Describing their music as “Fast paced, power-pop inspired punk music with a surf edge”, Red Temples have made one hell of an impression following the release of their debut EP Queen/Spring/Intrepid. As confusing as their self-description may sound, it will sink in once you’ve had listen to the first 30 seconds of any of their songs. With the fast paced and busy beats, the punk/ska vibes come through, but when the electric guitar sound kicks in, you can really hear the “surf edge”.
Charging outta New York City is garage pop collective Red Temples. Their ability to dance between genres is as admirable as their humans rights stance.
Formed in the summer of 2014 in New York and Connecticut, the EP was produced and mixed with Tom Boudreau at Bonehead Studios in Cheshire, Connecticut. Red Temples came around after the dissolution of a few other bands, and is the main project of their front man, Evan Moore. The group’s name was inspired by a Rocky Erickson song Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer), so it’s safe to say Erickson has been a major influence on the band. They also claim to take musical influence from artists and bands such as a the 13th Floor Elevators, Velvet Underground, Dick Dale, Nick Cave and Patti Smith, just to name a few. I think they have a really similar sound to 90’s punk band Rancid, and can’t help compare Evan Moore’s vocals to Robert Smith’s of The Cure…this combination makes for some awesome musical talent!
This sound is particularly evident in their song Intrepid. It starts off sounding like an 80’s English punk track, then at the 1 minute 50 mark, everything mellows down and you feel like you’re listening to a Californian surf song (makes you want to be sipping a Corona on sunny Venice Beach, not sitting in a stinking hot bedroom with no air conditioning). The last minute of the song is a complete mixture of these two sounds, and the way this single has been produced, the two genres of music are blended so well, giving Intrepid a really smooth and polished flow. Having expressed their belief in feminism and human rights such as anti-racism and anti-homophobia, this may be a theme we see emerge as the band evolves and produces more sweet tunes.
Although they are currently playing small gigs around New York, I think that as the band gains more recognition, they have the potential to make a name for themselves. While there is so much electro and indie pop music leading the charts at the moment, Red Temples have such a unique sound and really have the ability to stand out. So head on over to their social pages and have a listen, fans of raw garage pop will not be disappointed!
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