Red City Radio

Have no fear, Red City Radio is here! This four-piece punk rock band coming straight from Oklahoma City will rock your punk rock world. The band’s latest album Two for Flinching is epic; standing out in the sea of bands as each member belts out vocals on different tracks.

I met up with the band in Jacksonville, FL at the Phoenix Taproom where their humble yet comedic attitude made for an interesting interview as I talked with the guys about their beginnings to their future plans for this coming year.

---

Ashley: So we are here in Jacksonville, Florida and you guys are on tour with Silver Snakes and Broadway Calls. How has the tour been so far?

Paul: Its been awesome, very good. (other band members agree with Paul)

Ashley: Any unforgettable moments?

Paul: Last night.
Garrett: Last night.
JoJo (Jonathan): Last night.
Garrett: Last night.

Ashley: …and how was last night?

Paul: The show was okay, after the show we had an impromptu bass-drum karaoke, um, abomination. 
Garrett: A little Weezer. A lot of Green Day. 
Dallas: Tiny hats were involved.
(the band laughs)
Paul: Decisions were made, most of them bad.
Dallas: Most of them regrettable.
Garrett: Stoned sober.
Paul: Just gettin’ high on life. (as Paul takes a sip of his beer)

Ashley: So how did you guys hook up with each other to form Red City Radio?

Garrett: Craigslist.

Ashley: Oh, okay!

(band looks at each other and laughs)

Garrett: Well, we hooked up first. 
Dallas: We noticed we kept sinning every time we hooked up. (laughs)
Paul: We sexed each other in. Just like a game.
(the band laughs, looking at each other)
Dallas: No, um Paul got a hold of me on a message board (laughs) just like a local music message board.
JoJo (Jonathan): Not craigslist.
Dallas: Not craigslist.
Garrett: (whispers) craigslist.
Dallas: Nah, this was pre-craigslist I believe. I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. (the band laughs together) So we started the band with a couple of other people and slowly we acquired these guys. 
Paul: And we’ve been paying them 10% of nothing ever since. It’s a good split. 40/40, 10/ 10.

Ashley: How were you guys approached by Paper + Plastick Records?

Garrett: We were walking down a dark alley way and a shadowy figure came out of the back, like from the side view, like from the side view of our eyes.
Dallas: Like, “hey you guys got any weed?” 
Paul: Yeah. (Paul laughs along with JoJo)
Dallas: (acting the incident out while he talks) First we looked back and it was gone. Then we took a couple steps forward, then we looked back cause we heard a noise thought it was a can, um a cat, then as we started stepping forward we looked back and then we looked forward and bam (puts hand to his face) Vinnie was right here and he was like you guys want to be on our label? We were like…”yeah.”
(the band looks at each other and begins to bust out laughing)

Ashley: Nice! Wow!

Paul: That’s the first time we’ve heard that story. That’s much better than the truth. 
Garrett: That’s how he approached us. Very, very shadowy. 
JoJo (Jonathan): Shadowy (laughs) No, we have a mutual friend named Stephen Egerton, guitarist for the Descendants, and they were just talking about an EP we did in 2009. Vinnie I guess already had the record, I don’t think he even knew at the time Stephen had produced it. From there on, we just started talking about some new songs we had and that’s it. Pretty informal (laughs).

Ashley: Awesome! So Red City Radio is very unique to me because everybody in Red City Radio sings. So how does that work out, how do you guys agree on everybody singing? Is it because you guys have fronted your own bands before?

Paul: It just kind of falls into place. We don’t really ever….
Garrett: It’s what’s best for the song.
Paul: Yeah. We never designate like yeah okay you gotta do your part here, it kind of just… 
JoJo (Jonathan): It’s pretty natural.
Dallas: In fact, when we first started the band I didn’t want to sing. I just wanted to play the drums, I was tired of singing. It was actually Ryan, one of the previous members just basically told me to stop being a pussy and sing.
Paul: Yeah, he pretty much shamed you into it. (Paul looks over at Dallas)
Dallas: And he’s a little guy, I could beat him up.
Paul: Shame is a big part of this band.
Dallas: Yeah! (agreeing with Paul)
Garrett: BIG…part.
Dallas: Did we mention last night?
Garrett: Shame, day after day.

Ashley: Well, you guys have been together since 2005, correct?

Paul: In the very early, yes, we can say that but Dallas and I and one other guy playing in a house next door to my house doesn’t really qualify as a band but we’ll run with it.
Dallas: What we normally tell people is that we really didn’t start like feeling like we were a real band until JoJo joined. And that was.. (thinking)
Paul: 2008
Dallas: 2008, and yeah that’s when we really felt like we became a band.

Ashley: So you guys have been together for along time. What is the secret to keeping a band together?

Paul: Honesty.
Dallas: Never get angry.
Paul: Trust. Never go to bed angry. (the band laughs together)
Garrett: Drugs.
Paul: It’s about buying flowers on a random Wednesday and not waiting for Valentine’s Day.
Garrett: Just because.
Paul: It’s about learning how to say you’re sorry and mean it.
Dallas: Having the stereo turned up really loud in the van helps because we just don’t talk to each other.
Paul: Earplugs. 
Garrett: Did I mention drugs?

Ashley: (laughing) That’s good, I like that. So, how was the experience touring Internationally? How has that been? How has the audience perceived you?

Paul: Oh, it’s been great. The first time we went to Europe we were blown away by the response we got. We didn’t really have good distribution there but we had very good crowds. We did better than what most people said we were going to do when we went over there and the second time we went over there it was even better. 
Dallas: We were with Anti-Flag, so we just enjoyed their crowds, way bigger than ours.
Paul: This is true.
Dallas: It was a lot of fun.

Ashley: Are you guys excited to go back over there again? Are you guys going back over there again?

Garrett: No. (shaking his head yes) Yes! 
Dallas: Yes!
Garrett: Just kidding, it is awesome over there.
Paul: Yes!
JoJo (Jonathan): Yeah, we’re gonna go over there this spring.

Ashley: So, what are your thoughts on those that feel punk is dead?

Garrett: It’s a very lame thing to say.
Paul: Actually, I never heard that. 
Dallas: (Dallas looks up in question) What are you talking about?
Paul: Emo
Garrett: People who say that, also use the word hipster like everyday so, whatever I don’t care.  Punk rock might be dead to them. Obviously, they weren’t very punk rock to me.

Ashley: I mean, a lot of people have said that but I find new and interesting bands all the time that are punk rock.

Paul: Isn’t that a cliché? I mean, can’t we just say that Ska is dead?  
Garrett: You know what is dead (looking at Paul) Rock’n’Roll is dead. 
Paul: Or garage rock.
Garrett: You know that band Jet (looking at Paul) …Rock’n’Roll is dead.
Paul: Seriously, that is one of my favorite bands.
Garrett: (singing) won’t you be my girl. 
(Paul laughs at Garrett)

Ashley: So what bands would you like to tour with that you haven’t toured with already?

Dallas: Metallica.
Paul: Hall n Oats
Garrett: No, no not Hall n Oats…just Oats.
Dallas: Fuck Hall.
Paul: Fucking spotlight stealer
(the band laughs together)

Ashley: So we are kicking off a new year, so what can we expect from Red City Radio?

Paul: Sex tapes. Sex tape soundtracks. 
Garrett: That’s awesome (looking at Paul) I was just talking to somebody that was like “man, loved your video” I was like yeah, that’s cool cause we not doing any of those anymore we’re just going straight to sex tapes from now on. 
Paul: It’s true. That’s how you get big. Someone’s gonna “steal my phone” and “leak some photos” “ of my penis.” 
Dallas: That “no one wants to see.”
Paul: That’s “not me.”
Garrett: “I do.”
Dallas: Shut up. We do have a new record coming out hopefully it will be out by the summer.
Garrett: Summer.
Dallas: June. We’re hoping for June. 
Garrett: New art, new tours, new music, new start.
Dallas: New friends, new clothes, new shoes. I don’t know if you’ve seen my shoes or not but I’m in dire need of new shoes.

Ashley: Yeah, cool. If you don’t mind wearing heals. (lifting my shoe up to show Dallas my heals)

Paul: He looks good in heals. Tight butt.
Dallas: I look good in heals until I try to walk, then I look like a transvestite.

Ashley: So we can expect to see a new album and everything?

Dallas: Yes.
Paul: Absolutely.
(the band agrees)

Ashley: Is it going to be an EP or LP?

Dallas: It’s going to be full-length, oh yeah.
Paul: Full-length

Ashley: Well, thank you guys for the interview!

Garrett: Thank you. 
Paul: Thank you so much.
Dallas: Thank you.
JoJo (Jonathan): Thank you.