Like all the best stories in rock ‘n’ roll, the epic journey of When Rivers Meet has never been plain sailing. Right now, the acclaimed Essex-based blues-rock duo Aaron and Grace Bond stand on the brink of their latest career peak, releasing fearless third album, Aces Are High, shaking stages on their Breaker Of Chains headline tour, toasting a third consecutive victory as UK Blues Federation Band Of The Year and pulling an army of fans along in the current. Combining powerful and heartfelt vocals with thundering guitar riffs, Essex-based Rock band When Rivers Meet offers originality with both talent and authentic personalities. Grace Bond leads with her larger-than-life vocals, as well as bringing raunched-up mandolin and violin instrumentals, while Aaron paints with seismic grooves, hypnotic cigar box licks and harmonies that stop all the clocks. Having released debut EP The Uprising in April 2019, lockdown barely broke the band’s stride (in fact, a regular livestream rocketed their profile, scoring over half-a-million views from 100-plus countries and building a fanbase that now boasts 134k social followers and 25k fan club members). At last, in November 2020, as the world emerged blinking into the sunlight, the duo pulled the trigger on debut album We Fly Free (No.1 on the iTunes Blues Album Charts), before 2021’s hard-rocking sequel Saving Grace hijacked the mainstream (No.5 UK Official Album Downloads Chart). It’s all been building to Aces Are High: the third album that doubles down on what first pricked up our ears, while shredding expectations of this genre-crossing band: the pair followed their instincts and pursued their boldest songwriting to date. With the Aces Are High material now rattling speakers and shaking stages everywhere from the UK festival circuit to Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive Mediterranean III 12 Cruise in August, everything is flowing the right way for When Rivers Meet. “Looking back to 2019, when we really started as a duo, it’s so surreal to think that now we’re on our third album,” reflects Aaron. “And when you see people singing the words back to you – my God, that’s so emotional.”
