REDadmiral joined host Tom Proctor on ‘Rocket Shop,’ Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9 FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/thisisredadmiral/ and their new release, ‘Decimal’.

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On Wednesday, October 7, REDadmiral joined the hustle and bustle of Big Heavy World for the Rocket Shop radio hour. Three-fourths of the ‘four-piece molecule’ joined the radio hour’s host, Tom Proctor, for some pop punk jamming. They brought with them a night of quick wit, belly-laughs, and killer entertainment. Let’s meet the band, shall we?

First up we have Gordon Glover. “I play this guitar, have these jingly things on my feet, and I sing,” he said to Proctor while the group introduced themselves. As a singer/songwriter and guitarist for REDadmiral, Glover coined the upbeat yet edgy pop/punk lyricism of the band. However, this hasn’t always been the vibe for REDadmiral.

“Music for me is a vent, an outlet. I stopped trying to be negative,” Glover shared with Proctor. “It’s been a few years (since their last album), and really, the band has morphed into something different.” Since 2015, REDadmiral has made the intentional stylistic shift from what started off as a heavy grunge sound to acoustic. The guys explained the process as slowly stripping it down to its core, then building it back up. And they learned that essentially, less it more.

John Billingsley, guitarist, vocalist, and electronic engineer for REDadmiral kept this in mind while crafting the band’s newest album, “Decimal”, which was released on October 10, 2020.

“I have to say, it was the easiest hour I've ever recorded,” Billingsley said about recording the first bits of the album back in February of 2020. “So many of our songs are under three minutes. I come from more of a jam background, where songs can be twenty minutes!” Being the craftsman that he is, Billingsley enjoyed mixing the band’s music with careful diligence before they went acoustic.

“It was better to do it this way for everybody,” the bandmates agreed when discussing just how relaxed this new album was in the studio. And despite his previous work with jam bands, Billingsley found new composing opportunities in the switch from electric jam to an organic groove. Although COVID-19 took its toll on them, the band had more time to ultimately put their heart and soul into the music.

Sam Crawfordz, REDadmiral’s bassist and vocalist, discussed the implications of the global pandemic both on a personal level and for the band. Crawfordz revealed that he used this time as a creative outlet for all kinds of self-expression, including sketching. He produced a few dark and twisted drawings, but ultimately concluded that “the world does not need more darkness in 2020.” Having to toss a few drawings here and there was a small sacrifice he made in the pursuit of happiness in a time of global despair.

On a more collective note, the band used the limitless oasis of quarantine to their musical advantage. Having already produced a few songs for the new album, REDadmiral was ready to take on a new artistic style, composed with a fresh aesthetic ear. When asked by Proctor if the band had trouble producing the new album during COVID-19, they shared a laugh.

“We lucked into the timeline,” said Glover about recording during the pandemic. “This record was a driver. We had it half in the bag going in!” The band gives credit to their head-start in the studio. “Life changed for all of us at that point, but we had three songs!” REDadmiral has had good fortune in a hard time in our history. Luckily for them, their story will be told through ten songs, all of which share superb songwriting and gnarly instrumentals.

For those of you who are not familiar with common species of butterfly here in Vermont, REDadmiral has taken on the name of a delicate, yet strong-flying butterfly. “It's kind of like naming a kid. There is veto power,” Glover said about naming the band. Between the four band members, they have eleven kids.

REDAdmiral could only perform for an hour on the Rocket Shop Radio Hour, but you can hear more of their tunes on their album, released Saturday, October 11. You can also check them out on their Facebook to find out more.

Text by Izzy Mousseau

Top photo by James Lockridge

REDadmiral — 7 October 2020 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour