Red Star Revolt

Red Star Revolt is a band based in Denver, Colorado; and was formed in 2007 by Aaron Nava (bass, vocals) and Clutch (guitars). These two founding members started writing songs; where the main goal was to make creative and innovative music. When they had made 13 tunes they felt were satisfactory, it was time to get hold of a drummer; Dino Cuneo; to start recording these songs.

The end result was a self-titled album released in 2008, exploring a style the band themselves describes as "infectious melodies and punishing riffs interspersed with passages of instrumental jams and space rock psychedelics".

That's a good biography and it caught my attention. I therefore got in touch with the band and Clutch answered my questions.

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Your biography has been covered in your ProgArchives profile so let's bypass the biography details. But why did you choose that name ?

We chose the name simply because we thought it sounded cool. On a deeper level, it can be interpreted as revolting against the norm (i.e. revolting against the 'red star', which is a traditional symbol of collectivism).  Contrary to what many people assume, we did not intend any political connotations in the name.

What is your musical background and were you involved in any other bands before you started Red Star Revolt ?

Aaron Nava and Clutch were both members of the band SHAFT, which released the CD 'Monumental' in 2003 (available on iTunes & CDBaby). Stylistically SHAFT was very different from Red Star Revolt, although there was still a bit of prog influence.

Which bands were you influenced by ?

Mars Volta, Rush, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Tool, Incubus, Queens of the Stone Age, Porcupine Tree, Mastodon, Yes, Muse, Opeth, King Crimson, many others.

Please give us your long or brief thoughts on your only album Red Star Revolt released in 2008. How would you describe the music ?  

Our motto is "Modern rock with an intoxicating dose of 70's prog", which we feel is representative of our debut CD. The material was written and recorded during a tumultuous period in our personal lives, but in the end we emerged intact and were pleased with the final result.

From where can this album be purchased from and how is it's distribution ?  

The album is available via iTunes, CDBaby, Myspace, Amazon and other online vendors. It's also distributed in Europe by Just for Kicks Music (www.justforkicks.de).

How is your writing and creative processes ?  

Our writing process is very organic and collaborative, with many false starts & discarded ideas before we settle upon a sound which we feel is compelling enough to develop into a song. We typically write instrumentally first, with guitar and bass. Vocal ideas are then incorporated, followed by drums. Of course this order can vary depending on the song.

What is the latest update and your plans for the rest of this year and next year ?

A number of new songs have been written, but Aaron is currently residing in California, so Red Star Revolt is presently on hiatus . A demo of one of these songs can be heard on our MySpace page (Fade to Great). Clutch is involved with a new progressive rock project in Denver that is just starting to get off the ground (very much in the RSR vein).

To wrap up this interview, is there anything you want to add to this interview ?  

Thank you for your support of progressive rock and independent artists. It's amazing to connect with fans of this genre across the globe!

Thank you to Clutch for this interview

Their PA profile is here and the homepage here