Redhead Mack Band’s “Pick It Up” Reveals the Complex Balance of Doing What You Love for a Living
Some people say think if you do what you love for a living, your job is easy to do. However, this isn’t as cut and dry as it seems. No one understands this more than Calgary, AB-rockers Redhead Mack Band in their new single “Pick It Up,” the first single from their new album You Know That You Want To.
The song opens with steady riffs from lead guitarist Lee Carlson and backup vocalist and bassist Jared Wiebe. Then songwriter and vocalist Kevin Phillips comes in with the first two verses, which discuss picking up something new and then learning to enjoy it. However, the chorus that follows shows how a personal passion can dominate your life once you start trying to make a living from it.
“Always playing catch-up on the people up ahead
Always playing mentor to those behind
Trying hard to keep momentum each and every day
It takes over everything but you don’t mind”
The next verses continue with the unsettled undertone the chorus brought in as backup vocals from Jared Wiebe joins Phillips. They both sing of how a personal passion consumes you until it becomes your identity. Both of them are supported by drummer Ian Fraser Love and a sweet guitar solo from Carlson.
Despite the song’s somewhat bleak lyrics, It mostly came from a place of joy. Inspired by Phillips’ new love of the electric guitar, the song is about finding your “thing”, whatever that may be. He states, “If you find something that makes you happy; that allows you to express yourself; that makes you feel more like you… that’s what this song is about!”
Redhead Mack Band is a Calgary rock band that sprung out of the earth after the Covid pandemic buried musicians in lockdown. Previously folky Redhead Mack singer Kevin Phillips picked up the electric guitar, and, joined by guitarist Lee Carlson; bass player, Jared Wiebe; and drummer, Ian Fraser Love, they started making beautiful noise together and liked what it was turning into.
Prior to coming together as a hard rock band, Redhead Mack Band released a slew of folk-rock EPs and singles, and the 2013 album Born On A Time Machine, with a title coming from a line to entice the listener to give the album a try.
After all, the band’s music aims to help people find their own voice and look after each other while working together.
Care to introduce yourself?
I’m Kevin Phillips, and I’m the singer for a newly reborn rock outfit, Redhead Mack Band, based in Calgary, Alberta.
Tell us about the process of recording “Pick it Up”?
I had been an acoustic player for years, but during the first pandemic lockdown, I fell in love with playing the electric guitar that had been sitting neglected in the corner of my music room for years! All I could think about was playing guitar, so I scrawled out the words “As soon as I put it down, all I want to do is pick it up again.” I took a fairly simple song idea to band practice, and once the band fleshed it out it became one of our favourite songs to jam on in practice! When we made a list of potential songs to record, it was the first one! We holed up in a rural community centre south of Calgary with Steve Loree of Jr. Gone Wild at the helm and recorded the whole album live-off-the-floor over two days. As soon as we heard the playback of Pick It Up, we knew it was going to be foundational to establishing our sound!
What’s it like being musicians in Calgary?
Calgary is a great place for music! Like everywhere, there have been ups and downs as venues struggled through COVID, but there is a vibrant community of musicians, both established and up-and-comers, and a fairly diverse array of sounds and styles. There’s a really cool community of young people coming up that really brings me joy! They support and promote each other, are open to a really wide range of styles, are friendly and respectful to everyone at a show, and stay until the last band! I’m excited about where Calgary’s scene will be in another 5-10 years as they start to take over!
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
Man… I can’t choose a singular… argh… okay, out of a list of dozens of amazing bands that I loved, I think the first Canadian band that really made me want to write and play was probably The Northern Pikes!
At this moment, (again out of tons of great new artists), if I had to choose someone who is just killing it, especially live, it would be The Beaches!
You’ve been making music for a bit of time now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
Make the music that you want to hear! Don’t fit yourself into a box if it doesn’t make you happy!