We’ve previously spoken with Divergent about their single, ‘Rev It Up‘. Now we speak to them about the album for which that track was the title release. ‘Rev It Up’, produced by Jason Peets, is out now, and is available to stream on Spotify.
You’ve known each other since childhood and reunited after many years apart. What brought you back together to make music?
James: I feel that Mike was really responsible for igniting the spark that brought us back together in 2016. I was surprised when he said he was willing to come back to Iowa all the way from New Jersey to get together and jam. Of course, the mojo kicked in, and we decided to put together a short list of classic rock cover songs that everyone worked on before Mike made it out to Iowa. We had so much fun that we decided to try and put some set lists together to play an actual gig. Once we had our first gig lined up, then all of us started a gear-buying binge that is still really going on to this day. One thing led to another and after 8 years of playing cover songs, we decided in 2024 to take some of my original songs to Sweetwater Studios to see what we could do with them. Our first album exceeded our expectations. We had such a great experience that we wanted to keep it going and now we’re working on our third album at Sweetwater.
Mike: A little over 10 years ago I noticed a posting that James put on Facebook saying he got some new gear and was going to start doing some recording in his home studio. I asked him if he needed a bass player and a few hours later, the other original guitar player from our high school band asked if he needed another guitar player. I think what brought us together was the fact that all of us had kept music in our lives and thought the idea of a reunion to see if ‘we still got it’ was going to be fun. We got together a few months later and the rest is history.
Paul: Mike and James approached each other about reuniting for their 40th class reunion 10 years ago. Gregg Messer agreed to join back in and then James asked me to fill out the lineup on drums. Being able to play the music of our influences was so fun. It really helped drive the decision to use the influences in a different, more meaningful way—our own music.
James, how did you and the band choose the eight songs for ‘Rev It Up’ from all the demos you recorded?
James: Since I write all the songs, it’s really difficult for me to choose which ones make the cut because I love them all. Mike and Paul do a great job of lending a knowledgeable and objective ear to help us narrow down the final songs. They both have great musical talent that they bring to the table to help us make the final decision. I could not do this without them. Divergent is for sure a collaborative effort and each member’s contributions are encouraged and valued. It shows in our music.
The album mixes classic rock influences with different styles. How would you describe the sound of Divergent to someone hearing you for the first time?
James: The best way to describe our sound is to think about the eclectic styles of music on the Beatles’ “White Album,” for example. They had total creative freedom on that album. Nobody was worried about what genre or musical lane the Beatles were in. It was all about each song. It was all about creating great, memorable music. That’s what we’re striving for. We want to create great music every time we hit the record button.
Mike: When people ask me what we play, I say that we chose the name Divergent on purpose. We start from a ‘classic rock’ perspective on many of our songs, but we also explore many other styles, such as R&B and Fusion. I would also say that we are influenced by many of the great players from the past, so we end up serving each song in ways that don’t necessarily fit into a single genre. It’s so much fun and it sounds original.
Paul: I’d say we’re a mashup of Queen, Boston, Kansas, Beatles and ZZ Top. Throw that in a blender and you have Divergent.
What is it about muscle cars and the rock-and-roll lifestyle that inspired the title track, “Rev It Up”?
James: Well, muscle cars and rock and roll music have a lot in common. They are both loud, fast and rebellious. When I worked out the riffs for “Rev It Up”, the music of the song reminded me of fast cars and living life with the pedal to the metal. Once I had that theme, the lyrics came easily. All of us in Divergent love auto racing so it’s a natural theme for us. That song is a blast to play.
“I Really Want To Love You So Bad” has a different feel from some of the harder- rocking songs. Was it important to show different sides of the band on this album?
James: All of us in Divergent have broad musical chops. That’s why we named the band Divergent. We don’t want to be constrained in a narrow box of just three-chord rock all the time. Granted, there are times when loud three-chord rock is a blast. I love playing loud rock music and I’ve been called out for playing too loud probably more than anyone. There’s nothing better than when the band is locked in a tight rock groove. Paul can pound the drums harder than most and still make it sound musical. He’s a beast. However, we have a pop and R&B side of us that can really come out with the right song. That was the case with “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)”. That’s what I love about Divergent. When I show a song like that to Mike and Paul, they can draw on their broad musical knowledge and lock in the song right away.
Mike: Yes, we want to show our range and depth on our songs. I would say that Paul’s influences may be similar to James and my influences, but I know he’s listened to a lot more contemporary music than I have, and therefore has different ideas for his part. I am more influenced by Jazz and Fusion bass players, but also see differences in how rock players do what they do. Tiran Porter of the Doobie Brothers plays differently than Roger Glover of Deep Purple, for example. We stand on the shoulders of giants and we want our music to reflect all those influences.
Paul: I don’t think I’d be a happy musician if I only played one style of music. Our influences come out in our songs, no doubt. It’s a little bit of ying and yang. The lighter tunes balance the heavy tunes. Having a diverse sound is part of why we do what we do.
Your songs explore different kinds of relationships and emotions. Do you usually start with a story, or does the music come first?
James: For me, I usually write the music first. It’s just the way I like to create. It’s just easier for me to come up with a musical idea first. Once I’m locked into a musical idea or a certain chord progression, I start working out melodies and choruses. Once I have a melody or chorus that I can hum while in the shower or working in the yard, then I know I have something. From there, I really listen to what I’ve created and think about what the music is expressing. Maybe it’s a certain mood or a particular emotion. Then I start scatting random words while I’m playing the music. This can go on for a while. Usually, a certain word or thought will emerge that generates a signal of where the song can go lyrically. I can always tell when that happens because the gates open up and the words start to flow. This is when a story idea can come into focus. Once I have a story idea, then I write the lyrics that tell the story. It is a very satisfying experience when a song is born.
How was it working with Jason Peets on the album, and did the band learn anything new during the recording process?
James: This was our second time working with Jason and we enjoyed it even more than the first time. Jason is just great to work with and he keeps us focused and on track. We have grown to trust Jason and he makes valuable contributions to our music, and of course, to the entire recording process. I would say one thing we learned for the “Rev It Up” is how important recording to a click track is. It helps Jason immensely for edits and mixing and he was really happy we showed up with the tempos for each song already figured out and ready to go.
Mike: A big innovation for us, even though it’s not really an innovation, was using click-tracks to help us stay in time and to make the recording process much more efficient. We could go in and correct a note or two much more precisely than we did on the first album where we didn’t use a click-track. We were able to get a lot more done this way. From my perspective, I was able to use a few more basses Sweetwater made available to me to get different tones to fit the music. Having the basses available to me and being encouraged by Jason Peets to go with my instincts gave me a lot of confidence in what I was doing.
Paul: We’re all musicians first. When we’re in the studio, Jason becomes an integral part of the band. We supply him with demos ahead of time so that he’s familiar with the songs and has ideas even before we meet at the studio. The guy is an immense talent behind that board. He always brings that alternate perspective and pushes our sound to the next level. We’ve forged a great working relationship.
Since getting back together, you’ve been busy releasing music, making videos, and connecting with fans. What’s been the most exciting part of this new chapter?
James: For me, all of it has been very exciting. To be honest, I never thought at this stage of my life I would be doing music at this level. That is probably the most rewarding aspect of all of this. Additionally, I’ve always had a desire to do something that would live on after I’m gone. I’m excited to think that the recordings we are doing are going to be there for generations to come. Hopefully, our music will inspire future artists to keep going and keep creating.
Mike: I love the idea that our music is going out all over the world and we are getting a response. We do a lot of social media work and it’s fun to see what other people think and if they are understanding what we are doing. Making the video was a blast and perhaps something that I didn’t think I would do. How many guys my age can say they did their first worldwide music video? We hope that we are helping our fans know that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. It’s been very gratifying.
Paul: Honestly, for me, it’s being able to reach fans across the country and around the world. We wouldn’t be able to do that being a cover band playing bars around Iowa.
With Rev It Up now released, what are your plans for the band moving forward?
James: Well, right now we are working on our third album at Sweetwater Studios. This is going to be our biggest and best project yet. We’re looking at recording 13 songs for the third album. We were at Sweetwater during September and we recorded the bed tracks for all 13 songs. The album should be finished and mixed and mastered by the spring of 2027. After that, we may look at a small tour of live shows during next summer to promote the album. Stay tuned!
Mike: We recorded a third album recently that will be released next year. This album has 13 songs on it and continues to support the Divergent philosophy of multiple genres. It was a blast recording for four days and executing our plan to record that many songs. I’m sure our next steps will be connected to the success of ‘Rev It Up’ and the new album release.
Paul: We’ve already wrapped up recording on a third record, so promotion for that will come next. Go hard or go home.
Is there anything else you’d like listeners to know about Divergent or what you have coming up?
James: Bottom line, Divergent is totally committed to creative freedom in the pursuit of writing and recording memorable music that will stand the test of time. We’re not into fads or trends. We’re into great music that can stand tall on its own. Really, we’re just getting started, so there’s a lot more to come.
Mike: We enjoy creating content for social media and getting more exposure that way. We always encourage our fans to follow us on their preferred platforms and keep streaming us as much as possible.
Divergent’s new album, ‘Rev It Up’, is out now and is available to stream on Spotify. Check out the music video for the title track, ‘Rev It Up’ below, and find out more about Divergent and their music online on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
