‘Ghost’ riders
Red Fang draws heavily from latest album on current tour
Red Fang’s current set list purposely leans a bit heavy on its most recent album, “Only Ghosts.” “They say the worst thing a band could ever say is, ‘Here’s the new one off our new record’ and everybody runs to the bar to get a beer, but we like the songs so hopefully people are along for the ride,” said Bryan Giles, Red Fang vocalist and guitarist. “It’s what we’re doing. It reflects what we want to be doing closer than anything else, because it’s how we are thinking musically. So yeah, it leans a little bit heavier on that, but we do play songs off of all the records. Every record isn’t always represented, but the new one is more precious to us currently, so we do a little more of that.”
The song “I Am Ghost” from the recent album drew out Giles’ angrier side, which he said is a facet of himself that he hates to admit to.
“I found that the pit of hostility in my body is deeper than I thought,” he explained. “Without getting into specifics, it’s about revenge, I suppose. And it kind of makes me sad that there’s that in me. I guess if I can get it out in a song instead of out in the world, I guess that’s positive.”
Those negative feelings also inspired a tattoo idea Giles has considered for some time based off yin and yang in Chinese philosophy.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get it, but a tattoo idea that I’ve had rolling around in my head forever, it’s a yin butting it’s head against another yin,” Giles said. “Sometimes I feel that way. Depressing, yeah. Well, I have space available. I definitely have that feeling.”
The band plans to release a 7-inch album this summer and hopes to release a full album in 2018. That probably means photo shoots, in which the band usually shows off it’s lighter side.
“Well, press photos are just ridiculous anyway,” Giles said. “You stand here, should I look contemplative? You know, get out of town. Yeah, OK, take my picture 8 million times. At least you try to cut each other up, because it’s pretty narcissistic to do that in the first place. But we try to have a good time. I apologize our fake makeup was not ready and our leather gauntlets were in the cleaners.”