5 Questions With: Red Pants
The Madison- based indie band stops by to talk about their new record, what's next for them, and bouncy houses.
Good morning!
Today we’re talking with Madison, WI-based band Red Pants
Jason Lambeth and Elsa Nekola are the musicians behind Madison, WI’s Red Pants band. Having previously released a couple of LPs and several EPs, they are now releasing their latest, “Not Quite There Yet,” out today (10/27) via Meritorio Records.
Part of the band’s appeal is their layered, dense sound. It’s one that’s full of textures and sounds that reveal more of themselves with each listen. Lambeth is an accomplished artist; the sound reflects the collages and other art he creates daily.
Similarly, Nekola is a talented author, and her steady rhythm keeps everything moving along the way it should. Listeners get a bit of harmonics, plenty of fuzz, and a sound not unlike early Yo La Tengo.
I first connected with Lambeth over a shared love of a local radio show on the University of Wisconsin’s station. He sent me a copy of their Gentle Centuries EP, and I was hooked- they quickly became one of my favorite bands, so having a chance to feature them here is a treat.
Several weeks ago, I described the sound of “Watch The Sky” as:
at once fuzzy and clear. Noisy and subdued. It’s lo-fi. It’s shoegaze-ish. Think early Sonic Youth, early Yo La Tengo, or anytime Galaxie 500. There are plenty of 90s influences, but the sound is very much 2023, with everything economical and in just the right amounts. The edges are rough but not too harsh. The lyrics are wistful. The riffs are alternately jangly and jagged but not abrasive.
The resulting mix is a catchy, pop-centric track that reveals more of itself with each play.
Having heard the entire record, I can say that description fits across the board. There are hushed vocals, songs that build to great crescendos, and fantastic hooks guiding you along every step of the way.
For this record, the band has signed with Meritorio Records. Being signed to the label has taken all of the business-side work off the duo’s shoulders and allowed them to focus on making the record—the result being their strongest outing to date. It’s also meant having a Red Pants release available on vinyl, with Lambeth doing the cover art.
I recently had a chance to catch up with the band via email. In a wide-ranging chat, we discuss how the pair came together, Pet Sounds, bouncy houses at shows, and the music.
Our chat has been lightly edited for clarity/flow.
For me, album artwork is one of the most important parts of completing the package. I was beyond thrilled to get the opportunity to design the ins and outs of the record sleeve.
~Jason Lambeth
KA: Can you fill in a little bit of your backstory? Walk us through what made you get started playing. Are there any other bands the two of you are/were involved in?
JL: I came to music pretty late. I grew up focusing on art and was more of an avid listener and collector. For some reason, when I was in my early 20s, I got it in my head that I should start a band. I was a huge R.E.M. fan, so naturally, I wanted to shave my head and be a frontman.
A couple of years later, I found myself playing keys/organ in a band called The Hex around Oklahoma City. Around the same time, I started a project called el-tin fun, which went on for about ten years. Somewhere in there, I had one other project with a friend of mine (Bobby Lee) called Animal or Vegetable.
As far as Elsa’s history goes, she’s been playing in bands around Madison since she was 14! She and her husband, Wes, had a project called Treefort and released an album in 2012. She also put out an EP under the name Images in 2019. Both projects are fantastic and worth tracking down!
KA: Congrats on the new record! How did ‘Not Quite There Yet’ come about?
JL: Thank you! We just kept writing songs after we were done recording our last album When We Were Dancing. We had taken to sometimes playing quietly in my basement and thought it would be cool to make an acoustic EP on my 4-track, and that ended up becoming the Gentle Centuries EP.
At the same time, we were starting to record this album. I would set up microphones on Elsa’s drums and a mic on my amp and record every time we got together at the foundry. Then we’d go through the recordings, pick out the best takes, and begin the overdubs.
Over the course of a year, we amassed about twenty or so songs. At the start of this year, we really honed in on what would become the album and finished off the overdubs. But we were recording right up until the week that I turned in the album to Meritorio.
KA: The record was recorded at The Foundry and The Green Monster. Is the Foundry Madison Music Foundry?
JL: Yes, it is. I kind of forget that its real name is Madison Music Foundry because my texts to Elsa are usually, “want to jam at the foundry?” I’ve been referring to it as The Foundry in liner notes since our first album. We usually record the drums and my main guitar there because we can be as loud as we want. Then we do all the overdubs in my basement (The Green Monster).
KA: I’ve previously compared your sound to Low, Yo La Tengo, and Galaxie 500. Do you agree with those? Who would you include on that list?
JL: I am honored to be compared to those three. Yo La Tengo and Low have been obsessions of mine throughout my adult life. I’ve listened to all of Galaxie 500’s albums here and there, but not as much as I should have. Some others that get thrown around are Stereolab (because I love analog keyboards) and Guided by Voices (because we sometimes record on 4-tracks).
KA: For this record, you signed with Meritorio Records. What has that meant for Red Pants, production/distribution-wise, and as for you as an indie artist?
JL: The biggest thing production-wise is having the album released on vinyl. For me, album artwork is one of the most important parts of completing the package. I was beyond thrilled to get the opportunity to design the ins and outs of the record sleeve.
It seems like Meritorio really has things together for distribution overseas. I ran a DIY tape label for a few years; shipping overseas was always the most stressful aspect of it. Luckily, we didn’t lose too many tapes. But having that off my shoulders is AMAZING!
KA: You recently played your first show in a few years. How’d it go? Can we expect more dates to come?
JL: It was so fun! It was an outdoor Halloween party with a bounce house (which kept my seven-year-old very busy). Playing in front of people again felt good, and everyone seemed to dig it. It’s just hard to schedule things when you have a family and day jobs to tend to. Personally, I am an early riser, so staying out late isn’t that appealing to me. Give me a slot in the afternoon somewhere, and I think we can make it happen. Put it in a bounce house, and we are definitely in.
KA: Anything else we didn’t cover that you’d like to add?
JL: I will take this opportunity to say thank you so much for sharing all of the singles with your community! And for the questions! I’m so happy I discovered your Substack; I love popping in here every week to see what everyone is listening to!
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Red Pants | Not Quite There Yet, 2023
Click on the record to listen on your platform of choice.
To connect with the band and purchase their music, click here:
| Bandcamp | Meritorio Records | Jason’s website | Elsa’s website | Instagram |
5 Questions:
1. Describe your music style in one sentence.
Noise pop/rock with tender hearts.
2. What music played in your house(s) growing up?
[None] that I can remember. A little Kenny Rogers or Dolly Parton, maybe.
3. What are you listening to these days?
2023 has been a great year. So many fantastic albums out there. Some of my favorites from this year include:
Ex Pilots - S/T
Gaadge - Somewhere Down Below
Special Friend - Wait Until the Flames Come Rushing In
Lewsberg - Out and About
Melenas - Ahora
American Analog Set’s discography to prepare for their new album coming out.
I could go on, but I will stop.
4. What are your 5 Desert Island Discs?
This is the hardest question ever!
Me:
R.E.M. - Reckoning
Sonic Youth - Washing Machine
The Velvet Underground - S/T
Women - Public Strain
Yo La Tengo - Electr-o-pura
Elsa:
The Zombies - Odyssey and Oracle
Television - Marquee Moon
Big Star - #1 Record
The Mice - For Almost Ever/ Scooter
The Kinks - Something Else, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) - TIE because you can’t choose just one Kinks album
5. If you could collaborate with any artist/band, who would it be?
Jason: Ohhh.. Chad VanGaalen! I would pack us up and drive to his studio, have him play with us, and record us in a heartbeat.
Elsa: It would be insane to record with Chad, but also have the backing band be the Wrecking Crew (band that recorded Pet Sounds with Brian Wilson) and also Brian Eno would be there, and see what happens.
Chad, if you're reading this, let’s make it happen.
Thanks to Jason and Elsa for stopping by, and thank you for being here,
Kevin—
Thanks so much Kevin!!