RedPrint is a rock band from The Netherlands formed in 2012. They started as a cover act, but in 2023, they released their first original EP, entitled The Plan.
I was given the opportunity to talk with them and find out all about the band’s origins, influences, writing process, and more!
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Mostly Music: First and foremost, thank you for your time! How did the band form, and what’s the story behind the name “RedPrint”?
RedPrint: I used to play bass in another band, but that band collapsed in 2012 so I asked the rhythm guitarist and the lead guitarist if they would join me to form a new band. We searched for a drummer, and the 2 guitarists knew a girl from a local bar that sang karaoke very good. So The Plan – original band name – was formed. We were to be a blues band, play Chicago and Texas blues. We got our first gig pretty soon and played what we knew. A second gig shortly after turned us into a cover band.
Fast forward to (I think) 2017, and our lead guitarist decided he could not combine his work with the band anymore. We then found Ronald. As we rehearsed with the new guitarist, we felt we could get back to gigs, and our singer decided she didn’t want to continue. The search for her replacement took much longer, but we finally found Selinde. Then, in 2020, Covid hit. We’d had a great year in 2019, playing a lot of gigs, and were ready to get ourselves in venues for real, but lockdowns and Covid rules had us down.
During this time, our rhytm guitarist and singer did a little project, and “Stop Running” was made. On a computer, Selinde did the vocals, and at home we all thought what we could do with it. Finally, our drummer sent a drum part, I came with a bassline, and Ronald had to do the solo. But because it was made on a computer, there originally was a synthesizer part, so our rhythm guitarist got himself a synthesizer and after the lockdowns (or in between a couple), we started working on “Immersion.” Soon after that, “Herd” came to be, and we realised we needed to rethink “Stop Running.” That track was slow and a bit boring compared to the other 2 songs. So we spiced it up a bit. You can still hear it is a softer kind of track now, but it fits.
Jump to August 2022. Three tracks ready and we wanted another so we could record it as an EP. The first three were heavily influenced by our guitarist/synthesizer player. But it all came together as a band. We all wrote our own parts based on the ideas that formed. But now we all had ideas. And in a rehearsal where he could not make it, we set up two new tracks. One was already in progress, and one was new. But the direction we took on it was something different from his views. After a couple of months, he decided our views were too different and after a decade he left the band.
Again, a major setback, three tracks done and two concepts in progress, but a band member down. How were we going to replace a band member who did synthesizer in two tracks and rhythm guitar in the other? So we decided not to replace him. The lead guitarist also does rhythm, and the synthesizer is replaced with violin. Luckily, Selinde can play violin very well. So one of the concepts became “Telephone,” and shortly after, we recorded it all. “Colour Me Insane” was just there. I came with a bassline, and this progressed very fast. We didn’t think it was complete, but it was also too good not to record.
After we released the EP, we changed our name because there are so many “The Plan” or similar band names on the streaming services. I took control of the socials and stumbled into the community. Vox + Stix and Paul Harwood shared our profile, and the rest is history.
About our band name: we knew it needed a change from The Plan. A whole lot came past, we even let chatgpt have a go. But it was our guitarist that said a blueprint is also a sort of plan. And our logo is red, so why not RedPrint? This was the first name in months where nobody objected. So, I guess it is the best out of all the bad names that came along.
MM: The band name is unique, and it makes y’all easy to find. That’s always good for fans and bloggers, etc. So, who are RedPrint’s major influences?
RedPrint: Of course, all four of us have our own influences, but I think the biggest are the covers we used to do. And they were a large pool of artists that you would normally not put together. We did covers from AC/DC and ZZ top to Tom Petty and Black Sabbath. We also covered The Animals and even Bill Withers and Bruno Mars. We even did a cover of “Addicted to You” from Avicii. We through in Duffy and Etta James, but we did change some of those tracks so they would fit the set we played at that time.
At this point, I guess none of those are to be heard in our music, or not all of them. We try not to put ourselves in any specific subgenre. We are a rock band, but for the rest, our motto is: We play what we like and hope you like what we play. The funny thing is, we got reviewed a couple of times, and they compared us to bands and artists we never covered or really listened to before we got compared to them.
MM: That is an eclectic mix! This question almost seems redundant, but is there anyone you listen to that might surprise people?
RedPrint: Personally, I listen to a whole lot of various music. Lately, it’s a lot of indie artists. However, I used to be into house music a lot when i was young and still enjoy it. But I have to admit most of what they call EDM these days does not get me anymore. Faithless is a personal favorite, but also artists like The Prodigy and The KLF. Later, I discovered the older rock bands, and that seems like an infinite pool of inspiration. But disco, funk, and even hip-hop are appreciated.
But that’s just me. I am sure if all four of us would input on this, it would be a long story. We have a lot of similar interests but also a lot of different interests in music.
MM: You’ve already given an overview of how your originals came to be, in a general sense. More specifically, what was the process when writing and recording The Plan?
RedPrint: The first three (“Stop Running,” “Immersion,” and “Herd”) are started with ideas from our old guitarist/synthesizer player. But we all did our part in those. Basic concepts and a complete track are different things. He would not come up with the different bass parts in “Immersion,” for example. Also, the drums and bass are composed in the verse of “Immersion,” more than any other of our songs. “Herd” had the same chords in the verse and chorus, and only the bass and drums play a different part, so it sounds different.
But “Telephone” started with a bassline, Selinde came up with a vocal line, and the chorus was worked out pretty fast. It took one rehearsal to set up a basic song.
Of course, it takes a lot longer to structure it and make it into an actual song. Our guitarist played a heavy riff one time, and I really liked it. So I practiced it at home and somehow got back into the verse of “Telephone.” But to go from the verse to that riff (what is now the instrumental part) took some creative thinking. “Colour me Insane” also started with a bassline as did “Runaway” (not yet released, but you can find it in a live show on YouTube), so I guess now we start with a bassline. But our most recent project came to be after an acoustic session, and the vocals dictate the rest of the music. So it is not set in stone. If one of us has an idea and we can work with it, we work with it. It always stands or falls with if Selinde can sing in that key and find the right vocal line.
MM: What is your favorite song from the EP? Or perhaps I should phrase that question this way – is there a song that resonates with you more than the others?
RedPrint: Hmm, hard to pick a favorite. And I guess we all have a different opinion about it. For me, it would be either “Colour Me Insane,” because it’s a banger, or “Immersion,” because of the ending and the amount of work that went into it to reach the end result. But I know Selinde has a soft spot for “Telephone.” So opinions could be different between band members.
MM: What are RedPrint’s plans for the remainder of 2024?
RedPrint: At this moment, we can provide a date for when we will hit the studio again. We will record at least two tracks and maybe will do a surprise along with it. But that is still open for debate. The date is August 17th. Of course, we will need time to have it mixed and mastered, but it will probably hit the streaming services this year. We did talk about releasing it to Bandcamp first, and maybe having the indie radio stations that support us and many others spin it before it is available for streaming. We won’t be releasing all the songs at once this time either, but one every once in a while.
And if we run into any gigs, we are sure to take them. That is what we like to do most. Play in front of an audience is just the best.
MM: Is that – the audience – your favorite thing about performing?
RedPrint: Good question. Yes, the interaction with the audience. When they respond to us in a positive way, we will somehow get better. If it is because we get more confident or maybe magic, I cannot tell. But we do give that extra effort, so if we get a good audience, they get a good performance. When we get a great audience, they get a great performance. Not that we wouldn’t give our best if we played an empty room or watch the backs of a crowd, but it does help when they are enthusiastic.
MM: I definitely get how a great crowd can give you that boost. I’ve always heard that it’s a mutual thing: you feed off the audience, and they feed off of you, so everyone has to give energy and enthusiasm.
For y’all, how is playing live and recording in the studio connected? Do you think about how the songs will translate in a live performance?
RedPrint: We rent a rehearsal room. At home would disturb the neighbours too much. But this is certainly connected. We do think about things we add and how this might resonate with the audience. But also, we try not to overthink it. We are a band that tries to give that organic feel. We don’t overcompose individual parts, but do think about how a song flows as a whole and how an audience might experience this. Even when recording, we try to keep it as real as possible and not over produce. We won’t Sergeant Pepper our music and want to sound as live as possible. All our tracks are recorded as they are with the exception of some parts where we dubbed the guitar to give it a little extra and some ad libs in “Stop Running.” That’s the only thing we can’t duplicate live, but those parts are picked up by our bass player that gives it a little extra drive.
MM: Well, I look forward to the new music, and I envy those who get to see y’all play. Good luck on all your future endeavors, and thanks again for talking with me!
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You can keep up with all of RedPrint’s goings-on by following their socials, and be sure to check out their debut EP, The Plan, on your streaming service of choice!
Mostly Music 