021. SIVA is an alternative rock band from Argentina with a sound reminiscent of the 1990s (think Breeders, Pumpkins, and Veruca Salt). Fans of the aforementioned genre and era are likely to love their songs (Ballroom Blitz Man at the Back music blog. UK) “Lonely Satellite” (May ’22) was well-received by critics and quickly became a live fan favorite, with its official music video receiving over 9000 YouTube views. The latest single “RESET” was released in November 2022. Reset features an extensive assortment of flawless vocal harmonies, singalongs, appealing melodies, riffs, warm-sounding basslines, and moderate rhythmic sequences. Their outstanding musicianship reflects the decades of expertise they have accumulated. Check out the song exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about the band and how it all got started?
SIVA: Hi, My name is Kari Mana, singer and guitarist in SIVA, Julio Moreno plays bass and Cristian Guida plays drums.
SIVA was originally a solo project I started in 2017, as a response to having played in a band for over 15 years, called Hyperstatic. I was feeling a little trapped inside the whole band dynamics and burned out about the whole music industry thing, after having a not-so-good experience being in a signed band, I needed a break. I wanted to see if I could write a few songs with no expectations other than the music itself. I also wanted to go back to a grungy, nineties sound reminiscent of bands like Veruca Salt and Garbage.
SIVA released a debut EP called Longer Days on Oct. ´17, with Cristian on drums, and some good friends of mine who guest on guitars and vocals. Then we had to put together a live version of it, we did a few shows, and eventually the project turned out to be something real and very important to us. Julio came into the fold in 2019, bringing also new song ideas, and the power trio came to be what it is now.
2. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘SIVA’?
SIVA: Personally, I have a lot of influences from guitar rock bands mixing things from the eighties and nineties. I started listening to Def Leppard, KISS, then switched to alt rock in the early nineties and became a fan of indie bands like R.E.M. and Pixies. I also listen to a lot of early 2000´s punk pop, and Australian rock since I lived there for a while.
I think I mostly appreciate a great vocal tune and a catchy guitar riff above everything else, and we essentially try to put that into our songs. My bandmates also have very different influences like Brit rock, stoner, and punk. The whole sound of the band is informed by these artists and styles.
SIVA is obviously taken from the song of the same name by The Smashing Pumpkins on their debut Gish, which is my all-time favorite band. I needed a name for the project when it started, and I already had the twitter handle @sivarawk so I thought, why not?
3.Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
SIVA: Well, in our case I think we try to find the right balance and make the best of it. I work as a music producer in a studio in our home town of Córdoba, called Maya Studio. This means we have regular access to studio time, and that’s why we get to record and experiment with ideas and sounds. This has been great for the band, releasing singles and new material more often than we used to with previous projects. But I believe what we most enjoy is playing live gigs, and connecting with the audience, nothing can replace that adrenaline rush. We have played gigs in various cities in Argentina, as well as festivals, and we intend to cross the borders and play some shows hopefully this year.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
SIVA: I feel like the music we make could be appealing to different kinds of fans, since we have a mix of a polished rock sound and memorable melodies, paired with a certain familiar song structure. We have various elements that make up our distinctive sound: catchy guitar riffs and tunes, vocals with lots of harmonies, and a solid rhythm section. There´s an underlying feeling of nostalgia of the nineties and early 2000s, but definitely arranged with a current mindset audio production, that should connect with listeners across a wide spectrum.
5. How would you describe your own development as a band, and the transition towards your own sound?
SIVA:
Since the band started as a solo project, I think we have grown towards a natural direction. From a deliberate throwback nineties alt rock style, to contemporary rock sound. The fact that now songs are written by me, and also Julio (bass), and then we all as a band contribute to arrangements, and record everything ourselves, it’s leaning towards a much more varied style, all within the alternative rock nature of the project of course.
6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work?
SIVA:
I think that role has a lot to do with the lyrics and the band´s attitude in general, which in our case, the songs tends to be about personal experiences, emotions and relationships. Any political or social views are not particularly addressed in the lyrics; we are not that kind of band. We try to connect with the listener at a more universal, emotional level. For example our latest single “Reset” addresses issues of anxiety and daily tension in dealing with people and recurring problems, and then reinventing or resetting your emotional system every day, ultimately coming out the other side with a renewed sense of self.
7. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
SIVA:
I think everyone should always be free of any preconceptions when listening to any band or song, music is a vehicle of discovery and dealing with your innermost emotions, it’s always been the best way of connecting your own personal world with other people’s experiences, so music shouldn’t be caged, labelled or explained to anybody. Just listen, let go, and see where your mind takes you.
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
SIVA:
We mostly work on demos that either I or Julio bring to the band, then we do these tiny home studio rehearsals where we try to figure out the song´s structure, and throw ideas back and forth. Then we actually rehearse the song at full volume, before entering the studio. Almost everytime we end up adding lots more guitar and vocal arrangements, sometimes keyboards, once we track the rhythm section, so the songs take on a whole new level of production, which we enjoy a lot!
9. what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
SIVA: SIVA is a relatively new band, especially when taking into account that like everybody else, we were stopped by the lockdown of 2020/2021. But since the band’s inception, there’s a few great highlights: performing live Feb. 2020 at Cosquin Rock festival in its 20th anniversary edition (alongside the biggest rock acts in South America), releasing our first 2 EPs on physical CDs format in 2019 thanks to winning an Agencia de Cultura grant, seeing our previous single Lonely Satellite get lots of Spotify plays in Europe and with its official video on Youtube. Also, our last 4 singles were published globally by MS Publishing, which is a Sony Music subsidiary in Argentina. We are very proud of these things, and intend to keep growing this year.
10. What´s in store for SIVA in 2023?
SIVA: SIVA is currently about to release an unplugged session on Youtube, which was recorded live to an audience at Maya Studio last November. We performed 5 songs including our latest singles, as well as a cover track. Also, we´ll release a new single around March/April, and are working on touring the country. Hopefully, working towards booking our first shows across the border as well. All very exciting! Please follow us and share our music if you like, you can easily find us as #sivarawk on all socials.
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Photo credits: Brenda Bustos