A Q&A with Red Giant

Midlands outfit delivers heavy 90s sound…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
The title of our latest release is ‘Overcome’. This song means a lot as, not only was it the first song I ever wrote, it is all about my time at school. I was bullied a lot and this song perfectly sums up how I felt and, through talking to others that went through the same thing, how they felt too.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
There wasn’t really a hard part as I had sat with the song for so long and was just happy to release it.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it? If you produced it yourselves what do you enjoy most about producing your own material?
My friend Matt Crawford produced the song and he really captured how we sound live. We are only a three-piece band but we make a lot of noise and sound a lot bigger than the three of us. Matt really got this in the recording as well as nailing the dynamics which are so important to our music and sound.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
A sense of freedom, hope and community. We want people to feel that they are part of the band, not just fans watching it from the outside.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
Normally I bring a demo of a song I have written to a rehearsal. We all listen to that then set about modifying it so we are all happy. I’m not precious with my songs and I don’t think you can be in a band situation. You have to be willing to compromise and change things. Plus you have to serve the song, not your ego.

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
Mostly 90s grunge bands like Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam. Although saying that, Oasis has a big part to play as does the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’ve always loved the darkness of grunge music. Their ability to write about the darker side of life and make that listenable has always stuck with me. I find a lot of comfort myself in that sound.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
There are many, many countries we would love to tour in. Germany, Japan to name a few. We would love to be all over the place playing our music to anyone and everyone we can. That would be brilliant. As for venues, there are always places like The Royal Albert Hall because so many of our heroes have played there. Glastonbury. Delusions of grandeur maybe, but it doesn’t hurt to dream.

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
We would pick our song ‘Monsters’. We are extremely proud of that song and its message.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
Simply to keep making music for as long as we can and to reach as many people with our music. That’s the ultimate goal.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Without you there is no Red Giant.

Find out more about Red Giant at youtube.com