Upon moving to Boston in 1995, The Red Telephone, fresh out of the University of Vermont, hit pay dirt - a contract with Warner Bros. A record deal on the mere basis of a demo tape. It's an American Rock dream of sorts, one that low-profile acts struggle to reach, and that most never accomplish. It was also a mixed blessing that almost ruined the band.
The Red Telephone, which earlier this month released Cellar Doors, its second LP, had ventured into Boston to find a community of peers and fans that would embrace what it was trying to put out - a hybrid of dreamy, atmospheric rock with Beatles-esque pop. Its four members arrived with a passion for the band, and a passion for the music. So when Warner Bros. Records picked them up, it seemed an ideal opportunity to do what they loved, while getting paid and residing in a media-soaked spotlight.
Instead, the opposite happened.
"We kind of went into a black hole for a while," said Matt Hutton, the group's lyricist, vocalist, and guitarist. "We kind of got swept up in the idea of being big-time. It's like doing a deal with the devil, you know? We didn't entirely know what we were getting into."
This unfortunate deal forced the band (Hutton, along with guitarist Sean Toohey, drummer Mark Britton, and bassist Pat McDonald) to work on the often-sluggish pace of the record label's time rather than the rapid-fire pace by which young, new bands usually hope to move.
"It takes a while to get through it all," Hutton said. "You negotiate a contract that seems pretty good, and then suddenly after getting signed, time really slows down. The pace of a major label is slower than a band naturally goes. Rather than [putting out a record] every 6 months, it's every two or three years."
This meant that the band couldn't tour constantly, and couldn't release records at its own will. Its name - which wasn't yet a familiar one in Boston - could not become widespread. All of The Red Telephone's efforts had to be spent in the studio, producing an album that the record company would deem marketable.
The band worked on this effort for about a year, under the management of a man who Hutton says "didn't know what he was doing." The record company nixed the final product, and the effort went down the drain. "That was like a whole year wasted," he said.
They then made a second attempt at the same album, and The Red Telephone's self-titled debut was released in the summer of 1998.
"We were pretty happy with it," Hutton said.
But they were apparently the only ones, as the record company essentially marketed the album in a way that no one could find it. It wasn't advertised, wasn't pushed on the radio, and wasn't publicized at all.
"By contract they had to put it out, but they weren't interested. They cared about the new Cher record, or the new Madonna record. It's all about the money," Hutton said. "The music industry has become a lot like the stock market... and this is not a good thing. Radio is controlled by corporations, and the records that get pushed are the ones that are heavily promoted. Even if you're on a label, you won't get played. It happens to a lot of bands...the bands you don't hear about," he laughed.
The band then decided to part ways with what once seemed to be the deal of a lifetime. It broke its contract through a mutual agreement, and was then left to fend for itself in a city where it had yet to establish a heavy fan base. "When most bands go through that, they break up. But we had all this music we wanted to play, and nobody had heard it, and we just thought we'd do it ourselves."
About the time that The Red Telephone decided to independently make its success, a new media outlet - Internet-based marketing - started to skyrocket in popularity. Through personal Web sites, bands are able to sell records, keep in touch with fans via mailing lists, and announce tour dates - basically a self-made publicity tool.
The Red Telephone picked up on this idea, and www.redtelephone.com was born. The band then went back to basics in order to create last year's Aviation EP. Using the same method employed to create the original demo that seduced the big-time execs, it worked in its own rehearsal space, and mixed in a bigger studio to produce a five-song album that band members felt truly defined The Red Telephone.
"You have this illusion that you get into a big studio with a big producer and things will be great. But it was taking the magic out of it, whatever that magic was, whatever it is... it came out again when we were banging away ourselves. That's where the Red Telephone sound comes from."
Aviation was released in February of last year on the band's independent label, Raise Giant Frogs. "It's basically a label of music for music's sake." As for the name, Hutton just laughs. "It's like, 'Why would you raise giant frogs? Why not?'"
Cellar Songs, the full-length follow-up to Aviation, was released in similar fashion earlier this month.
This method of self-made success that the band still uses involves personal grunt work. It hires someone to publicize, to get its name out, and to push its music on the radio - there is no manager or record company to get in the way.
"When we were signed, we didn't have to work day jobs, but other than that, it was pretty alienating," Hutton said. "Now, it's like a fun project we're working on together. And we have a whole slew of bands we can be a part of that we weren't when we were signed. It's kind of like you're the teacher's pet. No one wants to hang out with the band that's signed, because we don't have to work."
Now that the pesky management business has been pushed out of the way, The Red Telephone can fully concentrate on the unique sound that distinguishes it from other young bands in Boston's music scene today. It's a sound that brings to mind bands such as Radiohead, or other mood-inspired rock music with a psychedelic edge. But instead of completely delving into this style, The Red Telephone adds its own pop-sensibility, one that gives the music an attainable and likeable edge.
The unique style, which begins with lyrical paintings composed by Hutton, comes from a tight collaboration by all four of the band members.
"The kinds of emotions I like to express are a little bit more complex than happy or sad. There's so much gray area...there's melancholy and a sort of fantastical quality, but always based in real feelings. But I've always found that the melodies capture the feeling you get across. The lyrics, to me, can become second, and they tend to come second."
After Hutton has written the words and the melody, the rest of the band steps in to compose the songs' "atmospheres," the element that Hutton feels defines The Red Telephone's general feel. The members' individual talents all combine to form songs that represent not only a musical message, but also a cohesive band personality.
"The focus has always been on well-written songs that capture a certain feeling, a certain atmosphere... a dreamy, sublime feeling is something we do aim for," Hutton said. "Sean's guitar style is very atmospheric and brings a style to the music. The rhythm section is also very into capturing a sort of atmosphere or a moment. I might have written the song, but we're all creating the song."
The Red Telephone's collaborative efforts can be seen this Saturday, Feb. 3, at The Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge. The show is part concert and part CD release party for Cellar Door, and will feature various artists including openings by Longwave (out of New York City) and Fooled by April. The Red Telephone will hit the stage around 11 p.m., followed by Meghan Toohey.
