Originally from Brandon but now based out of Hattiesburg, Red Hill City is currently playing shows in Mississippi to promote their new album, This Time Next Year. After playing at the Thirsty Hippo Tuesday in Hattiesburg, Red Hill City moved on to Starkville for a show at the State Theatre, enlisting the help of local bands Young Agent Jones and Soul Gravy.
Red Hill City features Tyler King on guitar and vocals, Josh Myers on drums and percussion, Joseph Regan on lead guitar, bassist Grant O’Brien and Ben McCain on keyboard and synthesizer. McCain also serves as the band’s utility man, playing accordion, bells and marimba.
McCain said seeing a concert by cerebral folk-pop band The Decemberists is the reason for the addition of the accordion to their ensemble.
The band’s musical influences range from The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins and The Appleseed Cast.
“We take a lot from our influences, and it kind of gets all combined and creates something new,” Regan said.
Red Hill City formed late in 2004 around the core of King, Myers and McCain. They met in Brandon while in various praise bands. McCain said he remembers Myers practicing while they were neighbors. King and Myers met through a home-school organization. Regan and O’Brien joined in early 2005.
After this week Myers said the band will focus on distribution and moving their music to the national level.
“This is the big week,” Myers said referring to the Band’s CD release show.
This Time is Red Hill City’s first full-length album, composed of 11 tracks which the memebers recorded at Cool Waters Studio in Clinton, the same place the band recorded its 2006 EP, Ill Attempts. The band meembers said they just finished mastering, designing and packaging This Time last week.
Work began on the songs that would become This Time shortly after recording Ill Attempts.
On the album, their musical influences become apparent. The track “The Fondren District” is reminiscent of The Decemberists with shades of Death Cab, while “The Engineers” shows a side of Modest Mouse. Also, there is a feel of British rockers Muse in some of their songs, especially live.
King’s voice sometimes has a certain broken vulnerability, not unlike Bright Eyes’ singer Connor Oberst, which fits well with Red Hill City’s sound.
King jokingly credits former Creed lead singer Scott Stapp as a major influence on his singing.
He credits his parents, who were both singers, as the major contributors to his singing style. He is a big fan of Iron & Wine and Simon & Garfunkel.
Red Hill City’s shows are both energetic and fun. Between songs, after a near spill while jumping around pumping up the crowd, Reagan then said, “Did you see that? That was the closest I’ve ever come to falling during a show.”
“The Fondren District,” a crowd favorite, features O’Brien and McCain both shedding their respective instruments to play tandem on a marching bass drum, while McCain also plays kazoo.
Starting off with Death Cab-like drums, another song, “Have We Ghosts Here?” is underscored by King’s vocals as the song builds. The song also features McCain with a solo on xylophone.
Myers said in addition to the band’s musical performances, it tries to support other artists while it plays. “We’re definitely trying to keep the arts involved in what we’re doing,” Myers said, “We’re trying to implement as many visual arts as we can.”
At the band’s next show, in Swellvenue, Tristan Barlow, an artist from Brandon will interpret the energy of the band and the crowd by painting on blank canvases during the concert. They will also play short films in between bands.
After the show, King said, “The Starkville crowd is always good. We have a good time every time we come up here.”
Jason Jones of Young Agent Jones, spoke highly of the band, describing Red Hill City as a “great bunch of guys doing the best electro-esque pop rock in the Southeast.”
While the crowd was very receptive and crowd size was respectable, concertgoer Kristen Buntin said she wished more people knew about bands like Red Hill City.
“It’s a shame that Starkville people don’t come to support more bands that are this good,” Buntin said.
This Time Next Year will soon be available online through the band’s Myspace or through iTunes.