The Redwalls
The Redwalls were a two-member rock band from Deerfield, Illinois, in suburban Chicago.
The Redwalls | |
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Logan Baren performing with The Redwalls at the Theater of the Living Arts in Philadelphia, PA | |
Background information | |
Origin | Deerfield, Illinois, U.S. |
Genres | Alternative rock, Indie rock |
Years active | 2001–2010 |
Labels | Undertow Music (2003) Capitol (2003–2007) MAD Dragon Records (2007–present) |
Associated acts | Oasis, The Zutons |
Website | The Redwalls on Myspace |
Members | Logan Baren Justin Baren |
Past members | Andrew Langer Jordan Kozer Ben Greeno Rob Jensen |
History
Formed in 2001 by brothers Logan and Justin Baren, The Redwalls were originally a British Invasion-inspired cover band dubbed The Pages. Still in high school, singer/guitarist Logan, his bassist brother Justin, lead guitarist Andrew Langer, and drummer Jordan Kozer played their first show at the local jazz club Pops for Champagne.[1] Soon after, The Pages began writing original material and earned a regular booking at the local Evanston club Nevin's Live, with the venue's booking manager Mitchell Marlow, who eventually quit his post to manage the band full-time.[1] With the help of Marlow's longtime friend and former Wilco drummer Ken Coomer, the Pages' demo recording made its way to Capitol Records' A&R Julian Raymond, and while in the midst of working on their debut LP for the Chicago-based indie label Undertow, the band signed to Capitol in mid-2003. The band changed their name to The Redwalls at the label's request due to a conflict regarding an earlier Capitol signing known as Pages, who were better known as Mr. Mister.[1] The band finished recording in 2003, however after completing sessions for the album, Kozer quit the group to attend college and Ben Greeno signed on to play drums. The Redwalls' debut album Universal Blues, was later released on November 18, 2003.
Nearly two years after Universal Blues the band would release their second studio album (first under Capitol Records), titled De Nova, on June 21, 2005. Shortly after, The Redwalls were invited to join Oasis on their Summer 2005 UK tour and were also featured at Lollapalooza in 2005 & 2006.[2] In 2007, The Redwalls finished recording material for their third studio album, however before its release, the band was dropped from Capitol Records. They quickly signed with indie label MAD Dragon Records and their album The Redwalls was later released on October 23, 2007. In addition, their song "Build a Bridge" was featured on an AT&T commercial. By 2008, the band had achieved moderate success and began their highly successful US tour, which culminated with performances on the Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 10, 2008.[2] In the latter part of 2008, The Redwalls once again began touring in the UK, this time supporting The Zutons. However, lead guitarist Andrew Langer, as well as drummer Rob Jensen, left the group to focus on other musical projects. Studio musician Duane Leinan joined the band in 2010 playing bass guitar supporting the tour and in the studio.
The Redwalls released their debut UK single "Memories" on January 5, 2009.[3] Shortly after, drummer Rob Jensen announced his departure from the group to focus on other musical projects. In regards to Jensen's departure, Justin stated through the band's MySpace,
The Redwalls started when my brother and I started to sing and to play in harmony. And from that we have always found people to play in harmony with. And that is the idea of The Redwalls. There are many more songs to be sung, and many more people to sing and play with. But the idea remains the same. Thank you to all our fans and know that we are always singing. The music will stand for itself. We have many songs we can't wait to share with you.[4]
The Redwalls were winners in the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards for best College Record Label Album of the year and the song "Modern Diet" was nominated for Pop/Rock song of the year
Discography
- Universal Blues (2003)
- De Nova (2005)
- The Redwalls (2007)
EPs
- The Wall to Wall Sessions (2007)
References
- "The Redwalls". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- "The Redwalls Biography". Answers Corporation. 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- "the redwalls UK debut single: Memories". myspace.com. 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- The Redwalls” Archived 2012-07-12 at Archive.today myspace.com. Accessed March 4, 2009.