Rival Schools (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1999 in New York City, United States |
| Founder | Walter Schreifels |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Norway |
Key people | Walter Schreifels (vocals, guitar), Ian Love (guitar), Cache Tolman (bass), Sam Siegler (drums) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Rival Schools is a post-hardcore ensemble originating from New York City, United States. The group is distinguished by the presence of Walter Schreifels handling vocals and guitar, alongside Ian Love on guitar, Cache Tolman on bass, and Sam Siegler on drums.
Established by Schreifels, who is also the frontman of Quicksand, Rival Schools functions as a hardcore supergroup composed of musicians from prominent hardcore outfits of the 1980s and 1990s, including Gorilla Biscuits, CIV, Youth of Today, and Iceburn.
Their band name and debut album title are inspired by the Capcom fighting game Rival Schools: United By Fate. The group has completed extensive tours across both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Following their breakup in 2003, Rival Schools reunited in 2008 for live performances at major festivals such as Australia's Soundwave, Germany's Rock Am Ring, Norway's Hove Festival, and the UK's Download Festival.
On November 16, 2010, they issued the deluxe single "Shot After Shot" as a precursor to their album Pedals, which was released on March 8, 2011. Their third studio effort, Found, was subsequently released on April 9, 2013. After touring in support of Found, the band entered a period of inactivity until their reunion in 2022 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of United By Fate.
Formation and United by Fate (1999–2002)
Rival Schools' first release was a collaborative EP featuring Jonah Matranga, formerly of Far. This project, titled Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing, was launched on July 24, 2001 through Schreifels' label Some Records.
Their debut album, United by Fate, produced by Grammy-nominated producer Luke Ebbin, was released on August 28, 2001 via Island Records, owing to Schreifels' commitments with Quicksand. The singles "Used for Glue" and "Good Things" gained substantial MTV exposure in both the US and UK markets, significantly raising the band's profile.
Rumored second album and dissolution (2003–2007)
In 2002, Ian Love left to concentrate on his project Cardia. Although a second Rival Schools album was expected in 2003, it never saw an official release; however, an 11-track master version surfaced online unofficially. The band embarked on a brief tour with Thursday in June 2003 before disbanding that September. Following the breakup, Schreifels formed Walking Concert, Love issued a solo album in 2006 via Limekiln Records, Tolman joined Institute, and Siegler performed with Nightmare of You and briefly toured with Limp Bizkit.
Despite their separation, rumors persisted regarding new Rival Schools material or a possible reunion album. Schreifels suggested a potential release toward the end of 2006. Ultimately, the long-delayed sophomore album was finalized in 2012 and officially released as Found on April 9, 2013 after circulating as unofficial demos.
Reunion (2008–2013)
On April 9, 2008, Rival Schools announced appearances at Germany’s Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals scheduled for June 8, followed by participation in the UK’s Download Festival on the same date. They supported these shows with a five-date UK tour and launched an official Myspace page where Schreifels shared new compositions including "Big Waves," "Paranoid Detective," "On the Frey," and "Sophia Lauren." In November 2008, the band performed several East Coast US concerts, took part in Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Festival, and played at Australia's Soundwave festival in February 2009. On January 24, 2009, they declared entering studio sessions to record fresh material. Later that year, they appeared at the Reading & Leeds festivals on the 'Lock Up' stage and supported The Offspring during UK tour dates.
The deluxe single "Shot After Shot" was released digitally via iTunes on November 16, 2010 to promote their upcoming album Pedals.
Pedals was officially released on March 8, 2011 through Photo Finish Records. Ian Love exited again in September of that year, after which the band continued as a trio.
In 2013, Rival Schools delivered their third studio album Found, originally intended as the follow-up to United by Fate but previously shelved due to their earlier breakup. They concluded this reunion phase with a final performance on November 19, 2013 at London's O2 Academy Brixton.
United By Fate Anniversary and Reunion (2022–Present)
In August 2022, Rival Schools debuted an official Instagram account, hinting at a significant announcement alongside the launch of a new merchandise line. Soon thereafter, it was revealed that the album United By Fate would be reissued for its 20th anniversary through Run for Cover Records, with a supporting tour planned for 2023. On August 8, an acoustic rendition of "Holding Sand" was made available. The band’s original lineup reunited, marking Walter Schreifels’ first live performances with Rival Schools in over a decade. In May 2023, they played reunion concerts in San Diego and Los Angeles. The following year, Rival Schools toured North America as support for Thursday, accompanied by Many Eyes, before embarking on their own headline tour commemorating the decade milestone of Pedals. In October 2025, they shared co-headlining US dates with Narrow Head.
Members
- Current lineup
- Walter Schreifels – lead vocals, guitar (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2022–present)
- Cache Tolman – bass guitar (1999–2002, 2008–2013, 2022–present)
- Sam Siegler – drums (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2022–present)
- Ian Love – guitar (1999–2002, 2008–2011, 2022–present)
- Former members
- Chris Traynor – guitar (2002–2003)
Studio Albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Heatseekers |
US Sales |
US Rock |
Scotland | UK | UK Indie |
UK Rock | ||
| United by Fate |
|
— | 77 | — | 92 | 175 | 16 | 18 |
| Pedals |
|
9 | — | 16 | — | 112 | — | — |
| Found |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Extended Plays
- Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing (6-track EP) (2001), Some Records
- Some EP (5-track EP) (2022), Run for Cover Records
Singles
| Single Title | Year Released | Peak Chart Rankings | Associated Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | UK Singles Chart | UK Rock Chart | |||||||||
| "Used for Glue" | 2002 | 51 | 42 | — | United by Fate | ||||||
| "Travel by Telephone" | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Good Things" | 81 | 74 | 31 | ||||||||
| "Shot After Shot" | 2010 | — | — | — | Pedals | ||||||
| "Wring it Out" | 2011 | — | — | — | Pedals | ||||||
| "Eyes Wide Open" | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" indicates the track did not chart or was not released in that region. | |||||||||||