With their debut album – Vine Lady – already causing a splash on the local scene, Red Electrick are in London promoting it. Matt James, the band’s frontman and Ivan Borg, bassist, speak to Josette Abdilla-Cunningham about the band’s aspirations, the next moves and why paucity of information on local talent means raising the bar is not an option.
So who influenced Red Electrick’s music genre? “We grew up to the strains of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix, Deep Purple, Depeche Mode and The Specials, among others,” explains a laid-back Matt who is keen to put heart and mind to music.
“We came up with this mix of indie rock music having classic rock and ska roots,” acknowledges a wide-eyed bassist Ivan Borg, donning a cap that’s reminiscent of the lamented John Lennon.
Speaking with passion, both band members admit that today’s tough, competitive music scene, calls for stamping a mark early on, and with their love of indie music, Red Electrick have managed to come up with an original blend of music that smacks of reggae, classical rock, ska and indie rock. Not surprisingly, this generated a strong following of fans who relished the band’s idea.
In less than three years, the talented quin band has received kudos for its four hit singles. More recently their fifth number one single Jail Bail was also doing pretty well in spite of coinciding with the release of Vine Lady, last September. “There’s a good market for singles out there,” states Mr Borg, “It’s wise to cater to a need, keeping in mind that some people prefer listening to a combination of hit songs and singles, rather than a whole album.”
The band is now casting a bold eye on the international scene after managing to sign a deal with an American label – Poison Tree Records. Their successful gigs spurred on the band members, to tour European destinations as they strut their stuff in Linz, Austria and Denmark. “Earning a living at what one loves doing most must be any man’s dream,” says Mr Borg, “it’s what we, as a band, also aspire for and this requires discipline, a sharp music talent and professional skills”.
Diverse audiences are a major challenge so I’m told. “Locally, there’s an appreciation for melody however upper Europeans tend to go more for the band’s attitude, stage dynamics – melody is not enough to make them tingle. You’re axed unless you’re creative.”
It turns out Mr James and Mr Borg had a taste of different audiences during gigs in Germany and the Czech Republic when they played with other bands such as the ska band, The Rifffs.
This is why Red Electrick is eager to present a darker, edgier and more technical version of Vine Lady in the UK. “London is the mecca of numerous bands from around the world that converge to wow crowds. The demands are much steeper and for any band to stand out, it requires innovation and heaps of talent.”
Penning music for Red Electrick is a team activity as all five members give out what it takes to achieve the end product. “Sometimes one of us is on to something cool and we get pretty excited about putting it together,” exclaims Mr James. As to where they draw their inspiration for the lyrics and melody on occasion it turns out to be a fluke. “Songwriting is rather tricky. You’re pitted if you think you can sit down specifically to write music” muses Mr Borg. “Music comes to you in its own good time. It’s precisely what happened with Who the heck is Rek?!. I was quite ruffled and angry at someone at the time and vented out my anger on my instrument when I got to our rehearsing place. The boys caught on as melody and lyrics started flowing. Then together we fine-tuned the initial wave of ideas.”
Mr James and Mr Borg turn pensive as discussion ensues about more opportunity for bands nowadays. Does the Isle of MTV’s annual event provide better chances to upcoming bands?
Both think that there seems to be a dearth in presence of local bands. “Maltese bands could benefit from more promotion and support,” reflects Mr Borg, who is also quick to point out that competition is rife and cut-throat. “Bands need to be very creative and innovative to survive the related challenges. The bar gets raised every time.”
What’s next on the cards for Red Electrick? The band is focused on delivering a highly professional performance in London and work on the next album is underway. “It’s no breeze. Vine Lady has been very well received and we owe it to our fans to reach higher ground with our next album,” concludes Mr James. In a pretty exciting stage at the moment, Red Electrick has clinched a fabulous distribution deal that will ensure Red Electrick fans can have access to the band’s music anywhere online.
The band is in a very good place at the moment and so much going for it.
• More information on Red Electrick may be found online: www.myspace.com/redelectrick.