There are so many facets of punk music and just about every one of them was represented at Riot Fest 2025. From the pop punk melodies of Blink-182 and Green Day to the politically-charged sounds of bands like Idles and Lambrini Girls, the three-day music festival hosted an eclectic assortment of the best artists in the genre.
When it comes to rebellious rock music with infectious positivity, it doesn’t get much better than Cliffdiver, the Tulsa Oklahoma five-piece – comprised of Joey Duffy (Vocals), Briana Wright (Vocals), Matt Ehler (Guitar/Vocals), Tyler Rogers (Bass), and Eliot Cooper (Drums) – that fosters genuine connection each time they take the stage. We had a chance to chat with vocalist Briana Wright about performing at Riot Fest, songwriting, and adapting to a new era of the band.
“We just had a lineup shift. We’ve been a seven piece for a very long time since I joined the band – right after I joined another guitarist joined – so there’s been seven of us on tour releasing albums for the past few years, and now there’s five of us. So we have two brothers out there, starting families and we’re so proud of them and it was all love. But now there’s five of us so it looks different. The first thing we decided we needed to do was release new music,” said Wright explaining that the fresh five-piece is heading to the studio next month to record their first EP with the new lineup.
Cliffdiver takes a collaborative approach to songwriting and they like to see what develops in the studio before committing to any piece of music.
“We’re a family and songs feel like a family decision. We all have to put our names on this. It’s not like there’s a songwriter who shows up and says, ‘I’m telling my story and whatever.’ There are songs that are mostly written or entirely written by one of us. But there’s always a sort of pitch to the band that’s like, ‘Here’s what I’m saying. How do you feel about this,” Wright said of the band’s writing process.
At this year’s Riot Fest, Cliffdiver opened the Rise Stage on Saturday afternoon, and even though the gates had only opened within the hour, fans were already lined-up and ready to sing-along with their fun-filled music. Wright explained that feelings of gratitude were felt on stage looking out at all of their dedicated supporters along with the new faces.
Wright said, “I’m a festival-goer every time I’m not playing. And I know what it means when I’m there ready and waiting [to see a band perform]. So, to me, seeing everyone felt like a little hug. It felt like a kiss.” said Wright. “It’s a surprise and every time I’m just so grateful because it means you’re doing something right. It means every time you pour yourself out there that it’s hooking. It’s got a latch in it and we got some more people with us and we just add more friends, right? Like, I love that. Yes. So validating, so warm and fuzzy.”
This wasn’t Cliffdiver’s first Riot Fest. They also played back in 2022 and, at that time, they weren’t able to stick around to check out the other performances. This time around, Wright explained that they got to see some of their favorite artists throughout the weekend.
“Rilo Kiley was the highlight, probably, of my day yesterday. They were absolutely incredible. And I think my favorite set. ‘Weird Al’ was also great,” said Wright noting “Weird Al’s” massive crowd. “I absolutely loved that. We got to have a moment with him backstage. He was so sweet and you could see how excited he was.”
The members of Cliffdiver are all about creating moments of joy and fostering relationships to help sustain themselves and those around them to be better prepared for all the challenges the world has to offer. Things can be bad, and it’s okay to take time out to feel sad or angry. But, there is a lot of beauty in the world and it’s important to fortify each other by recognizing goodness when we find it.
“You have to have something to hang on to. And for some people, that’s music. For some people that’s relating to others, and we’re doing that. That’s still a relationship. Having a relationship with that music and us putting it out there,” said Wright. “As things get bleaker in some ways and brighter in others, you need to be able to live your life through each day. Like if it’s your last day, you need to feel okay enjoying it. You know, if this is all ending, let’s look and enjoy each other. Let’s find those moments. And yes, let’s fight. And yes, let’s be pissed off. I have a kid. I have shit to fight for, but I also have shit to show up for. And I can’t do that without some sense of balance. And it’s all valid – All the emotions. It’s all valid.”
Cliffdiver will be busy recording new music in the weeks to come and they will be playing their annual “Cliff-mas” show in their hometown of Tulsa during the holiday season. More information about all things Cliffdiver can be found at Cliffdiverok.com.
