Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Marios Patsalosavis - lead singer and rhythm guitarist
D Goomani - songwriter and lead guitarist
Aimee Rivers - bassist
Mike Cosburn - drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Redwire? How long has the band been around?
Mario was in Watts, who played in Cyprus and London in around 2007-2008. Mike has been in Pulse and Duke and is currently in the Luxemburgs. In its current form, we’ve been around since May 2016, but we originally started in 2014.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
The name Redwire came about after 2 drinking sessions after rehearsals where we brainstormed many names. Redwire stuck because it was simple and didn’t really have any meaning attached to it, which meant that over time it has gained meaning by who we are and what we do. We had a temporary name before that, but we changed it because it was too hard to Google!
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
As the main songwriter, D Goomani is mostly inspired by emotions and experiences. A lot of the lyrics are about wanting to get away, trying to achieve your goals and dreams and not giving up. A lot of people can relate to that kind of sentiment. The topics will change over time, as people go through different things in life, these events will become new sources for inspiration. One thing that will never change is that we will always write songs with meaning behind them.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Bands like Guns N’ Roses have influenced us in the past and Heaven’s Basement are more a current example of an influence. We’re going for a more modern sound so we don’t have many influences as the kind of music we make doesn’t have many big current acts.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Speaking personally (D Goomani), I wanted to play guitar with the aim of being in a band when I first saw Guns N’ Roses on TV, which was an advert for their greatest hits when it was released. I was about 14 and I remember it coming on my little 14” TV and thinking, “Damn, that’s f**king cool!”
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
Not very much really. We always load in early so we have a chance to relax and get some food, and we always go and see the other bands playing and support them, but we don’t want to be hidden in the green room waiting for our slot, we want to be part of the whole night. The scene isn’t at its strongest point at the moment and I feel all bands should be supporting each other.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Oddly enough not specifically Redwire related, but hosting Redrock Festival was the highlight for us. We put on an all-day free entry festival at the Dublin Castle in Camden and had 15 bands from the UK and Europe all play over 12 hours. It was an amazing experience and our aim was to try and foster a sense of community around the unsigned scene in London, which is quite lacking at the moment, and we achieved that brilliantly.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Guns N’ Roses (young version). I’ve heard a lot stories of how they used to party, and as some of Redwire are big party animals I think we’d fit right in. The 80’s scene seems like a damned wild one so would love to be a part of that. Also Guns N’ Roses are amongst Redwire’s favourite bands musically, and Slash is the reason D Goomani plays guitar, so they are definitely our top choice.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Redwire are currently putting together plans for a new EP and hitting the road for a European tour next year. There are some very exciting things happening for us next year so stay in touch by going to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RedwireBand/ and we hope to see you at a future gig!