Red (band)
Red (stylized as R3D or RED) is an American Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 2002 by brothers guitarist Anthony Armstrong and bassist Randy Armstrong, with lead vocalist Michael Barnes. The band's first lineup also consisted of drummer Andrew Hendrix and guitarist Jasen Rauch. Currently, the lineup has consisted of the core trio of the Armstrong brothers and Barnes, along with drummer Brian Medeiros.
For other uses, see Red.
Red
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
2002–present
- Michael Barnes
- Anthony Armstrong
- Randy Armstrong
- Brian Medeiros
- Andrew Hendrix
- Hayden Lamb
- Jasen Rauch
- Joe Rickard
- Dan Johnson
After they recorded several demos displaying a style of alternative, hard, and Christian rock music, Red landed a development deal with their longtime producer Rob Graves which led to a record deal with Christian label Essential Records in 2004. Their debut albums End of Silence (2006) and Innocence & Instinct (2009) were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album, and spawned the popular singles "Breathe Into Me" and "Death of Me". Red's mainstream popularity grew and their third album, Until We Have Faces (2011), reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, which was followed by Release the Panic (2013), which peaked at No. 7, Of Beauty and Rage (2015), Gone (2017), Declaration (2020), and Rated R (2023).
History[edit]
Formation and signing with Essential (2002–2004)[edit]
Red was formed by identical twin brothers,[1] guitarist Anthony and bassist Randy Armstrong, and lead vocalist and pianist Michael Barnes.[2] The three grew up in Linesville, Pennsylvania, where Barnes first met the Armstrongs at elementary school and remained friends.[3][4][5] They gained inspiration to pursue a music career after they attended festivals, including acts at the Christian-themed Creation Festival, and wished to perform on stage.[4][1] They became members of Ascension, their early gigs taking place in youth centres around Erie, Pennsylvania, playing covers of contemporary Christian music before they turned to hard rock.[1][6] After the three finished their education, they relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in February 2002 after Audio Adrenaline guitarist Barry Blair had heard their music online and invited them to record.[1][4][5] The three worked day jobs, Barnes as a nurse in an emergency room and the Armstrongs in a mall,[7] while using their spare time to form their own musical style, which was influenced by Linkin Park, Sevendust, and Chevelle as they liked the band's emotionally-driven music.[4] The first lineup of Red was completed in 2004 following the addition of drummer Andrew Hendrix and guitarist Jasen Rauch.[5][8][9] Randy said they wished for a band name that was "short, meaningful, and easy to remember", and spent two years searching for groups with a similar name and secured a trademark with "Red".[7]
With the lineup secured, Red entered a longtime association with producer, songwriter, and musician Rob Graves.[10] After they had recorded four demos in a garage and a nursery[11][2] that displayed their style of alternative, hard and Christian rock music. Rauch, who had worked as an intern in the same Nashville studio as Graves and supplied them with free equipment,[7] invited Graves to listen to their music for his opinions. Graves recalled: "It was really rough, all over the map, but I could hear the elements were there ... I told them it was really good, it had potential".[10] Graves took them under his wing, and paid for studio time and the production of their first demos at Paragon Studios which happened across two years.[12][7] Graves then signed Red to a development contract with his independent production company Six Feet Over, which led to a recording deal with Provident Label Group which then assigned them to its Christian label Essential Records after they liked their demo. Essential gave Red the green-light on a full-length album.[10][13] Speaking on their Christian influence, Barnes said: "We are Christians in a band, but if people feel more comfortable and say that we are a Christian band, we do not shy away from that".[4] Hendrix parted ways with Red before recording began; he was replaced by drummer Hayden Lamb.
End of Silence (2004–2008)[edit]
After spending two years on the album, End of Silence was released on June 6, 2006.[10][14] Recorded in Nashville, the album features orchestral arrangements from Bernie Herms and David Davidson, reflecting on the group's interest in classical music.[8] Rauch gave his insight on mainstream music and his own influences to the rest of the band as they were primarily followers of Christian music and had little knowledge of contemporary pop.[7] The band's logo was designed by Randy Armstrong.[2] It had a successful impact, receiving a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album at the 49th awards,[15] and reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers and No. 7 on the Top Christian Albums charts. Later in 2007, it was re-released by Epic Records,[16] and entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 194.[17] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2015 for selling over 500,000 physical copies in the US.[14] The first of its six singles, "Breathe Into Me", reached No. 15 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, won a GMA Dove Award for Recorded Song of the Year in the rock category,[18] and was certified gold by the RIAA in 2015 for 500,000 digital sales.[14]
Red supported End of Silence with a tour that began in 2006[19] and supported by various acts, including Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, and Candlebox. In November 2007, their transit van and trailer crashed into a guardrail on Interstate 24 and slid sideways across a highway, causing major damage to the vehicles and Lamb suffering injuries to his already injured shoulder that forced him to sit for some of the remaining dates. Lamb returned, but the injury had affected his ability to travel and perform which led to his departure in 2008.[19] He was replaced by his friend Joe Rickard.[20][21][22] The incident became a source of inspiration and "fuel" for the band's future songs.[19] In 2009, "Lost" won a GMA Dove Award for Recorded Song of the Year at its 40th ceremony.[23] By 2009, the band had performed over 500 gigs.[24]
Musical style[edit]
Red's musical style has been described as Christian rock,[83][84] alternative rock,[83] alternative metal,[85] Christian metal,[85] nu metal,[86][87] post-grunge[88] and hard rock.[89]
Current members
Touring musicians
Former members
Timeline
