Heavy grunge 90's band RED GIANT have gone on to release their debut self-titled album, with works upon the follow-up album expected next year. Plans for shows and touring has been a bit rough, but some has happened with more slowly in the works. The other plans aside from playing music, is to keep on writing and releasing music, getting themselves heard and known by the end of it. Find out what the band had to say about this below.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members
Red Giant formed out of the ashes of a previous project called the Dave Simpson Trio.
We were a more straight forward Blues/Rock band at that point. When we decided to move forward with a new album, we felt that the DST name didn’t connect with the new songs we were writing and the new sound we had so we decided to rename and rebrand ourselves. A risky decision, but one that seems to have paid off.
On the drums we have Mr John Joe Gaskin. An absolute powerhouse of a drummer who is the strong beating heart of the band. On Guitar & Vocals we have Dave Simpson who is the main songwriter and is always pushing the band forward.
On bass duties we have 2 that change up the bands dynamic. One is Mr Johnny Simpson. A cool and very calm player that never looks strained but when combined with john Joe’s drums becomes an unstoppable machine and a great platform for Dave’s guitar and vocals.
The other is Miss Keira Kenworthy. A monster bass player with great stage presence and thunderous sound.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
The band's name came from an Alice In Chains song. When we were looking for a new name to fit our new sound and direction a lot of things were being batted around. One day I was listening to Alice In Chains album Rainier Fog and the song Red Giant came on. The line ‘Coming up like a Red Giant’ stuck with me. I then took it to the band, and it was the first time we all agreed on a new name. So. It stuck and Red Giant was born. Thanks Alice In Chains.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Our band is based out of the midlands. The local scene like many places right now is suffering and isn’t getting any better sadly. Lack of attendance at gigs. Poor album sales due to streaming services. Venues closing left right and centre. It's a mess and is only going to get worse before it gets better.
There are many bands round the area we play in. Namely Kings & Bears, Henry Atherton to name a few. Theres many bands with so much promise and potential but no infrastructure to support them. This seems to be the case throughout the UK right now.
4. How would you describe your style?
Red Giant’s style is dark and honest. We are not afraid to talk about the darker side of life and that intern gives us a darker heavy sound much in the style of the 90s grunge bands like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam. We use dynamics a lot and have songs that go from dark and heavy to Heart felt ballads. We want to show the world for what it is. Not sell people a lie that everything is ok and life is easy.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
So far, we have released a debut self-titled album that has sold over 1000 copies. Not bad for an unsigned band doing it themselves. We have also released a reimagining of a Robert Johnson song and recently as of April 2026 we have released a brand new 4 song EP that we are very, very proud of. We feel the EP is more mature musically and gives a great view of what to expect next.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
We do yes. We have a new album coming in 2027 and a few singles planned.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
Playing shows and touring has been the toughest part of the process to date. We are dogged by venue closures and venues not wanting to take the chance booking a band they don’t know. Totally understandable. Times are tough for everyone. We did manage a full UK tour last year that was 19 dates in all and that was amazing and hugely successful for us.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
To keep writing, releasing and playing music for as long as we can. That's all we want. We know we will never be a big band and that gives us the freedom to do whatever we feel like doing. We have nothing to lose so we are going to give it all in any and every way we can.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
We are on YouTube. We vlog every gig we do, and you can buy our music from our website. We are also on Spotify sadly. I wish we weren’t, but that's the way it is. We have to be a drop in that ocean sadly.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
We want people to be able to put our music on and escape the chaos of the world. We also want them to know that no matter what happens in life. No matter how dark life gets or how hard it gets that there's always a light at the end. Theres always a way through the hardships of life and to never give up and to always follow your path. Don’t be swayed by others and stay true to you. Always dream and be as free as possible. Modest thoughts but they’ll keep you alive.
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