Red Hot Empty’s 6th release is a raw reflection of the band. We stewed on this one a bit. We shook down an album’s worth of songs to an EP of 5 songs that are relevant to each other, and exposes Red Hot Empty’s musical soul.
The Red EP leads off with AirBnE spewing raw driving riffs with tons of breaks that lets Sara’s vocal fury shine as she speaks on the deep hurt of broken trust. It’s a fitting opener to the EP, written by our bassist Violet Hunter aka Doctor Deathray, who joined the band a year ago. This release is the first RHE release with Violet on bass and background vocals.
Sara says AirBnE is about trying to not engage when being baited by social conflict. It talks about how scary it can be to trust the wrong people and how it may feel to look over your shoulder all the time. It’s not your fault for trusting someone who hurt you. People don’t come with a warning label and it’s braver to try, not succeed and have the memories than to have never tried at all.
Hands, with a nod to revenge country, is about having a narcissistic friend who pushes boundaries…you know the type! They call you up at inappropriate times, they get upset when you’re not immediately available, they demand you be their emotional supply…UGH! We’re over it! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!
The music to this one was written after playing a Halloween show that required us to play country cover songs. After having to learn those songs and that style, we ended up making that feel our own.
Our single released ahead of the EP, World of Calamity, is our heaviest song to date with crunchy guitar riffs, driving bass, double-bass drums and Sara’s intense screams.
World of Calamity is about consumer guilt. It is incredibly shitty when you have $100 in your bank account and order the only clothes you can afford online. You get excited so you post a photo in your new clothes. Instead of anyone being happy for you, you’re immediately convicted by people online who have no idea what it’s like to have limited recourses and limited income. It is incredibly shitty that the only products made available to the lower class are unsustainable and then the consumer is held accountable for a company that is absolutely disgusting and corrupt but yet, you feel forced to buy from. We get that a lot of us don’t want to support certain online retailers because they are unethical but instead of tearing down the people who have no choice but to purchase what they can, TAKE ACTION. Write about it. Hold these companies accountable! “Single use grocery bag, who would manufacture that? But when I use it I am bad, I’m exhausted and I’m mad.” They want us at each others throat because that’s the only way to keep us from going for theirs.
Pig Sweat is just brutal. This sludgefest ripper that Ben wrote in 9 just kills.
Pig Sweat continues The Red EP theme of getting angry at stuff (it’s a healthy outlet), like capitalism. This one kinda crosses the territory of the emotions underlying an abusive relationship too. Furthermore, if the lyrics speak to you, it’s also about whatever you’re feeling as well. It covers a broad spectrum but came from the weariness and heaviness of capitalism. We will feed on the flesh of the men who thought they could feed on us, feed on them! We are no longer victims but victors and we speak up about it!
Police State closes out The Red EP. For any fans of the early days of this band, before changing our name to Red Hot Empty, this one is familiar. An early version was released under The Wilcox Wang Success Module name back in early 2020. It has since become our set closer as it continues to be so relevant today, and has morphed into a slightly heavier and faster song. We decided it was time to lay down an RHE Police State studio recording. Police State was originally co-written between Ben and Eli Newell.
Police State asks you the real question. Do you know what you’re fighting for?
The Red EP was recorded at GTown Studio by our drummer Mike Gruwell. Violet mixed and mastered the release. All music and lyrics by Red Hot Empty, although Ben writes most of our songs and Sara writes most of the lyrics.
Stream it, get the 7″ vinyl and share it with your friends! The Red EP is out now!