BY ADAM QUANDT | The Statesman Put together some guitars, vocals, piano, bass and drums, and you get your everyday rock band. But add banjo, a dash of trumpet, some saxophone, a variety of miscellaneous percussion and a great love for the Northland, and you get Duluth’s rhythmic bohemian pop band Red Mountain.
Red Mountain was formed in 2007 as an experiment in atmospheric improvisational music by piano player/vocalist Anton Jimenez-Kloeckl. The original eight-member group played around Duluth under the name Total Freedom Rock.
The band’s current lineup came to be during the recording of their first album “Scowl Lightly” and includes Soren Dietzel (Saxophone), Charlotte Montgomery (Banjo/Aux. Percussion/Vocals), Grace Holden (Trumpet), Erin Tope (Aux. Percussion/Vocals), Matt Mobley (Electric Bass), Anton Jimenez-Kloeckl (Rhodes Piano/Vocals), Jeremy Elhert (Electric/Atmospheric Guitar), Cory Coffman (Drums/Percussion) and Becca Deboer (Trombone).
“I really enjoy welcoming musicians to the group because it allows the music to bend to each of our individual styles without hampering the message too much,” Jimenez-Koeckl said.
Red Mountian’s name stems from the radio towers located near Duluth’s Observation Park Neighborhood and their constant blinking red orbs that give the illusion of a mountain.
“I was profoundly drawn to them when I first moved to Duluth,” Jimenez-Koeckl said.
The band recently received a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council to record and produce their second album. They will be working with Duluth musicians Alan Sparhawk (Low) and Paul Broman (Sweat Equity) to record the album this spring with hopes of releasing it in the early summer.
Red Mountain’s next appearance on a Duluth stage is set to take place during the 2016 Homegrown Music Festival. No details as to which night or where the band will play have been released yet, but those will be available on the Homegrown Music Festival website once announced.
“I love playing anywhere as long as there are good folk around,” Jimenez-Koeckl said. However, he went on to explain how the band has a soft spot for the Red Herring Lounge at the moment.
Jimenez-Koeckl went on to reminisce about the time Red Mountain played at the Red Herring for its grand opening.
“I loved watching the new floor of the bar buckle as an over-capacity crowd shook their tail feathers to our song ‘Chad’,” he said.
Aside from the Red Herring, Jimenez-Koeckl went on to say that some of the wildest Red Mountain shows to date have taken place in the Fitger’s Complex at the Red Star Lounge.
“Pretty much we will only play a venue if it has ‘red’ in the name,” he added jokingly.
If you’re looking to get your Red Mountain fix before seeing them during Homegrown, you can purchase their album at Electric Fetus, the Red Herring Lounge or online at www.chaperonerecords.com. You can also stream the band's music on SoundCloud.
You can stay up to date with all of Red Mountain’s latest happenings on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.