The Redding Brothers

It's been said before, though not likely since "MMMBop" squeaked through FM radios in 1997.

Damn Hanson.

See, if those three moppets hadn't emerged from the Oklahoma bunker in which they were homeschooled and became big rock stars with inevitable Macaulay Culkin futures, we might have more fun with Redding.

Try this on: Three brothers, ages 16 to 22. Growing up in the backwoods of Marysville, Wash., where they, like, create a familywide publishing empire and paint baffling pictures and do all kinds of creative-backwoods-genius-brothers things until ONE DAY, elder Redding Micah sings in a coffeeshop and is told he sounds like Fred Rogers, he of the Mr. and the Neighborhood. Inspired beyond belief, Micah rewrites Rogers' theme song into one of love, longing and midtempo Matchbox 20-isms and ropes along bros Josiah and Gabriel for a ride up the pop charts.

But nooooo. Hanson beat 'em to it. Instead, the brothers Redding have a five-song demo (led with "Mr. Rogers") that's well-executed, well-sung and, well, not nearly as interesting as the story of their improbable ride to stardom. Maybe if they were, like, ex-spouses from Detroit ...

Self-released; www.reddingbrothers.com

- Bellingham Herald

These days, REDDING is a Northwest-based band composed of 3 brothers who perform all-original alternative rock.

But in 1996, they were just a few guys without much of a plan. That is, until a few friends dared them to write a song. The brothers wrote three. Then they wrote three more. In fact, they never stopped. Drawing on their diverse life experiences, their nationwide travels, and their odd sense of humor, the Redding Brothers managed to write an average of three songs per day for years. Their music has proven to be simultaneously serious, ironic, and catchy. And although they classify their music as alternative rock, their songs also draw inspiration from both folk and punk influences.

The three Redding Brothers are Micah, Siah, and Gabriel. Micah plays acoustic and electric guitar, and writes most of the more rock-influenced songs. Siah plays bass and keyboard, and adds a folkish sound on occasion. Gabriel is the drummer, and writes punk and emo influenced songs. They all stand in as lead singer, depending on the song.

Over the years, each of the Reddings have been involved in many different musical activities. They have traveled with choruses, performed in talent shows and coffeeshops, and played at graduation parties and birthdays. They even spent several years traveling and performing with a group in which Gabriel was able to wow audiences with his original style of beatboxing. But until they started doing their own thing, it just didn't feel right.

When Micah graduated from college in May, the brothers took time off from performing to record a demo/sample CD in the studio they had set up in their basement. They padded the walls with t-shirts, tacked sheets to the ceiling, and propped Micah's mattress up as a sound barrier. The resulting CD, titled "Rough Draft", has five tracks, containing a sampling of each of the brothers' songs. They are selling it in person and online at their website.

Since the completion of their CD, REDDING has begun aggressively pursuing venues. They have performed in local coffeeshops, self-organized underground concerts, and the Everett SausageFest, a yearly event which draws over 25,000 people. They have been interviewed in newspapers such as the Marysville Globe and the Arlington Times.

The Reddings plan to become well-known in the local music community, branching out to do concerts across the state of Washington. They are also pursuing an aggressive internet marketing campaign, and hope to eventually leverage themselves into a national market.

For more information, check them out at www.reddingbrothers.com

- Shoreline Ebbtide

by Beth Kinder, 18 February 2006

The Redding Brothers, consisting of 24-year-old Micah, 22-year-old Josiah and 19-year-old Gabe, is an alternative rock trio originally from Charleston that now resides in Nashville. The group has performed locally at coffee shops, teen clubs and even a Catholic school. In December, Teays Valley Cinema hosted a concert by the guys — its first ever non-movie event.

On Friday, the group will be back to perform one last show at the theater. No, the guys aren’t splitting up — they’re saying goodbye to West Virginia before making their final move to Nashville.

The show, a two-hour “History of the Redding Brothers” set, will feature music spanning the band’s career, from early works in 1995 to brand-new material from today. Local songwriters Bug Lilly and Jessica Saunders will open the show and Z-Rock 94.5’s Mark Atkinson will emcee.

Though the band consists of three brothers whose last name is Redding, Micah isn’t content with that as an explanation of how the band got its name. Displaying his sense of humor, he joked, “We have always been a big fan of Otis Redding and the Doobie Brothers, so we mixed the two names together and came up with the Redding Brothers.”

Gabe was next to show his silly side. When asked about the group’s main influences, he immediately responded, “I am.”

However, according to Josiah and Micah, the guys’ real influences include R.E.M., Johnny Cash, the Beatles and Buddy Holly as well as many late ’90s alternative rock artists such as Matchbox 20, Weezer and Semisonic, which Gabe finally admitted was his main influence.

Just because they like to have fun, though, doesn’t mean the band isn’t serious about its music. The Redding Brothers’ debut CD “Wisdom from the Green Shag Carpet” was released in August, following the EPs “Rough Draft” (in 2003) and “Green Shag Carpet Sneak Peek” (in 2004).

The group sells other merchandise, ranging from the typical T-shirts, buttons and stickers to the less common lanyards, magnets, bracelets and other unusual items. “We are always sitting around trying to think of strange objects to put our name on,” Josiah said.

The official merchandise is only available through the brothers’ Web site (www.reddingbrothers.com), but the CDs can also be found at a number of other Internet retailers including Amazon, Apple iTunes and CD Baby.

Having been a band for more than a decade and brothers for longer than that, the three guys are full of interesting stories. For instance, they gleefully recounted the time they nearly landed in jail.

“We almost got arrested one time. We were going down the Kanawha River on a rubber raft going to the dam. Some civilians saw us and called the cops thinking we were terrorists,” the brothers said, all chiming in on the story.

They also discussed their love of thrift stores, which they visit for fun while on tour. “Most of my clothes were bought at thrift stores,” said Gabe, who also likes to find 5 1/4-inch floppy disks. Micah, on the other hand, prefers collecting old suitcases with hard shell tops from the 1970s.

Finally, when asked, they happily displayed the weird talents they possess. Josiah and Micah showed how they can bend their thumbs in bizarre directions because they are double-jointed. Gabe couldn’t do that, but he showed off his beat-boxing skills by beat boxing and singing at the same time.

The main advice the guys offered to anyone wanting to become a singer is to get out there and play or sing. “Do not just create a demo but not do any thing about it.”

If you want to get in touch with the Redding Brothers, there’s no shortage of ways to do it. In addition to the official site, the guys also have a MySpace page (www.myspace.com/reddingbrothers). Their AOL Instant Messenger name is reddingbrothers3 and their Yahoo/MSN Instant Messenger name is just reddingbrothers. If you find yourself without a computer, you can call (888)88-redding for tour information and updates. You can also send snail mail to P.O. Box 187, Hometown, WV 25109-0187.

If you go

The Redding Brothers perform with opening acts Bug Lilly and Jessica Saunders, 7 p.m. Friday at Teays Valley Cinema, 170 Erskine Lane, Scott Depot. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door and $7 for children. Ten percent of the proceeds go to St. Albans’ LifeWay Shelter for the homeless and disabled. Call (888) 88-REDDING, e-mail theband@reddingbrothers.com or stop by the theater box office.

Source: http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/FlipSide/2006021729 - Charleston Gazette Flipside

SCOTT DEPOT -- Nashville-based independent recording artist The Redding Brothers will be 'getting back to their roots' in a special two-hour performance in their hometown at Teays Valley Cinemas on Friday, Feb. 24 from 7-9 p.m. to benefit LifeWay, a St. Albans-based
shelter for the homeless and mentally disabled.

The band, a trio comprised of brothers Micah, Josiah and Gabriel
Redding, is originally from the Charleston area but are currently relocating their headquarters to Nashville, Tenn., to further pursue their musical ambitions. The Feb. 24 "History of the Redding Brothers" set will allow the band to bid farewell to their hometown fans one
last time before their final move.

The concert is taking place in Teays Valley Cinemas' largest theater -- with more than 300 seats -- located at 170 Erskine Lane in Scott Depot. According to Doretta Osburn, Hurricane resident and Redding Brothers band manager, 10 percent of all ticket proceeds will be donated to LifeWay, along with free tickets to the show for each shelter resident.

"We've been involved with the shelter for quite some time now, and we
know several of the residents personally, but this is the first time we've actually had the chance to raise funds for LifeWay as a band," said Micah, Redding Brothers lead singer and guitarist. "We also wanted to treat the residents to a free concert to hopefully bring a little joy into their lives, which I think sometimes we all need."

The concert will feature more than 10 years' worth of the Redding Brothers' songwriting, from their beginnings back in 1995 to their newest works, some of which have never been heard by any audience before.

Opening the concert for the Redding Brothers will be local performing songwriter Bug Lilly, a Charleston resident and personal friend of the band, joined by local folk-rock vocalist Jessica Saunders. Immediately following the concert, the Redding Brothers will be hosting a meet and greet and autograph session in Teays Valley Cinemas' activities room, followed by a special after-show party at Husson's Pizza next door to the cinema.

Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and $3 off for children 10 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the Teays Valley Cinemas box office, online at reddingbrothers.com, or by calling toll-free 1.888.88.REDDING (1.888.887.3334). More information is available through the same Web site and phone number, or by e-mailing theband@reddingbrothers.com. - Putnam Herald

by Charles D. Tutt "Charlie Tee" Tuesday, December 27, 2005

I have to admit that it always does my heart good to see young people really work at the things that they aspire to. Part of it for me is remembering when I was young and how I tried so hard to be in this business, and seeing all that I worked for come true. In my case though, I stupidly threw it all away...

In the case of these fellas, believe me, we will be seeing a whole lot of them, if they continue their present course and stay together in love. Ladies and gentleman sit back and get comfy, it's time to read about 3 fantastic musicians...The Redding Brothers.

Let me start by saying that these guys come from truly one of the nicest familes that I've ever met...all 11 of them.Yep, you read it correctly 11, and from Mom and Dad down to the youngest you won't find a greater family, unless of course you say "goodnight John Boy,"

Anyway, Micah, Josiah and Gabriel ( guitar, bass and drums respectively) have carved out quite a niche' for themselves, by themselves and in the process have created a huge buzz around West Virginia and in Nashville.

When the Carpenter Ants decided to start doing some gospel music to add to our shows, I was to say the least, skeptical; 9 years later and still going strong with that direction I can't believe that all musicians aren't taking that route.Well the Reddings have taken it to a different level, they're writing songs about the life God intends for us, but they've regenerated the folk era of the 60's and put their own spin on it. The Redding Brothers are rocking God's words. They may not directly quote the Bible but believe me the spirit is definitely in there.

What makes what they do so refreshing is that these brothers are absolutely sincere, there is an honesty to their work that will garner them fans for a long time to come. The thing that I'm proudest of is through them, they saved a deserving young lady from giving up on life, and helping her to change her life, and to me that's worth the price of admission. Whoever said that youth is wasted on the young apparently has not been to a Redding Brothers concert...well isn't it time?

Go out and catch the Redding Brothers at a locale near you, you won't be sorry.

Click here for more info on The Redding Brothers .
ps. their website is AWESOME !!!

Support Live music today tomorrow and always.

Source: http://bronxmusic.blogspot.com/2005/12/redding-brothers-rocking-gods-words.html - Standing In The Shadows Of Music Too

THE CD: "Wisdom From The Green Shag Carpet" (Brick & Stone)
PERFORMER: Redding Brothers

Scott Depot is known for a lot of things. Most of them I'm not aware of. The Redding Brothers are a three-piece rock outfit that hails from there, so, consequently, they're the star attraction.

Their 12-track, full length debut, "Wisdom From The Green Shag Carpet", is the result of years of playing and touring with each other. They released the CD on their own Nashville-based label, Brick & Stone Records.

They list Nirvana and R.E.M. as influences on their website, and the first song "Throwing Stones", sounds like it's right out of a Kurt Cobain set list. Singer Micah Redding sings: I'm living my life like it's not for me/I'm living my life like it's not for free.

Yet the up-tempo, grunge-era song is atypical of the broad range of tunes on "Wisdom". The second song, "Rosebud," gets a star by me (I've developed a set of checks and stars!) Driving acoustic strumming is joined by electric power riff, and the rocking begins shortly thereafter. The band starts to use synths (strings, piano, etc.) for a deep sound.

Micah's lyrics are deeply introspective. On "Rosebud" he says: I don't want to be another cold life/blowing out the candles just to shine in the night. Huh. The lyrics are not included in the sleeve, and that's a shame.

The band has got this tension thing down. Songs like "Soul Slip Away" and "Misled" are good examples of this. Slow, strumming, quiet intro verse, stomped pedal for the next couple of verses, snare roll (pre-chorus), rocking chorus, back to quiet verse, then even more rocking chorus for the outro.

If it is a formula, it's a good one. Other hits on the CD include "Child Of Yesterday," "Walking," and "Live," which features a church organ.

Vocally, Micah is strong. His voice sometimes seem to stray into the bathroom and into the tub (too much reverb-echo) With brothers Josiah (bass, keyboards) and Gabriel (drums) joining him, they're even stronger.

This CD surprised me. Described as an "acoustic-driven act," I expected something like James Taylor (not that there's anything wrong with that :>) If you expect an acoustic band, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Since they're just three people, you expect them to have a thin sound. No dice. Layered, distorted acoustic (sometimes too distorted) and electric guitar fatten the sound. How that carries over into a live show would be interesting to hear.

The keyboards, strings, and assorted noise make for a more experimental sound. On the last song, "Polar Bear Song", there's even a cool portamento-type synth effect for a second, like a siren that attempts to fire up, but gives up before it's first peak is reached.

I know what you're saying: "Nick, I love free stuff. How can I get this CD off you for nothing?" Easy. Leave a comment below to this post, or email one to gazz@wvgazette.com. If it's half way intelligent, you may be a winnah.

The brothers take their act on the road this Saturday, when they hit the Halloween show at HYAMP. If you can't tell, that's the HYAMP flier for the show at bottom. And, oh yes, I do hate the player, and the game.

Source: http://www.thegazz.com/blogs/localbands/2005_10_01_archive.html - The Gazz, Monday, October 17, 2005

Nick's note: The Redding Brothers are an acoustic-driven rock band that originally hails from Scott Depot. And, they're actually brothers.

They'll play the 10-22 HYAMP Halloween show, which includes Belle rockers Virginia Street. (I'm assuming they rock. If they reside in my old stomping grounds, they will be given the benefit of the doubt)

Micah (sings, guitar), Josiah (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Gabriel (drums, vocals) make up the band. After digging for dirt on their website, they took some time to answer some hard-hitting questions about their allegedly (according to me) debaucherous rock & roll lifestyle.

Gazz: Did you guys go to high school around here?
M - Nope. We were out of state during high school.
G - We were living in Tulsa, Seattle, Nashville, etc.

Gazz: You're from Scott Depot. What is the best part about it?
M - Our home is up on a hill in the woods. That's the best part.
J - Yeah, I like having a lot of space. We kinda have our own small retreat out in the woods.
G - It's great for songwriting...just head off and find a log to sit on somewhere, or a fox hole to put your head in...you know...

Gazz: Do you live in WV now?
M - I've moved to Nashville.
J - We're basically working from both locations right now. Micah manages things from our Nashville location, and Gabe and I are running things up here in WV. We're always going back and forth, though.
G - Yeah, and it gets kinda crazy, too.

Gazz: Have any of you been in other bands?
M - Off and on. Nothing significant, other than their names: The Rolling Oddballs, Five Miles Out, etc.
J - I did some solo performing before we ever really got together as a band, and I worked with Gabe and some other friends on a few other projects, as well.
G - Yeah, and I've been serenading older women for years...

Gazz: How old are each of you?
G - Micah's 23, Josiah's 22 and I'm 18.
M - 23 and a half.

Gazz: You're described as an acoustic-driven act, do you play electric at all?
M - Yes, sometimes. And we run distortion on the acoustic sometimes too. Overdriven acoustic sounds more interesting than overdriven electric.
J - We do both, but it all has an acoustically-based sound.

Gazz: Nashville is regarded as an industry town, is that what made you move there?
M - No. Being in a bigger population center was a big part of it...but I also know a lot of people there from college.
J - It's also more geographically centered, you know, easy to get to a lot of cities with less driving time. That was one of the biggest things right there. Drive time can be a killer when you consider that after being in the car for hours and hours, you have to get out and lug hundreds of pounds worth of equipment out, set everything up, and then play all-out for an hour or more before packing it all back up and doing it all over again. Anything you can do to make it easier on yourself starts to look very enticing.

Gazz: Micah, you list Nirvana and R.E.M. as influences. Talk about the first time you heard either band -- CD or song -- and how they've influenced you. And, favorite CD - song? Nightswimming? Oh, the Guilt?
M - I don't really remember the first time I heard either one, they were more like a gradual dawning on me. Nightswimming is definitely my favorite R.E.M. song. Michael Stipe's lyrics are very impressionist, but they link together small bits and pieces of life that seem to paint a more vivid picture than if he had just described things. Kurt Cobain was obviously a very intelligent guy... you can see it in the way he disregarded the attention and media. He knew it was a game. I think he played a lot with people's minds.

Gazz: Gabriel, what punk bands influenced you?
G - I think I was most influenced by all those Ramones T-shirts I see everyone wearing...just kidding, but seriously, fake underground is "mainstream" now. I actually grew up on bands like MXPX with that whole "goofy punk" thing.

Gazz: Each of you -- what CD's are you listening to right now?
M - Collective Soul, "Seven Year Itch"; R.E.M., "Automatic for the People"; Weezer, "Pinkerton"...
J - Hmmm..."Wonderdog" by John VeLora; Several albums by Crosby, Stills and Nash; and "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending" by Tears for Fears.
G - R.E.M., "Up"; Barenaked Ladies, "Everything to Everyone"; Old 97s, "Drag it up"; Burned CDs with SemiSonic, Foo Fighters, and the soundtrack to "The Music Man"...

Gazz: Josiah, are you still going to WVSU, what is your major? Are you worried your English Comp teacher will read your journal?
J - [smile] Yeah, I'm still going to State. I chose a Communications major because it basically encompasses everything I'm interested in - music, performing, art, broadcast, film, and writing. And as far as my English teacher...yeah, I'll have to start choosing my words wisely for my online journal, or I might end up with an 'F'.

Gazz: For someone like me, who doesn't know what Cannibals, Inc. is or does, how do they help you?
M - Cannibals, Inc. is just a promoter we teamed up with for this particular show. They don't work for us, and we don't work for them. This is the first time we've worked together. In this case, they helped organize and promote the show.
J - I met Scott Foster, the owner/manager of Cannibals, Inc., at another show we did in the Charleston area a while back. We thought it would be cool to throw a show together, and started coming up with some ideas. Those ideas eventually turned into the costume party this weekend at HYAMP. Oh, and he's not really a cannibal as far as I know.

Gazz: You started your own label. What advice can you give independent musicians who want to do something similar?
M - Great question...I'd say a couple of things...First of all, don't worry about what the "music industry" is supposed to be like, or what you're "supposed" to do. Second, focus on finding bands and people that you identify with and find ways to give them what they want. Serious bands who are working together can get a lot more done than they might imagine.
J - We started Brick & Stone Records because we wanted to have more control over our own careers. I think most artists can relate to that. I think starting your own label is a great option for other artists looking for an alternative to selling out to a major or commercial label (and thereby losing all song ownership, creative control, etc.) Probably the best advice I would have would be to start talking to people in the industry, start making friends, and start to grow your personal network. Those relationships can be invaluable over time.

Gazz: What was it like recording the new CD? Any horror stories?
J - Um, yeah...just a few. The main one that I recall is being just a few hours away from our CD release party which was happening later that day, and still not having a CD to release! Luckily, everything arrived just in time and that whole situation didn't turn into the disaster it could have been.
M - We did it all ourselves, so imagine being on a deadline and hours worth of work on the last track gets deleted.
G - Yeah, I had already been stuck in front of the computer doing the mixing for like a week straight, and didn't really get it finished until about 4 hours before the release party...

Gazz: Creatively, does Micah run things, or is it more collaborative? Do you get in big time sibling rivalry? Fist fights?
M - That's a couple of questions. I'd say we're all pretty collaborative. We have our own specialties.
J - Micah is a ridiculously prolific songwriter himself, but we all write music individually and collectively as well. And most of the music we end up performing and recording turns out differently than it would've if it had just been one of us writing. As far as fist fights, well, those are hard to avoid altogether.
G - I usually win...?

Gazz: From your website, it looks like you play a lot of coffee houses. HYAMP is an all ages show. Do you think that's better than playing in venues where alcohol is freely consumed?
M - We like playing places where people are actually there for the music.
J - Each venue has its own personality and is a little different to play a gig at. Some are definitely better than others. But as far as a teen club vs. normal venues, it just depends on the response you get and how well you get along with the venue owners.

Gazz: Micah, what talk show did you call? And, what are your opinions on immigration? Are you a news junkie? Speaking of illegal immigration, do you buy the line that American workers are lazier than their Mexican counterparts, or is that an industry line used to justify low wages?
M - I called the Phil Valentine show in Nashville. I think he's just local, but he's pretty big there. I'm not a news junkie, but sometimes I get really sick of listening to the music that's popular now, so I listen to talk radio just to switch things up. Music radio has really gotten dumbed down.
As far as immigration goes, immigration means more people, more economy, and more jobs, so bring it on. Whatever happened to "bring us your huddled masses"? Historically, we always prosper when we allow an influx of new people and ideas.
I don't know whether American workers are lazier than Mexicans or not, but the Mexican immigrants I've met all worked harder than anyone else I know.

Gazz: What, and where, is Buffalo Fest?
M - It's a local festival in Buffalo, WV. We were already playing HYAMP that night, so we decided we might as well stop by there that morning too. You always get a really interesting combination of musicians at events like that. I think we play right after the polka dancers.

Gazz: Touring can make for some pretty good stories. Which are the best and worst?
J - Well, there are always the "oops, did we leave..." stories. You always forget something...that's a given. Hmmm...there was that one time on the road from Seattle to Tulsa that we drove like 16 hours a day and slept in our seats 2 nights in a row without any showers in between. I think I took a bath in a sink at a rest stop somewhere in Wyoming -- that has to count for something. And all we ate the whole time was saltine crackers. Oh yeah, those were the days [smile].
M - Then there's the interesting people you meet. There's always a drunk around somewhere who knows all the keys to your success, who wants to teach you "Freebird", or who knew Frank Sinatra.

Gazz: Have you guys decided on costumes for the HYAMP Halloween show? They are required, right?
M - I guess technically the bands don't have to...but that would be pretty lame of us.
J - We were thinking of something along the lines of the Blues Brothers or maybe the Sesame Street characters. Gabe could be snuffy.
G - Uhhh...maybe not?

Gazz: After the HYAMP show, what will you guys do that night? Hit Huntington hard?
J - Actually, we'll probably go crash somewhere and sleep for a good 14 hours. No, honestly.
G - Yeah, I'm not worth anything the next day if I don't get my nightly 14-16 hours.
M - 14 hours? If I could get 5 hours of sleep a night, that would be nice.

BAND WEBSITE: www.reddingbrothers.com


Source: http://www.thegazz.com/blogs/localbands/2005_10_01_archive.html - The Gazz, Monday, October 16, 2005

CHARLESTON, WV – Charleston’s own original rock & roll band The Redding
Brothers, in cooperation with The Heifer Project, will be unveiling their
newest CD exclusively to their hometown fans in a one-night-only CD-release concert at the Charleston Civic Center Theater on March 9, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.

The band, which produces a classic-feeling, modern-edged sound similar to that of Dave Matthews Band and Matchbox Twenty, is originally from the Teays Valley area, more recently hailing from their new headquarters in Nashville, TN.

The Redding Brothers got their start in mid-2003 playing in local coffeeshops in the Charleston-Huntington area, like Capitol Roasters Café, Taylor Books, and Borders, but quickly started to build momentum, emerging
in late 2005 as one of West Virginia’s top regional entertainment draws,
and attracting the attention of major producers and promoters.

“I think part of the reason we’re starting to get some attention from the industry is that they’ve heard that a local band is regularly bringing 300
people to a concert,” said Josiah, bassist and keyboardist for the band.
“Some major label acts can’t even do that.”

But the band is not completely focused on personal achievement alone. At
each of their larger shows over the past year, the band has donated a
portion of their ticket proceeds to area charities and causes, and March
9th is no exception. In May and June of 2006, the band also held a canned
food drive at Scott Teays and West Teays elementary schools, and the class that raised the most food from each school won a pizza party with the band.

The contest resulted in over 2800 cans of food being donated to the Twin
Cities shelter in Saint Albans.

In addition to giving back to the local community, the band has also shown
their support for the independent music community as well, using their
experience and connections to help bring exposure to newly-forming acts.

“March 9th is not only going to be a big step forward for us as a band, but
it’s also going to be a step forward for the entire independent music community,” lead singer Micah explained. “We’re one of only a handful of indie bands in the entire U.S. that can sell out a 700-seat theater on a self-promoted tour, and we’re pretty honored by that fact. This concert will definitely push the envelope of what was previously thought possible for an independent act.”

“We’re pretty proud of the fact that our band is causing a stir in the more
traditional entertainment industry,” said Josiah. “Most people think you
have to have a million dollar record contract behind you, national radio
airplay, and mass media coverage to be able to sell out a big venue. We’re
quickly proving that to be wrong.”

Tickets for the March 9th concert go on-sale to the general public on
January 5th, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. You can purchase tickets at all
Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com, and you can also charge by phone at 1-888-88-REDDING.

To find out more about the Redding Brothers, and to sign up to receive a
50% fan club discount on tickets, visit ReddingBrothers.com or call
1-888-88-REDDING. - Brick & Stone

by Bill Lynch
for the Gazette

The Redding Brothers are in a hotel in Atlanta, taking a breather. Collected together on a conference call in an effort to reduce confusion, they have a lot to say about where they are, where they’ve been and where they’re going after their homecoming show Friday, March 9, at the Charleston Civic Center.

At the moment, the brothers are at a convention for the Association for the Promoters of Campus Activities.

Micah, 25, Josiah, 24, and Gabe, 20, are there to make connections and schedule shows for next year.

“Basically, it’s where a bunch of acts are set up for entertainment boards at colleges to book their bands for the year,” Micah explains. “We’ve got a booth and we’re making appearances throughout the day.”

“And night,” Gabe pipes in.

“Right,” Micah agrees. “We’re just telling people about what we do and stuff.”

This is the business of indie rock ’n’ roll.

Moving out and up

A little over a year ago, the Redding Brothers packed their bags and started the move from Scott Depot to Nashville. It was a big deal, but it was also just another step toward the goal of making it in the music industry.

The point of moving to Nashville, however, wasn’t to take some kind of shortcut. The brothers don’t much believe in those.

“A lot of people come to Nashville, and they’re, like, ‘We’re gonna get off the bus and go down to Music Row and get a record deal,’” Micah says. “We never approached coming here with that intent. Nashville gives us a really good position to tour. There are a lot of places you can travel to from here.”

“All the country musicians come here,” Josiah adds. “But I think a lot of the people who live here don’t like country music. I think that’s kind of funny.”

So, they’re not going country.

“We’re not wearing the hats or the boots,” Micah says adamantly.

But they are doing a benefit involving a cow.

“Well, that is kind of country,” Gabe admits, and Micah groans.

The cow is part of the band’s ongoing charitable work for the Heifer Project, which, quite plainly enough, buys cows and donates them to impoverished communities around the world. The logic is that livestock is a more valuable and meaningful contribution to a village than cash. A portion of the proceeds from Friday’s show in Charleston will go toward this cause.

“OK, so yeah, we did get our picture taken with a cow,” Micah concedes. “But nobody was riding the cow.”

Gabe and Josiah giggle in the background.

Off to the Middle East

While they’ve come a long way from playing the coffeehouses in Charleston and Huntington, The Redding Brothers have further still to go. Friday’s show also serves as the release of their new CD, “The Physics of Immortality.” Beyond that, the band is scheduled to head overseas to play for U.S. troops in the Middle East.

“That was a pretty involved process,” Josiah says. “We had to submit our music and I don’t know how much information.”

“There were all sorts of levels that we went through in Washington,” Micah explains. “We thought we were going to have go to Washington.”

It took months to straighten out, but now it’s a done deal, even if they’re not precisely sure when they’ll be going this summer. The brothers say there was more to going overseas than just another paying gig.

One of the other five Redding brothers is a U.S. Marine.

“We hoped we’d get over to see him,” Josiah says. “We kind of wanted to play for him and his buddies over there, but they sent him home. He’s in California now.”

“Yeah, well,” Micah adds sheepishly. “I guess we’ll have plenty of interesting stories when we get back anyway.”
To contact staff writer Bill Lynch, use e-mail or call 348-5195.

If you go

The Redding Brothers perform at 7 p.m. Friday, March 9 in the Charleston Civic Center’s Little Theater. Tickets, $20 through Ticketmaster or at the box office. Call 342-5757. Get $5 off with promo code “throwing stones.” - the GAZZ

[Huntington Herald-Dispatch
Life / Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004]

Siblings say being in band with brothers has ups, downs

What’s the worst thing about being in a band with family members?

According to Scott Depot, W.Va., native Micah Redding, it’s not being able to fire anybody. However, his family’s band has had little reason to consider firings, with a recent Battle of the Bands win and an upcoming new release.

Music has always been a part of the Redding household. Micah’s picking and strumming skills were passed down from his father and grandfather.

In August 2003, three members of the Redding clan (Micah, 23, Josiah, 21, and Gabriel, 17) decided to take their show public, forming the appropriately named band The Redding Brothers.

Micah’s guitar was joined by Gabriel’s drumming. Josiah, who had traditionally played guitar, volunteered to take up the bass.

In an act of sharing that should make their parents proud, the brothers split the lead vocal duties.

According to Micah, the group’s inception was far removed from the rock star glamour they dreamed of attaining.

"We decided to start recording in our basement," he said. "So we set up our own recording studio there. We had to sound-proof the room with T-shirts and blankets on the wall."

The crop of songs generated in those early sessions were released on the Redding Brothers’ first recording, an EP called "Rough Draft." The tunes on that release were written collaboratively by the brothers, something they still do.

The brothers just call their sound "straight-forward acoustic rock," but it has been compared by fans to that of Dave Matthews Band, Barenaked Ladies and Gin Blossoms.

Being a band of brothers has its creative advantages, as differences are often worked out without having to worry too much about hurting fragile egos.

"We each come up, a lot of times, with different directions to go with things," Micah said, "and we kind of hash it out. Usually, we come up with something different and better than any of us would have come up with by ourselves. We’re able to get through things like that without feelings being hurt."

The brothers have been busy lately as they participated in the Got Milk? Shake Things Up Tour 2004 Battle of the Bands competition in October at the Huntington Mall and came away with $200 prize and a chance at the national finals. A win there could score them professional recording time and the opportunity to have a song posted on Mtv.com.

The brothers also have a new two-disc containing "Rough Draft" and a sneak peek of their forthcoming LP, "Green Shag Carpeting." They’re also attempting to expand their fan base, touring to Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus. To keep up with tour info and hear samples of the Redding Brothers, log on to www.reddingbrothers.com. - Huntington Herald-Dispatch