Running Red Lights

Artist Information

Biography

Tammy was terminally timid and always afraid. In 1998 she walked out of the mountains of Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia and receded into the shadows of a courageous dreamer named Scarlett. Together they ran and in 2006 settled in Toronto to find love in the grasping arms of the music man. It was there, while waiting beside silent telephones, strumming E chords and scribbling words on bar room napkins, Scarlett met fellow dreamers, Sarnia natives, Dave Puzak (guitar) and Kevin Howley (drums/vocals). Dave had a lop-sided grin and the sort of eccentric brilliance equal to a mastered physicist. Kevin was a bottomless heart with an ancient soul and the talents of a time-honoured legend. Set against the backdrop of a dying afternoon around the kitchen table of a suburban Pickering townhouse, Running Red Lights was born. Determined and united, RRL began searching aimlessly through the rocky terrain of the music mountain for a voice they could call their own. Collectively, Scarlett, Dave and Kevin were tribal devotees of pensive storytelling and savoury pop melodies, however, a borage of individual influences drenched their burgeoning canvas with a mismatch of disordered sound. RRL spent almost 2 years on weathered stages fostering their craft and tossing still-born songs into forgotten graves until finally in 2008 the band’s kinetic onstage exploits aroused the ears of multi-Juno award winning producer, Gavin Brown (Billy Talent/Metric/Three Days Grace). The band spent over a year under Brown’s development and in 2009 celebrated the release of their first self-titled EP. Though the recording was a viable attempt at hook heavy, accessible pop/rock, the mutation seemed a disingenuous stretch from the artistic spirit that united the band originally. Nonetheless, shortly thereafter, following a union with Colin Lewis, Vice President of the renowned Agency Group, the band began promoting their new material at high-profile festivals and a score of smaller bars and clubs around Ontario. Highlights from this period include a knock-out opening performance for The Counting Crows at Rogers Sarnia’s BayFestival to a crowd of 15, 000. Amid such moments the dominion of the world felt approachable. However, gravity had different plans altogether.

In the beginning of 2010 a series of soul-sapping events lunged RRL into a struggle for survival. The band found themselves face down in furious creative and career disappointment. Abandoned by industry supporters, exhausted by pretension and cast between fierce ambition and retreat, Running Red Lights drained the tub and deconstructed themselves back to the roots. It was during this period the band met bass player, Jeff Carter. Jeff was an electrical storm of playful energy with inflammatory bass chops. His jovial and vibrant nature infused a much needed breath of sweet air into RRL’s inflating balloon. The band quickly shifted back into focus and a series of reflective and heavy hearted songs materialized during the early Spring of 2010. By the Summer of the same year RRL received a necessary injection of confidence after winning the annual Niagara Parks YouDiscover Concert series. An assortment of veritable names in the Canadian music industry endorsed the band as ‘Canada’s next biggest export’ and the endowment provided the band the opportunity to perform alongside Canadian Icons Kardinal Offishall, Barenaked Ladies and Great Big Sea at ET Canada’s New Years Eve celebration in Niagara Falls to a crowd of 30, 000 people and a viewership of 2 million nationally.

In January of 2011 RRL released their second EP, ‘Life Below the Red’. The 2 song prevue was a bittersweet articulation of the bands battle for integrity (Music in My Head) and also a liberating retreat to an adolescent naivety (Sour Grapes). The recordings were a prelude to a new and improving creative direction. In June of 2011 RRL entered and won the Kensington Sound Annual Songwriting contest.

Relics of harsh weather and prodigious wounds, the band spent much of 2011 rebuilding and self-healing in front of blank pages and studio microphones. A change of course allowed Kevin a further role as second lead vocalist. Together the band began to experiment with weaving harmonies built around intricate stories of duel perspective. The result was suggestive of the American classic pop band Fleetwood Mac. Dave’s sweeping, euphonious guitar style had elements of both playfulness and a spectral-like quality. Jeff’s melodic and driving bass work perfectly complimented the soulful nature of Kevin’s rhythms. The era of counterfeit creativity was over and Running Red Lights finally transposed themselves into the legitimate, sincere pop act they visualized from the beginning.

Toward the end of 2011, in an effort to bridge the hefty gap between the live show and the growing shift in creative direction, the band solicited the talents of Bob Ezrin protege and accomplished producer Brian Moncarz (The Junction, Moneen). During the course of Summer 2012 the band engrossed themselves in the writing and recording process and by the early winter of 2012 the band released their third EP, ‘Rose-Coloured Windows’.

Thus far the dawn of 2013 has been an unshackling experience. RRL is back on the assembly ground floor self-producing a debut full length album expected for release in the early Summer of 2013 . The band has recently released the live performance online web series ‘Telegrams from Room 25' to respectable viewership. RRL is playing across Canada VIA rail in April 2013 and is currently planning a West Coast and East Coast tour for Summer/Fall. ‘Born into a space between the notes of Fleetwood Mac and the words of Sylvia Plath,’ Running Red Lights will celebrate 7 years on March 23rd @ Cabin 5 (King/Richmond) in Toronto (www.canadianmusicfest).

Instrumentation

Kevin Howey - Drums & Vocals
Scarlett - Vocals/Percussion/Guitar
David Puzak - Guitar/Vocals
Jeff Carter - Bass/Vocals

Discography

*2009 SELF TITLED EP RELEASE
(Produced by Gavin Brown)

*2011 'Life Below the Red' EP RELEASE
(Produced by Daryn Barry)

*2012 'Rose-Colored Windows' EP RELEASE
(Produced by Brian Moncarz)

Official Website

http://www.runningredlights.com

Links

• Reverb Nation
• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace
• Soundcloud

Audio

• Mulberry Love
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• Dear Liza
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• Sour Grapes
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• How Your Silver Shines
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• Hero Butterflies
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Lyrics

• Dear Liza

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• CMW Concert Review-Running Red Lights [+ Show ]
  

  'Running Red Lights play songs about “sticky relationships” and heartbreak, but what sets their ...'Running Red Lights play songs about “sticky relationships” and heartbreak, but what sets their pop rock sound apart from the rest is their incredible ability to compose tracks with instrumentation that matches the emotional depth of their lyrics. Their show at Cabin Five was an exuberant display of their love of life and music and the poetic relationship between the two'.....

• Running Red Lights Live at The Peacock [+ Show ]
  

  'Ever woken up the morning after a concert with your ears ringing and your head pounding, ye...'Ever woken up the morning after a concert with your ears ringing and your head pounding, yet the only thought running through your mind is “Best. Night. Ever.” This happens very rarely but when it does, you know it was a concert for the books and that’s just how the Running Red Lights show went down last Thursday at The Peacock in Toronto'.

• youDiscover Series Crown its Champions [+ Show ]
  

  The decision is final. After a difficult deliberation, seven weeks of competitions, 22 independent m...The decision is final. After a difficult deliberation, seven weeks of competitions, 22 independent music artists and 22 comedians, the judges have made their choice. The band Running Red Lights of Toronto has been crowned musical champion, while Calwyn Shurgold, of Toronto has been selected best comic performer in this year’s youDiscover Summer Competition.
  
  As a result of their winning performance, Running Red Lights will now receive a recording contract from Orange Lounge Recordings. More importantly, their victory has now earned them the opening spot on the nationally broadcast New Year’s Eve show in Queen Victoria Park, in Niagara Falls.
  
  The Grand Finale, held on August 27, was hosted by The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) at its scenic Oakes Garden Theatre. Each of the final five artists and comics performed before a live audience and a panel of industry experts including one of last year’s finalists and one of Orange Lounge Recordings newest recording artists, Robyn Dell’Unto. Be sure to visit www.indiscover.net to watch videos from the Finale, which will be available online on Wednesday.
  
  “The level of talent we’ve witnessed over the past seven weeks is a testament to the quality and strength of our Canadian music and comedy scenes,” stated Daryn Barry, competition judge and Music Producer at Orange Lounge Recordings. “Picking the ultimate winners on Friday was an extremely difficult task. All of the finalists brought their ‘A’ games and all have the ability and talent to go places. All they needed was an opportunity, and that’s what youDiscover was all about.”
  
  The Grand Finale, held on August 27, was hosted by The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) at its scenic Oakes Garden Theatre. Each of the final five artists and comics performed before a live audience and a panel of industry experts including one of last year’s finalists and one of Orange Lounge Recordings newest recording artists, Robyn Dell’Unto. Be sure to visit www.indiscover.net to watch videos from the Finale, which will be available online on Wednesday.

• InDiscover Act to Take the Stage Alongside Kardinal Offishall, Barenaked Ladies and Great Big Sea
  

  InDiscover Act to Take the Stage Alongside Kardinal Offishall, Barenaked Ladies and Great Big Sea

• Running Red Lights have a Record Deal [+ Show ]
  

  Its been almost five years since I graduated from OIART. Most days i’m not sure how to feel about my...Its been almost five years since I graduated from OIART. Most days i’m not sure how to feel about my schooling there. I learned the in’s and out’s of the studios, I learned how to work ProTools, I learned all the technical mumbo jumbo that allows an engineer to do what he does.
  
  I did learn a lot from one of our year end projects. Our project was simple, engineer the song not produce, just engineer. Somehow I ended up playing producer for a bit, and to the dismay of my group and prof, the band encouraged me and let me do it, five years later here I am. No one knows how old i was at that time, and we’ll keep it that way.
  
  Its also been five years since i did my first session w/ RRL. Most engineer/producers get to work with really shitty bands to start out with, this band made me look good. This band to this day still inspires me to get better at what I do. From the moment I hit record and Scarlet stood in front of the U87 and blasted the lyrics of “So Lonely”, I woke up, i still vividly remember it was almost 10pm before we did vocals. The day was plagued with technical difficulties, band fights, production disagreements......

• Running Red Lights Sweeps Judges to Win it Big [+ Show ]
  

  It seems like a simple task. Listen to five bands, pick a winner, and watch a giant fireworks show. ...It seems like a simple task. Listen to five bands, pick a winner, and watch a giant fireworks show. Yes?
  
  Well, not exactly.
  
  The 2nd Annual YouDiscover Summer Concert series has run its course for the duration of the summer. And with the final five bands, Drive Faster, Infract, wordPEOPLE, People You Know, and Running Red Lights – a collection of quirky and rockin’ bands – competing for the win, Friday, the decision was no stroll in the park.
  
  But with an undeniably unique sound, something that meshes together Lights, Owl City, and an 80’s rock beat, it is no wonder why, after much deliberation, the music judges named Running Red Lights the 2010 YouDiscover Summer Concert Series winner.
  
  The five-piece collective originated from, well, all over the place. With members from East Coast, Sarnia, and Vancouver, these Cannucks are truly a diverse mix.
  
  Scarlett, lead vocalist of the group, said their set list for the finale YouDiscover Summer Concert was crafted as a high-energy 25-minute performance, not only to ‘wow’ judges but also to keep the crowd lively for a stellar evening.
  
  “It’s a 4-song set,” said the humble singer. “We changed things up, having our drummer, Kevin [Howley], sing.”
  
  Scarlett said Howley is a great vocalist, but doesn’t always get his chance to shine. And there was no better way to show off his talent than at the Oaks Garden Theatre, located in the heart of the tourist attractions, and overlooking the grand falls.
  
  With judges including a former YouDiscover artist, Robyn Dell’Unto (who is now gearing up for the release of her own debut album), to inDiscover music guru Daryn Barry, the win not only means a 2-song recording contract and a headline at Niagara’s New Years Eve concert, but also prestige, and that’s right, bragging rights.
  
  Don’t be fooled, though. The musical journey hasn’t always been a joy ride for Running Red Lights. Scarlett said the group has managed to progress, become better, and push forward after facing some tough challenges – a topic that raises a true, genuine emotion in the singer.
  
  “We have a real passion for music,” she said. “We’ve made it through a lot of adversity, struggles, and we’ve came out together … it’s a real camaraderie.”
  
  Congratulations Running Red Lights; a job well done!
  
  - Emily J.

• Band from InDiscover.net Signs Deal with InDiscover Recordings [+ Show ]
  

  2010's YouDiscover Summer Concert Series, featured right here on inDiscover.net was a HUGE success! ...2010's YouDiscover Summer Concert Series, featured right here on inDiscover.net was a HUGE success!
  
  With hundreds of acts signing up for the competition, 22 performing in Niagara Falls and 5 playing in our Finale...one band came out on top!
  
  Running Red Lights won this year's competition and just signed a deal with us!
  
  Check out the video below to see how it all went down!

• Running Red Lights and Winter Artwalk Return [+ Show ]
  

  TARA JEFFREY The Observer A weekend full of arts, culture and music in Sarnia's downtown is re...TARA JEFFREY
  
  The Observer
  
  A weekend full of arts, culture and music in Sarnia's downtown is ready to rock, with a concert at the Trinity Lounge.
  
  Running Red Lights will perform as part of a musical showcase to kickoff Winter Artwalk, which coincides with December's First Friday celebrations.
  
  "We are all very excited to perform at this years Winter Artwalk/First Friday," said Scarlett Flynn, the band's lead singer. "Especially since it has been so long since our last visit to Sarnia."

• Hometown favorites Running Red Lights kick off BayFest
  

  'Hometown Favorites Running Red Lights Kick off BayFest'

• The 'up-and-coming' Running Red Lights has no shortage of momentum
  

  'The up-and-coming' Running Red Lights has no shortage of momentum

• Running Red Lights guitarist Dave Puzak plays during the bands set at BayFest 2009
  

  Running Red Lights guitarist Dave Puzak plays during the bands set at BayFest 2009

Setlist

Mulberry Love
Sour Grapes
Dear Liza
Love Letter Airplanes
By Your Side
In Parenthesis
How Your Silver Shines
Under the Wire

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

Hospitality Rider

Calendar