Red Wanting Blue Release Their Thirteenth Studio Album, 'Light It Up'
Red Wanting Blue has spent the better part of the last three decades on the road, blazing their own unique trail through the American heartland.
By: Josh Sharpe Jun. 07, 2024
Columbus, Ohio’s indie rock stalwarts RED WANTING BLUE have released their much-anticipated thirteenth studio album, Light It Up, via Blue Élan Records. This marks their second album for the boutique Westwood, CA based indie label and the first the band has self-produced. Years of non-stop touring have not only buoyed their ever-growing fan-base across the country but has also helped solidify the relationships within the band; making this new album their most cohesive yet, capturing the camaraderie of a band that’s built its entire career on the road, discovering (and rediscovering) itself one exultant, joyous, communal night at a time and a testament to their enduring musical evolution.
Character-driven storytelling appears throughout the record, often revealing raw, vulnerable self-reflection just beneath the surface. “We broke the mold with this record,” says Red Wanting Blue frontman Scott Terry. “Sonically, structurally, professionally; we threw out all the old rules and decided just to trust in each other, and the result is an album that feels like it’s been 27 years in the making.”
Indeed, Light It Up feels like the start of a distinctly new chapter for the indie rock stalwarts, one built on complete and total creative liberation. Recorded in the hard-touring quintet’s native Ohio and produced for the first time by the band itself, the collection is a larger-than-life ode to hope and perseverance, a celebration of the fire we carry within and the commitment that keeps us going even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The songs are all interconnected here, woven together through intros and outros and interludes that help propel them on a metaphorical journey through the dark of night, and the performances are as muscular as they are meticulous, fueled by addictive hooks and exhilarating instrumental work that shines on an even footing with Terry’s rich and magnetic vocals.
“When it came to making records, we felt we always needed to have a producer in the room who could help show us who we were,” Terry reflects. “With this album, though, we realized that we know who we are and what we want better than anyone. We were finally ready to catch the butterfly and pin it in the book ourselves.”
Summer Tour Dates
6/14/24 - Three Oaks, MI - Acorn Music Festival
6/21/24 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi-Fi Annex
6/22/24 - Oswego, IL - Venue 1012
8/7/24 - Ferndale, MI - The Magic Bag
8/8/24 - Kalamazoo, MI - Bell's Eccentric Cafe
8/9/24 - Findlay, OH - Flag City Balloon Festival
8/10/24 - Brookfield Township, OH - Steel Valley Woofstock
8/11/24 - Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall
8/14/24 - St. Louis, MO - City Winery
8/15/24 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room Lounge
8/16/24 - Kearney, NE - Cunnihgham's Journal
8/17/24 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
8/18/24 - Greeley, CO - Moxi Theater
8/19/24 - Boulder, CO - Roots Music Project
8/20/24 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep
8/22/24 - Dallas, TX - Deep Ellum Art Company
8/23/24 - Austin, TX - 3Ten Austin City Limits Live
8/24/24 - San Antonio, TX - Sam's Burger Joint
8/27/24 - Chicago, IL - City Winery Chicago
More Dates TBA
ABOUT RED WANTING BLUE
Hailed as “Midwestern rock heroes” by American Songwriter, Red Wanting Blue has spent the better part of last three decades on the road, blazing their own unique trail through the American heartland and landing appearances everywhere from Letterman to NPR, garnering praise from the likes of Rolling Stone and Esquire, and climbing to #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart along the way.
Photo credit: Stephen Albanese
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