For some, The Redwalls is a band name synonymous with retro rock. After all, past releases have leaned heavily toward British Invasion sounds. But the group’s new self-titled CD is a bit more modern sounding -- at least to these ears. “We weren’t trying to make it retro or new or whatever,” explains guitarist Andrew Langer. “It’s just kind of the songs we were writing at the time.” But when I tell him The Strokes came immediately to mind when I first heard it, he was both honored and surprised. Then again, The Redwalls have been compared to a lot of acts they don’t necessarily think they sound like. “Someone wrote about us on this record [and said] that we must have raided Bruce Springsteen’s record collection; I’ve never listened to a Bruce Springsteen record in my entire life!” Langer admits with a laugh.
Swede Tore Johansson produced The Redwalls’ latest release and brought to the table quite an eclectic resume. He’d previously produced The Cardigans, OK Go, and Franz Ferdinand. Heck, he’d even worked with that swinger, Tom Jones! “I think he did, like, one song with Tom Jones,” clarifies Langer. “We made fun of him about it. But what kind drew us to him was his work with The Cardigans; he’s manned all their records.”
All kidding aside (especially this whole Tom Jones association) The Redwalls truly enjoyed working with Johansson. “He’s like an old school producer where he’s most concerned about the song,” Langer notes. “He takes his time on that part. We came in with between twenty and thirty songs, and a bunch more ideas that weren’t finished songs, and we just went through everything. We just played him everything we had and took time crafting and making sure that the songs had all the parts. We just spent a lot of time and patience and put care into it. We’d love to work with him again.”
Although The Redwalls do not sound quite as retro as they may have in the past, songs like “Game Of Love” nevertheless utilize familiar, time-tested lyrical themes. Throughout human existence, love relationships have been (whether intentionally or not) competitive -- with winners, losers, the whole bit.
“Love is two people trying to coexist with one another, and there are always mind games and those kinds of inner battles going on,” Langer admits. “It’s definitely a game of some sort.” But in this contest-that-shouldn’t-really-be-a-contest, is Langer an overall winner or a loser in love? “So far, a winner! I try to keep my battles to a minimum,” he says triumphantly.
The Redwalls are also keen social observers. The track “Modern Diet,” for example, speaks of trust fund children and those privileged few. “It’s just kind of a reflection on kids in affluent societies and neighborhoods where they grow up with everything in the palm of their hand,” notes Langer. “In my generation, the younger generation is being handed things, instead of having to work for it. A lot of times when they get old enough to take on jobs they wonder, ‘Wow, what am I going to do without mom and dad?’ It’s kind of how kids in society are getting lazy and reliant on their parents, or whoever’s giving them money.”
But unlike these aforementioned slackers, who oftentimes won’t get jobs until they absolutely have to, members of The Redwalls started working as musicians extremely young. Langer was only 14 and singer/guitarist Logan Baren was 16, back when it all began. “We weren’t really good at anything else, so pretty much I knew that this was going to be it - at an early age,” Langer recalls. “We were planning on going on the road and doing it on our own before we got signed; so that (getting signed) was kind of an added bonus at the time.”
Perhaps The Redwalls' old-fashioned work ethic is its best retro characteristic of all.
--Dan MacIntosh
Photo: Doug Seymour
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The Redwalls Self-Titled album is out now on Mad Dragon Records.
The Redwalls Myspace
