Search - Mike Rivera :: Mended

The release of Mended feels a lot like a rebirth for singer, songwriter Mike Rivera. "I've done alot of growing up in the last half year,doing so I've matured as a writer" says Rivera. Produced partly by Anthony J. Resta (Collective Soul, Elton John, Aerosmith and Run DMC) . Mended is Rivera's 2nd full-length album on OvalMR Records. In 2002, Rivera released his self-produced debut, Screeching to a Halt, which gainded notariety in and around the boston area. ?I didn't really no what I was doing at the time. I just figured if I played enough venues and made enough contacts something would arise? says Rivera. Rivera's latest, Mended, was recorded at two different locations partly at Studio Bopnique with Resta in Chelmsford, Massachusetts and 2nd Floor Studios in Georgetown, Massachusetts during the spring of 2003 and the fall of 2004. He spent 1 month recording 3 songs with Resta(Scream out Loud, What you wanted, and Not for Nothing) and all of which are included on the album, with guitarists Trace Davis from 33 K Street and Kevin Medvecky from EveryDayGreen , bassists BG Andrews from EveryDayGreen and Joey Piero from 33 K Street, Mike Bistany (33 K Street) and Jeff Medvecky (EveryDayGreen). While the 27-year old songwriter from Salem, New Hampshire continues to explore the scenerios of life, love and regret in his words, his music takes the realities of everyday experiences and transforms it to sound. The emphasis of piano on ?Mended? adds the soft touch to other wise hard content. After recording Screeching to a Halt over two years ago, Rivera says it was a relaxing feeling to finally release Mended. "I Never wanted to be that guy who released one album and then he dropped off the face of the planet, I have too much music left in me.? Mended explores Rivera's experiences battling his own demons, and the strength to scratch and claw his way back. As Rivera reacquainted himself to a life without vices, he began writing lyrics for Mended. The first track from the album is "Jury to The World," an upbeat ditty about getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. On it, Rivera addresses his reservations being the scapegoat in different situations. "When you're growing up, everything within that space in time seems almost surreal, and being invincible was not far from fictional.? The song that displays Rivera's old soul on Mended is "Not for Nothing," a song Rivera wrote when he was 24 depicting a realtionship that seemed to take ?all the wrong turns?and to this day the song still teaches of what not to do when faced with all kinds of trial and tribulations. Rivera sees Mended as being very popular with audiences of all ages with melodic messages that ?every one has encountered or will encounter.?