REDEYE INTERVIEW
It was cool for The Pier to finally have the site’s first interview with a Canadian band, Vancouver’s Redeye. Forming in 2005 and with influences of Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, NOFX, Ben Harper, Bob Marley and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band has won many fans with it funky reggae stylings.
2007 has been a big year for this rock reggae crew; opening for G Love & the Special Sauce on a US tour and more recently the band completed recording its sophomore album. Redeye vocalist and guitarist, Mike Redmond, was happy to drop by The Pier to give us all the dirt on the latest happenings.
The Pier: Ok for starter’s what’s the reggae/acoustic scene like up in Canada at the moment?
Mike: It’s growing quickly. The style itself is definitely a draw, but the genre seems to keep fairly low key. We are definitely trying to be at the forefront of a slightly different take on the traditional reggae/acoustic scene, blending reggae, funk, ska, punk and rock, because of the different influences of the guys in the band. A little bit of something for everyone, you know. It keeps things fresh and entertaining. We all really believe in what we are doing and hope that we can contribute to expanding the scene throughout Canada and down the West Coast.
The Pier: That’s great to hear so what can you tell us about the new album you have been working on recently?
Mike: It's called "The Diary of Everett Miley". It was produced by Chris D (G Love, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson), Ben Kaplan (Rage Against The Machine), and Jory Groberman and Ben Finkleman from 29 Productions. We went the approach of different songs for different producers, because we hand-picked the songs for the producer based on their best styles.
We’ve all really tried to take it to the next level with this one. The songs stay true to our style, but they have grown into something so much bigger. The songs on this album have taken a life of their own and I think they are the best we have written so far. They have powerful beats and rhythms, great melodies, sweet playing on the guitars and keys, and some very strong lyrics and arrangements.
The Pier: Let’s have some specific details then. How many songs will be featured on it and when will it be coming out?
Mike: It will be upwards of 14 songs and is likely to be out sometime beginning to mid-November.
The Pier: So how would you compare the finished product to Redeye’s self-titled debut?
Mike: As I mentioned before, the style is similar, but the songs themselves have a much bigger sound compared to our last album. I think as a band we have grown and individually we have really honed in on our separate roles. After our big tour with G Love & Special Sauce, we are definitely playing much tighter and putting the overall sound first.
The Pier: I seem to be asking this question a lot these days (eg with the Slightly Stoopid and the Expendables interviews) but what was it like working with G Love’s producer Chris D?
Mike: Chris D is the shit! It was a blast working with him. He has such an understanding of what we are trying to accomplish in our writing and playing…that aspect of things really shined through when he was recording us. He is a laid back guy that was definitely on the same page as us. We had a great time working and kicking it with him and look forward to doing it again in the future.
The Pier: So was most of the album written before going into the studio?
Mike: Definitely! Compared to our last album, on this one we spent more time on pre-production, where the first one was kind of written in the studio. It made for real sense of fluidity while we were recording. There was still a strong creative element in the studio that lead to some great ideas, but the foundation of the songs was more set from the beginning.
The Pier: So are there any funny or interesting studio stories to come out of the sessions?
Mike: Quite a few, but I wouldn’t want to incriminate anyone!
(Mike doing his thing in Chicago)
The Pier: They’re the best kind of stories. Oh well, so what was it like touring with G Love?
Mike: I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. G Love and his crew are so down to earth and made us feel so welcome. The venues we played were amazing and we were popular everywhere we went. We made the best of everyday of the tour and rocked out as hard as we could before, during (and after) each show. Once again too many stories to count and I don’t want to incriminate anyone. It was awesome and we hope to tour with them again very soon.
The Pier: What has been your favorite highlight so far with Redeye?
Mike: The growing fan base and acceptance of our music is what really does it for me. We have been lucky enough to share our music with so many new fans, and everything just seems to be getting bigger and bigger every day. At the moment I am just excited to share the new album with everyone.
The Pier: What tour plans have you got coming up?
Mike: We have a few things in the works. Look for us down the west coast soon.
The Pier: Final question. What is your favorite summer hang out destination, be it a beach, place or whatever?
Mike: I lived in the ski resort of Whistler, BC for a large chunk of my life and it is still my favorite place on Earth. I love it just as much in the summer as I do in the winter. Some of my most inspiring moments have happened while sitting around a lake at the base of a lush green mountain. That’s my paradise. Mind you, I am not opposed to sipping cold drinks on a hot beach either!
I do love the winter though. I’m a die-hard skier and spend as much time as possible in the mountains. If I’m not playing music, I can generally be found tearing up a backcountry line or shredding some fresh pow with some old friends.
The Pier would like to thank Mike for his time for this interview and Micah for helping making it happen.
To find out more about Redeye check out: