:: Redtrack marked as a UK band to watch in 2010

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

Redtrack recently won the Hollyoaks Music Show competition and appeared on the Channel 4 soap. The Hollyoaks Music Show is designed to find the best unsigned band for a future episode of the soap. Bands were invited to upload a track to the programme’s website and from hundreds of entries the top nine were selected to perform on a series. Each group was mentored by Hollyoaks stars and viewers voted for their favourite. The trio were mentored by Hollie-Jay Bowes, who plays Michaela McQueen in the show. The Essex band beat off stiff competition over 10 weeks.

On winning, Redtrack said: “We were up against some really good bands and we were all really evenly matched, so to win the unsigned act competition is fantastic! We've now become mates with a couple of the bands from the show and we met Chipmunk, so it's been a really good experience for us. Our mentor Hollie-Jay helped us a lot. She was really cool and supportive.” Hollyoaks star Hollie-Jay said: “I'm really chuffed Redtrack won the competition. They're a wicked band.”

Redtrack were born late in 2006 and quickly the band were “discovered” by London management/ production company Northern Blue Music. At the time RedTrack had no studio experience and about eight songs. Northern Blue planted RedTrack in Maple Recording Studios in Southend-on-Sea and by March 2007 the band were deemed ready to record their debut single.

The band were due in the studio to record ‘Pretty Boy/Inside’ on March 11 2007. The day before their studio debut, band member Phil Blake was attacked by two men wearing tracksuits and baseball caps. The attackers shot Phil in the leg with an air-rifle and hacked him with a meat-cleaver on the head and across his forearm. Phil had 20 stitches in his head and needed emergency microsurgery on the severed tendons in his arm. Phil permanently lost the use of two fingers on his left hand. Not good for anyone, let alone a bass player the day before he was due to record his debut single. In August 2007 Redtrack got back in the studio with Phil on the bass and the band were able to record and release their first single, ‘Pretty Boy/Inside’, in October 2007.

The single received some great reviews and saw Redtrack featured as Band of the week on Steve Lamacqs Radio 1 show ‘In new music we trust’. On the strength of the single and their great live shows Redtrack also got some great supports with bands including The Maccabees, The View and Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly. The band‘s second release, the EP 'Wait Around/Miss You Not’ released July 2008, featured on Zane Lowe's “Fresh Meat”, and was championed by Colin Murray of Radio 1 and again by Steve Lamacq on 6 Music. Billy has also performed an acoustic session for Kerrang Radio.

You can catch Redtrack live at the following venues and festivals:

March 30 - The Gaff, London
April 2 - Islington Academy, London
April 8 - Pulse, Barnsley
April 9 - Club 85, Hitchin
April 10 - Strummerville Fest @ Music Cafe, Leicester
April 16 - Timepiece, Exeter
April 20 - Chinnerys, Southend (w/ Good Shoes)
May 7 - Charlie Brown's Party, Luton
May 8 - Torquay International Riviera Centre, Torquay
May 9 - Ride Cafe, Plymouth
May 12 - Hector's House, Brighton
May 22 - The Hippo, Plymouth
June 6 - Carnaby Street 60's weekend festival 2010
June 19 - Might Dub Festival, Newcastle
July 27 - Bomfest, Barnsley
August 12 - Moorfest, North Yorkshire
September 10 - Peterlee Leisure Centre, Co Durham
September 11 - Ivy Live Festival, Exeter
October 9 - Oxford Uni

Redtrack release the single ‘Perfectly Fine Intellectual / Imogen’ on the Club Fandango label on Monday May 31.

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**Update as at August 6, 2010**

Redtrack have recorded their debut album and are now looking to make their fan base as big as possible with a number of gigs and they have recently been selected to play the Reading & Leeds Festivals. The two festivals start on Friday, August 27 and run until Sunday, August 29 2010.

To see how vibrant this band is, check out the video for recent single ‘Perfectly Fine Intellectual’ here

There is also a link to a free download - the song ‘Imogen’. Click here to listen.

The band‘s debut album 'Whole Town’s Heart’ will be issued in September 2010 on Label Fandango. Look out for a contribution from Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks) as he has been greatly impressed with the guys. They produce catchy, danceable pop-punk with plenty of drive and fire. Watch out for bigger and better things from Redtrack in the future.

Upcoming gigs
August 27/28/29 - READING/LEEDS FESTIVAL
September 1 - LONDON Kentish Town Bull & Gate (reopening party w/ Pete & The Pirates)
September 9 - DUNDEE Fat Sams (w/ The Buzzcocks)
September 10 - EDINBURGH Liquid Rooms (w/ The Buzzcocks)
September 11 - EXETER Ivy Live
October 9 - OXFORD University