Coming out of Seattle Washington, December In Red is one of Hard Rock’s newest bands ready to make a big statement. Originally formed back in 2009, the band was brought together by previous experience, a variety of influence, and a passion to want to play music. With their new album, The Way Out, released via CaviGold Records in April, December In Red has been receiving a slew of positive feedback from music listeners as well as critics, ensuring they are well on their way to big things. Recently we sat down with Lead Vocalist Del McGeachy for a look into the history of the band, the writing process behind their latest album, band chemistry, and more.
CrypticRock.com – December in Red came together back in 2009. Tell us, what first brought the band together?
Del McGeachy – After spending the better part of our lives being in bands and working to push those projects, this band came together very casually just for the purpose of making some music and having fun without any of the pressure that comes with being a working band. Before December In Red, I played in other projects over the years with Guitarist Dan Gardner, and Bassist Colbey Schnelle, so there is a lot of built in chemistry within the group. We started with our good friends Bryan McKagan and Josh Dwyer on bass and drums up until we were finishing work on our self-titled album in mid-2012 We were in love with where this band was going and made the switch from casual project to hard-working band pretty quickly, which led to Colbey taking over on bass and Marc stepping up as our new Drummer. We have not looked back since then. We are always surprising ourselves and reaching to up our game.
CrypticRock.com – That is very interesting. Sometimes when you least expect it something great comes along. The band recently released their new full-length record, The Way Out. What was the writing and recording process like for this record?
Del McGeachy – The Way Out was recorded in a much shorter time than our self-titled first album. We made this album with CaviGold Records at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, which was a serious treat for us since it is such a musical landmark, especially here in Seattle. We were in there every day for only a few weeks experimenting with different sounds and immersing ourselves in the process. I think that led to the album sounding like a full cohesive piece and that is what we were really aiming for with this collection of songs.
CrypticRock.com – The record has a mix of heavy and more somber melodic dark parts. Was it important for the band to combine these elements for a proper balance?
Del McGeachy – We have always spanned a wide range of styles with this band. It is important to us to have every song develop its own vibe and to have a purpose with where it goes artistically. One of my favorite things about this album is how well it shows the versatility and how the songs flow together even though they are so much different from each other.
- CaviGold Records
CrypticRock.com – That is very true. Another aspect of this record is it seems the band is not following any trends and doing what inspires them. What are some of the inspirations behind the songs off of The Way Out?
Del McGeachy – The band progressed a lot between the time we released the first album and The Way Out. We all really developed ourselves individually and as a group, sharpening ourselves as musicians and stretching the boundaries of what we can do together in the writing process. All of us have different musical tastes and we are not afraid to let all of those unexpected influences shine through in subtle ways. There are a lot of things on the new album that people would not expect to hear on their first listen through.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, the record certainty has that diversity and it is recommended to listen through it a couple of times to adsorb it. You are about to release a new single and video for “Hadouken” that features Jahred from (Hed) p.e. What can you tell us about the song and the music video? Did Jahred have any input in the song writing?
Del McGeachy – CaviGold Records really hooked us up with the opportunity to do a track with Jahred. We found out that we were going to get him for a song right before we went into pre-production for the album and we put this song together keeping his cameo in mind. He sent us the verse he wrote for it and then came up to Seattle for a couple days to help finish up the track and to shoot the video. The video shoot was very cool because it was shot right there at Robert Lang’s where the song was recorded. It felt like shooting the video was the final piece to putting it together and having the song completely in the bag instead of making a video independently from the experience of recording the song. Having been (Hed) p.e. fans for so long, working with Jahred in the studio was a surreal experience for us. He was really fun to work with.
- CaviGold Records
CrypticRock.com – Sounds like a great experience. It can be very hard for a young band to make it in today’s music industry. How does the band approach the obstacles ahead and how important it is for everyone to be on the same page?
Del McGeachy – Communication is a necessary ingredient in a band that works so hard and spends so much time together. We have had to be mindful to take each other’s needs and concerns seriously and stick together. If something is a concern for one member, it has to be a concern for the rest of us. At this point where we are making major life changes to accommodate a busy tour schedule, we have been taking more time for ourselves when we are not on the road and making family a priority as much as possible. When you do not have as much time for your family, and other things aside from the band, you have to learn how to make all of the time you do have really count.
CrypticRock.com – Well it is great that you have that unified outlook toward the band. December In Red is currently playing shows in your Washington state area. Are there plans for more national tour dates in the near future?
Del McGeachy – We just finished up a few weeks on the road in early June with the (Hed) p.e. guys through much of the Midwest and Southwest states, which was our second tour so far. There has not been as much time to play out in our own region, but we are doing our best to put on special shows and events for our people here as well as be a part of some of the great shows that go on in the Pacific Northwest. We received a huge response everywhere we have been so far and we are still in contact with some of the people we have met out on the road. Getting back to those spots as soon as possible is a big priority along with playing as many places that we have not yet been to. We have just started working with a new agency who is working their ass off for all of their bands, so we will be starting up a busy schedule of shows all across The States this Fall.
CrypticRock.com – That is good news. With this record out now, is the band actively writing any new material? If so, what direction do you see the music going in the future?
Del McGeachy – We are always writing new material, even now that we are working to support the new album. Our first two tours were like boot camp for bands in the way that we are getting much better at feeling out the crowds and pulling people in. Those high energy shows are our best feature as a band and the new material is going to push that to the next level. We are getting stronger with accenting the things that we are best at and going harder with everything in general.
CrypticRock.com – It will be interesting to see where the band goes from here. The sound will obviously continuously progress. What are some of your musical influences? Coming from Seattle, Washington, one can imagine you grew up around a lot of great Rock-n-Roll.
Del McGeachy – I have spent most of my life here, and the big Seattle boom happened right before I was getting into my teens. It had a huge impact on me and my playing. So much of the music that came about then is still a huge part of my inspiration. This city has always had a great artistic vibe to me.
CrypticRock.com – Seattle definately has a great musical culture. My last question for you is pertaining to movies. CrypticRock.com covers music and Horror films. If you are a fan of Horror films, what are some of your favorite Horror films?
Del McGeachy – I love Horror films, but I have not gotten deep enough into the genre to have as good of an answer to this question as I would like to. I have friends who are big time into Horror and they would call me a poser if I tried to sound like an expert. That being said, I like the classic ones with low budget special effects for the cheese factor, but I also get into the newer ones that have a lot of CGI. To name a couple, I would have to say A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) or Hellraiser series for the old ones, Insidious (2010), Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007), and House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) for the newer ones. For movies of other genres, Comedy is always a solid choice. Aside from that, I tend to dig the ones that are hard to figure out until the end and you keep noticing new things every time you watch it like Fight Club (1999). Also, I am into anything involving time travel or the multiverse theory.
- New Line Cinema
- New World Pictures
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