Riversyde

Riversyde...is an alternative rock band based out of Austin, Texas. The three member band is made up of lead singer Shane Blake, drummer Mark Griffor, and lead guitarist Paul Devassy. Like music the members come from everywhere. They are diverse and different, but love for music is their common ground. Lead singer Blake draws on personal memories and creative thoughts to write the lyrics for all of RIVERSYDE’s songs. The band then collectively composes the rhythms, melodies, beats, and bass lines heard in each piece. With a sound as dynamic as the Austin skyline, RIVERSYDE’s musicality is reminiscent of Matchbox Twenty, Pearl Jam, Creed, Fuel, Chris Daughtry, and Live.

Shane Blake is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for RIVERSYDE. Although he had been playing guitar and writing lyrics for half a decade as a hobby, the singer/songwriter discovered his calling to play music as a profession while attending Texas State University. Unmotivated by the prospect of a nine-to-five, Blake put the books aside and began playing open mic nights in the dimly lit bars and coffee shops around San Marcos. After a few months of solo performances, the Austinite realized he would need the company of a band if he wanted to reach a larger audience.

Not long after Blake posted “musician wanted” ads online, drummer Mark Griffor responded with interest. It only took one audition for the California native to prove his talent to Blake. Mark developed his aptitude for the drums through 14 years of experience and previous involvement in grunge and metal bands in his home city of Sacramento. The duo cultivated a friendship founded on their love for music, and Blake handed over his years of songwriting work to Mark to begin composing beats.

A few weeks after Mark responded to the online ads, Blake received a response from an accomplished lead guitarist, Paul Devassy. The Indiana native demonstrated to Blake and Mark not only his undeniable skill on the guitar, but also his talent on the piano and bass guitar. Paul was a shoo-in to the quickly developing band. Previous experiences in numerous rock bands gave him a wealth of information on how best to organize and guide a band to success. An engineer by profession and Purdue graduate, Paul’s love for music is obvious when counting the late hours he puts in after work to ensure RIVERSYDE’s prosperity.

Supported by a grassroots movement of friends and family, RIVERSYDE is quickly gaining respect in the Austin area. Cage the Elephant’s song In One Ear describes RIVERSYDE’s attitude toward music well when it says, “here's the moral to the story, we don't do it for the glory / we don't do it for the money, we don't do it for the things.” RIVERSYDE’s purpose as a band is to share their love of music and passion for life with the world, one city at a time.