Straight On Red - Round 2

Website:

http://www.straightonred.co.uk

Music Style:

Jazz Funk

City:

London

 

Country:

UK

Band Description

Journeying from Funk to Soul to Jazz and back again - Straight on Red are influenced by an eclectic mix of Funk, Prog Rock, Jazz and a smattering of Latino combined with sardonic lyrics. Think Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Sting & Santana in one band!


Additional Band Websites

Artist Biography

Straight On Red are an 9-piece jazz/rock/soul powerhouse hailing from London and Birmingham in the UK, deliversing deliciously funky grooves mixed with blasts of pure danceable pop and jazzy overtones. Its 9 members combine a bizarre mix of musical experience. Between them they've permormed in West End musicals, gigged as Jazz musicians, toured in rock and funk bands. recorded as session musicians, taught school music, led choirs, etc etc.

 

These wildly differing musical genre preferences are underpinned by a collective love of playing live and creating original material. Like a good Whisky, it’s all in the blend - all the influences from these different backgrounds combine to form a unique ‘Straight on Red’ sound.

 

The driving force behind Straight On Red is guitarist Phil Danter, who writes all the original music and lyrics. Casting a sharp and sardonic eye on the plight, romantic and otherwise, of 21^st century man, his songs observe the humorous side of heartbreak, humiliation and misanthropy.

 

With 2 albums to their name, the band has already won 3 prestigious songwriting competitions (the UK Songwriting Contest in 2013 (Jazz category), the Hollywood Songwriting Competition in 2014 (2 category winners!) and Indie International in 2015 (Jazz/blues category). We now have a running total of 22 placements for 13 differenet songs across 5 songwriting competitions in the last 2 years!!

LINE-UP:

Drums             Ben Haines
Vocals             Tim Prottey-Jones, Rosie Ladkin
Keys                Kris Chase-Byrne
Guitars            Phil Danter
Bass                Richard Beardmore
Trumpet           Nick Ashwood
Saxes              Mike Davies
Percussion       Matt Green

Press Release

 

 

Hot independent band Straight On Red release their second album 'Round 2'

Round 2 is the second album from Straight On Red. It follows the word-of-mouth success of their 2012 eponymous debut and looks set to win the band many more fans and accolades.  This 8-piece power house delivers deliciously funky grooves mixed with blasts of pure danceable pop and jazzy overtones.
All of the songs on Round 2 are original with the exception of two covers: Time Is Running Out by Muse and Aerosmith classic, Dream On, both given a funky makeover here.
The band have already won 3 songwriting awards - winning the the Jazz/Blues category in both the UK Songwriting Contest in 2013 and Indie International Songwriting Awards in 2015, alongside 2 category winners and 6 additional finalists/nominations in the Hollywood Songwriting Competition 2014.
The driving force behind Straight On Red is guitarist Phil Danter, who writes all the original music and lyrics. Casting a sharp and sardonic eye on the plight, romantic and otherwise, of 21^st century man, his songs observe the humorous side of heartbreak, humiliation and misanthropy.
Here’s Phil’s track-by-track for Round 2:

1. Everything I’m Not

A tale of when opposites detract…it’s always dangerous when you hope someone might make you cooler than you are. Hard funk and Lydian harmony help convey the angst.

2. Doomed

This guy has failed to learn that if at first you don’t succeed, she thinks you’re a jerk. The desperate delusion is offset by a Nile Rogers-like groove to cheer things up.

3. Blind Aisle

A dark day made darker by the prospect of a life’s entrapment. Minor 6^th chords are the best for eliciting flawed marriage.

4. Old & Wise

Aging is sadly no guarantee of wisdom, but we try to console the listener with the prospect of joyous jumble sales and a bright D major bridge.

5. Time Is Running Out

Our take on the Muse classic, which we suspect Messrs Bellamy and co. always wanted to do as a funk shuffle with lots of congas and brass stabs.

6. Wish List

More misanthropy – many of us go through life utterly dissatisfied and it’s mostly our own fault. A melancholic flute solo seemed the perfect way to sum it up.

7. Rolled In Glitter

A dedication to the world of advertising, which we all buy into more than we care to admit. The bright pop shuffle, is like much advertising, deliberately misleading.

 

8. Know It’s A No

We learn our biggest lessons when we surprise ourselves, especially when our pessimism is thrown back in our faces. A Steely Dan-type/reggae groove creates the optimism.

 

9. Why Is It?

A song which became instrumental because we really liked the tune and the lyrics sucked.

 

10. Coulda Shoulda Woulda

The words too many of us utter too often. The polar opposite of ‘Je ne regrette rien’, but with a riff that feels no shame.

11. Dream On

We love the Aerosmith classic and thought Mr Tyler’s inspirational theme merited a faster tempo and funky groove.

The album is available now to download on iTunes with CD format available from Amazon. The album was recorded at Univibe Studios in Birmingham, produced by Bert Smorenburg and engineered by Joel Spencer. Tracks were mixed at Smoor Studios in Rotterdam and mastered at Amsterdam Mastering.


LINE-UP:

Brass                Nick Ashwood
Bass                 Richard Beardmore
Keys                 Kris Chase-Byrne
Guitars             Phil Danter
Percussion       Chris Davis
Woodwind        Mike Davies
Drums              Ben Haines
Vocals              Tim Prottey-Jones

##ENDS##