When thinking of bands from Albuquerque that have struck a chord with the masses beyond the Land of Enchantment, groups like The Shins and Femme Fatale often come to mind. Their bouncy, upbeat melodies draw large crowds in venues across the nation.
With catchy songs that are difficult to stop humming along to, it’s not far-fetched to assume Red Light Cameras could be joining that list soon.
Armed with an infectious indie-pop sound, the quartet consists of Chris Walsh on guitar, Barney Lopez on bass, Amanda Machon on vocals and Joe Gonzales on drums.
The group began with Walsh and Lopez, initially known as Evolived, before Lopez met Machon through the UNM theatre program and recruited her after a successful jam session.
“We auditioned Amanda with a Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song. She came and played it with us and it worked out right away, strangely enough,” Lopez said. “We didn’t hold any auditions or look for people after that. Once Amanda was in the band, it changed the whole sound.”
After a fateful encounter with the alternative rock band Spoon in 2010, they were convinced to change the name to Red Light Cameras. Gonzales finalized the current iteration of the lineup in 2013, and the band went on to record its “Secret” EP, their eponymous debut album, and its “For Those Who Favor Fire” EP.
Since then the band has been playing and recording obsessively.
In just a year Red Light Cameras released their sophomore LP “Shiver,” signed to an indie label out of El Paso, and were even featured on the medical drama TV show “The Night Shift” in July, playing a fictional headlining act that gets blown up. Recently the band played shows at both Meow Wolf in Santa Fe and the South by Southwest festival in Austin.
“I would tell every band to play at South by Southwest,” Walsh said. “Not just to play a showcase, because there are house parties and unofficial showcases that happen all the time. It’s the nation’s best bands playing to the best of their abilities.”
As for Meow Wolf, the band shot the music video for their song “Hold Me” at the concert, featuring footage of the eclectic venue cut with the band performing live.
With the release of “Shiver,” the band’s members have solidified themselves as connoisseurs of dance-rock. Most of Red Light Cameras’ songs are riff-based and feature a melody that gradually grows into an explosive chorus or bridge.
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It’s minimalistic, yet dynamic, and seems to have a profound success rate at injecting enthusiasm into crowds. Their style allows concert-goers who have never heard the band before to be engaged by the time they reach the second chorus.
Machon credits their regional popularity to the friendship the band has fostered outside of being Red Light Cameras.
“We all enjoy playing with each other, it’s a big thing that drives us,” she said. “ My favorite moment is always that minute before a show starts. We all gather around the drum kit and talk for two seconds, and then we just go. There’s something definitely to be said about that chemistry.”
The band is currently writing a four-track extended play to be released on DKD Records in early 2017. Check out Red Light Cameras on all online music-streaming services, as well as at https://www.facebook.com/redlightcamerasband/
