RED colors outside the musical lines |
Written by Cameron Conant |
Friday, 16 January 2009 03:47 PM America/New_York |
Rock with some orchestral flourishes wins band a broadening audience RED is a GRAMMY-nominated rock quartet that releases its highly anticipated sophomore album Feb. 10, and is perhaps the hardest-working band in Christian music. The members answer all fan e-mails themselves and play about 250 shows per year—a staggering number for any band, but especially so for one with married men in their late 20s, two with children. RED’s Innocence & Instinct, mostly written while touring, was recorded during one of the band’s rare breaks between shows, and like RED’s first album, it features an intriguing mixture of strings and guitar work. Lead guitarist Jasen Rauch explained the contradiction in styles by noting that several band members have orchestral experience, so when a producer suggested some strings and piano for the first record, “it became part of our sound.” “We’ve been fortunate enough to play a lot of shows in the mainstream where we’re the only Christian band on the bill,” Rauch said. “It’s nothing we foresaw, but we’ve had this amazing connection with people. They come up to us and say, ‘There’s something about your music I’m connecting with but just don’t understand.’ ” Yet Rauch maintains that believers are the backbone of his band’s ministry. While RED might have airplay on MTV and tour rough-and-tumble rock clubs, Rauch said it’s the “church demographic that’s allowed us to enter into these secular venues.” To order Innocence & Instinct, visit www.provident-integrity.com or call 800-333-9000. |