The Penguin Rocks logo
The Penguin Rocks Menu


Red Wanting Blue release title track to new album, "Light It Up"

originally published: 03/20/2024

Red Wanting Blue release title track to new album, "Light It Up"

Photo by Stephen Albanese

(COLUMBUS, OH) -- Indie rock stalwarts Red Wanting Blue have released the title track to their much-anticipated thirteenth studio album, the plaintively honest and self-aware song, "Light It Up". The self-produced album is set for release on June 7, 2024 via Blue Élan Records.

“Light It Up,” is easily the most personal and thoughtful song on the album, hence the reason it also became the title of the album. Written in 2020, during the global lockdown, lead singer Scott Terry faced a choice: Lean into the dark or look for the light.

“Stuck in my Brooklyn apartment, I was feeling conflicted… lost without the forward movement of touring while also being grateful for the time with my family. I often found myself in the unfinished, cavernous basement of my converted factory building, spending strange hours singing to the brick walls, wrestling with the thoughts in my head. Most of New York City moved out, so do I move? Will music return in the same way, do I change careers? The loudest voice in my head said to stay the course… you’re a singer and a songwriter, so write your way out of this,” Terry admits.

“’Light it Up’ was born out of a dark, empty industrial basement as a beacon of hope, light and direction," he explained. “The song serves as a lighthouse for those lost in the dark. It quickly became the keystone of our new album. Light is something that we usually find, but it’s easy to forget that it’s something you can also make… so, if things are feeling dark and you can’t find that light, do what we did…and make it for yourself.”

Indeed, Light It Up, Red Wanting Blue’s triumphant new LP, feels like the start of a distinctly new chapter for the indie rock stalwarts, one built on complete and total creative liberation. Recorded in the hard-touring quintet’s native Ohio and produced for the first time by the band itself, the collection is a larger-than-life ode to hope and perseverance, a celebration of the fire we carry within and the commitment that keeps us going even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The songs are all interconnected here, woven together through intros and outros and interludes that help propel them on a metaphorical journey through the dark of night, and the performances are as muscular as they are meticulous, fueled by addictive hooks and exhilarating instrumental work that shines on an even footing with Terry’s rich and magnetic vocals.



 
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



Red Wanting Blue is: Scott Terry (Vocals, Tenor Guitar, Baritone Ukulele); Mark McCullough (Bass, Chapman Stick, Vocals); Greg Rahm (Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals); Eric Hall (Guitar, Lap Steel, Vocals); and Dean Anshutz (Drums & Percussion).

Hailed as “Midwestern rock heroes” by American Songwriter, Red Wanting Blue has spent the better part of last three decades on the road, blazing their own unique trail through the American heartland and landing appearances everywhere from Letterman to NPR, garnering praise from the likes of Rolling Stone and Esquire, and climbing to #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart along the way.


 

COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Wave" by Scott McDonald

The very appropriately entitled Makin Waves Song of the Week, "Wave," is the second single from Tusk guitarist-vocalist Scott McDonald's forthcoming solo LP.




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...4/25/24




This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts Taking Place from April 23-30, 2024




Wicked to Cast Their Spell at Salty's Beach Bar





 
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info




 

MORE NEWS

Music lovers at Princeton, NJ's McCarter Theatre Center this Tuesday, April 16, 2024 evening ready themselves for an unleashed New Jersey performance by Snarky Puppy. The Texas-based ensemble, which has performed with artists as diverse as Michael McDonald, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg, is known for an appealing combination of jazz, rock, funk, and world music that has earned them five Grammy nominations and five wins, including a 2023 Best Contemporary Instrumental performance award for their latest recording, Empire Central.


State Theatre New Jersey presents YES Epics & Classics featuring Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks




Roy's Hall presents Kalos




All That Jazz In June






 

UPCOMING SHOWS


Axelrod PAC presents The Joni Project and Magical Mystery Doors

(DEAL PARK, NJ) -- Axelrod Performing Arts Center has a pair of great shows coming up in April. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of Joni Mitchell's 1974 album Court and Spark, The Joni Project will perform the album in its entirety, along with a selection of other Joni favorites, on Saturday, April 20 at 8:00pm. The following week, Magical Mystery Doors will perform classics from The Beatles, The Doors and Led Zeppelin on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 8:00pm.


54 Below presents Abby Mueller




87 Sussex to Celebrate Grand Opening with Performances by Candice Lee and Bennett Rhoad




The Black Crowes tour includes NYC, Atlantic City, and Philly shows






Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info


The Penguin Rocks

© 2024 by Wine Time Media, LLC
PO Box 811, Belmar, NJ 07719
info@newjerseystage.com

Presented by New Jersey Stage

Images used on this site have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and PR firms. If there is a problem with the rights to any image, please contact us and we will look into the matter.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and our NJ Stage accounts on Instagram, and Threads


News | Features | Radio Shows | Penguin's Hall of Fame | Song of the Week | BlowUpRadio column

Contact Us | About Us | Submit Music | Ad Rates