Interview: Ben Lohle of Redlands

Redlands are a rock band from Denver, Colorado. Coming together in January 2014, the band have steadily been gaining a dedicated fanbase with their infectious and melodic sound. Recently, Legendary Kids Press was able to speak with lead vocalist Ben Lohle about their new EP, Adventurer.
How would you describe Redlands to those who have never listened to the band before?
We’re an all-American rock band from Denver, Colorado. Our style varies, but we have our own sound within that.
What made you decide to pursue music for a living?
I’ve always had a passion for music and I think when I realized you could do it for a living, I was always just interested. When I was in junior high, [going] into high school, my friends would always have bands, so I was able to teach myself a few things and apply [them] to something that would later become Redlands.
You’ve had the opportunity to work with Sean and Alex Silverman of This Century. How was it working with the two?
It was great being able to take tracks to songwriters as experienced as them and have their influence on it. They were the most relaxed dudes I have ever met and worked with on a creative level.
You’ll be releasing your new EP, Adventurer, this July. What was the recording process like?
The recording process was actually the same. The way Redlands [has] worked since I started the band is that I have the initial idea and direction I want to go [in] and I record a compete demo of that idea. In this case, I worked with Sean and Alex Silverman since, at the time, my band wasn’t really a band, but I didn’t want that to hold me back from doing what I wanted to do as a musician. So I went to Arizona and recorded and co-wrote with some people I can now call my friends.
Now, this album wasn’t recorded live like The Lonewolf EP. What we did, since we already had the songs in mind, was just mock up some drums and started tracking each instrument individually.
How would you say it differs from 2014′s The Lonewolf?
The album has a lot more pop influence, but you’ll find ties back to The Lonewolf EP with tracks like “Leather Boots”.
You steadily released tracks from the EP during the months before its release. How have fans reacted to the new music overall?
We’re such a small band it’s hard to tell. Our first single was a huge hit and we managed to gain a lot of attention from that, but it’s kind [of] been a dwindling effect since we don’t have thousands and thousands of dollars or a company to push our music with.
Do you have any plans to tour in support of Adventurer?
We’d love to, trust me, but it’s just not realistic. We’ll be playing here and there regionally, [as well as] trying to branch out as much as we can.
What would you say has been your highlight of 2015 thus far?
I think releasing this new album has been a relief and playing South By So What?!
If you could collaborate with any band or artist, who would it be and why?
I love Ryan Adams and that’s a direction I plan on taking my songwriting, whether Redlands is a longterm thing or not. I would love to sit down and pick his brain.
Last question: What’s your go-to karaoke song?
So I have this immense hatred for covering other peoples’ songs, but I would probably cover “Free Falling” by Tom Petty or “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard.
Adventurer is currently available on iTunes, and be sure to follow Redlands on Facebook and Twitter.
