hether
you're an Oasis fan, or not, you know by now how Liam Gallagher loves to
send new bands to the slaughterhouse in the press. It seems Chicago band,
The Redwalls, is in the clear. They even joined Oasis on their 2005 summer
UK tour after someone slipped them The Redwalls' disc while in the famous
Capitol Records building in L.A. Now that's huge.
But for a new hot band whose songs and melodies are super cool and
catchy (standouts: "Robinson Crusoe," "Thank You" and
"Build A Bridge"), it's no surprise these boys are causing a
musical ruckus internationally with their new, big label-backed record, De
Nova.
Amidst a crazy and hectic schedule, The Redwalls' bassist, Justin
Baren, managed to squeeze in some time while in England to talk to Teen
Tribute about the new record, impending fame and touring the UK.
You're in
England right now. What's the tour with Oasis been like?
It's been great and a little nerve-wracking at the same time. We've never
played in front of so many people! You know, we got a bit nervous because
of all the things said about them, but Oasis are a bunch of really, really
nice guys.
In a radio
interview recently, Oasis' Noel Gallagher said he digs you guys. Does that
make you feel honoured?
Yes, absolutely! They've been out by the side of the stage watching our
set every time during the tour. We respect them a lot. It's good to have a
band you respect say nice things about you.
What was the
experience like making De Nova?
It was definitely different from our first album and it took a lot longer.
We had access to all this gear in the studio that was unbelievable. It was
like a guitar shop. We also got to add some horns. It was amazing to be in
L.A. for four months.
What's the
songwriting process like for you guys?
Generally whoever writes the melody writes the lyrics and they sing it,
too. Usually one of us comes in with an idea and we all work at it and try
to add something to it.
You guys are
being compared to The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Does that bother you?
The press will try to put you in a box. Although, that's a nice box to be
in. I guess the press needs a way to explain and describe your band to the
public. Sometimes it's kind of bad because we're so much more than that.
But we just take it all in stride.
How did you guys
come together?
We started the band about five years ago (when we were 16 and 17). Andrew
(guitarist) and I grew up together. He was always around our house so he
was more like a family friend. Logan's my brother so I've known him
forever. We just started playing together and it just came naturally.
For a bunch of
young guys, your harmonies are amazing. Does it take a lot of practice?
It does take practice. All we use to do as kids is sing and do three-part
harmonies. We practiced a lot back then, but it came kind of easy.
What was it like
performing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien?
I don't know about the other guys but I was really nervous. I hope we
looked and sounded good!
What band or
musicians do you most admire?
I love the old soul music stuff. Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Al Greene
and all the old R&B. We try to have soul in our music. But all of us
are into all sorts of stuff like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and The
Kinks. Also modern day bands like Coldplay and The Strokes.
What's your
favourite part about being in this band?
It's all so wonderful. I love meeting new people, making new friends and
basically just making records. That's the best part.
Do you like
touring and being away from home so much?
Touring is the "work" part of it. It's a pain sometimes. Any
band that tells you otherwise would be lying. You're away for so long. I
do miss home. But I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Getting to see
different places is also pretty amazing.
You guys are
fast becoming popular. Are you ready for all of this?
Yeah,
we are. But so far nothing's really changed for us. But I think we're
ready for it. It's not like we step back and say, "Oh look what we've
done so far" because we're right in the middle of just doing it. We
just keep working it at.
�And all those
screaming girls?
Yeah, bring it on!
- Toni-Marie Ippolito
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