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Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey’s Interview with Marty and Jenni Powell of Riff Raiders

Riff Raiders have been cooking up their own loud, hook-heavy flavor of rock ’n’ roll since 2017—built on crunchy guitars, tangy riffs, and choruses that hit fast and stick hard. Their music lives in that sweet spot where modern hard ’n’ heavy meets classic swagger, and they’ve earned a reputation for face-melting live shows that turn first-timers into repeat offenders.

In 2024, the band recorded their third album and dropped the single “Nothing To Lose,” a two-and-a-half-minute, no-filler banger paired with an epic video featuring some of the original stage lights once used to “cook” audiences on ABC TV (Australia)’s legendary Countdown. It was a perfect snapshot of what Riff Raiders do best: big energy, big attitude, and rock ’n’ roll delivered with a wink and a punch.

After a brief “trajectory correction maneuver,” Riff Raiders are now back in full re-entry mode with their next major chapter: the brand-new single and title track “Welcome to Mars,” landing February 1, 2026. The track brings the band’s signature high-octane drive while aiming its message outward—an environmental wake-up call delivered from the viewpoint of Mars, reminding earthlings what’s at stake back home. The accompanying video matches the concept with the band’s usual larger-than-life style.

The full Welcome to Mars album features 11 genre-blurring tracks designed to keep listeners guessing without losing the core identity: straight-up hard ’n’ heavy power (“Broken Halo”), Sabbath-sized grit (“Sound Mirror”), swampy bluegrassy swagger (“Climbing the Walls”), and a three-part power-pop gem (“Feels Like Something”) that proves they can land hooks as hard as they land riffs. It’s the kind of record where you find a new favorite every time you hit repeat.

Riff Raiders first launched into orbit with their debut album Live Like You Mean It in 2018, quickly building a fanbase through relentless gigging and the kind of live show that makes people text their friends mid-set. They’ve landed key support slots with D-A-D, Baby Animals, The Poor, Palace of the King, and The Lazys, and kept the momentum burning with releases like the February 2020 double A-side vinyl single “Loaded Gun / Best Day Ever.”

Then the world hit the brakes. In early 2020, Rock ’n’ Roll Daydream was weeks from release and the band was mid-way through an East Coast Australian tour when the pandemic slammed the industry into “maximum drag.” Even so, the album found its way to listeners in quarantine and earned strong acclaim, and in 2021 Riff Raiders were shortlisted for Best Punk/Rock Act at the Music Victoria Awards. In 2022, the unreleased track “Walk of Shame” appeared on the Rue Morgue Records compilation Murders in the Rue Morgue Vol II, and after a handful of shows the band returned to the studio module with producer Mat Robbins to push the next era forward.

With Welcome to Mars on the horizon, Riff Raiders are coming in hot—bigger hooks, heavier riffs, sharper purpose, and a band that sounds like it’s built for the stage.

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