DO you know what's great about Dave Grohl? If you're lacking a drummer and ask very nicely, you might just end up with Grohl rolls on your recordings.
"Our label manager sent him our track I Love Lamp and Dave's response was, 'Yeah, I like this, I'll come in,'" explains RDGLDGRN guitarist, Red. "The second or third take he did, he nailed it. He was like, 'Cool. Do you have any more?'"
A fellow Virginian, Grohl had a genuine appreciation of the colour-coded band's jumble of DC-style 'go-go' rhythms, rap vocals and indie rock riffs. And for good reason - the last band to cross the rock hip- hop divide this credibly was Rage Against The Machine.
But while you can hear Tom Morello's tonal influence all over whammy-laden hip-hop headbanger Million Fans, Red's no imitator, and cites Daron Malakian, Mike Einziger and Stevie Ray Vaughan as influences. Clearly, a style that diverse requires a flexible instrument.
"I play a PRS Custom 24," says Red. "I have five pickup options... They're so different, I can change my tone by just switching."
Other essentials for the guitarist are a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp and, if you've not figured it out by now, an extensive collection of red clothing.
"[The colours thing] wasn't something that we decided when we made the band and had a meeting," explains Red. "I just noticed that I liked red things. After that, the others were like, 'Well, I'm not red. I'm green!' Or 'I'm gold!'"
It's a bit childish, but when you learn that the whole band worked at daycare centres prior to going full-time, you realise that's kind of the point. "With adults, things get complicated," says Red. "Kids wear their hearts on their sleeves and things are very simple. That's why we make the music we make: because it's fun!"
For more information visit the official RDGLDGRN website or connect with the band on Facebook and Twitter.
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“There’s three of us playing guitar in Foo Fighters… A lot of tone details can get lost, which is what drew me to the Cleaver – that P-90 cut”: Chris Shiflett on how he found his weapon of choice with his Fender Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe
“People have used it as their wedding song. I often think, ‘Hey, did you listen to the lyrics?’”: The classic number one hit with a sting in its tail
