INTERVIEW - RED AFTERNOON

Stuart Green
Jun 25
4 min read

As Lincoln's vibrant music scene continues to grow and evolve, we've reached out to another of the leading lights in an already thriving landscape. Red Afternoon are another fine example of high work ethic, creative drive and a strong personal identity which aids them in producing both interesting and unique sounds as well as engaging and appealing live stage shows.

If you're a Lincoln resident, you'll probably recognise Red Afternoon as a bit of a local super group, made up of talented faces from other incarnations, but it is certainly within this model that they've all reached a creative peak.

We caught up with Tom and Angela from the band to discuss everything from what has been to what they hope will be...

So Red Afternoon has been doing the rounds for a minute now, but when did you actually come together and start performing under this name?

It all started at the beginning of last year really, me (Tom) and Joe, our lead guitarist, were messing about with a few of my songs and sort of realised we could do something with them, so we set out on getting a group together and the rest slowly fell into place from there. We went through a few months of rehearsals to refine a set and did our first gig at Komodo in the August of 2025

What is a Red Afternoon?

⁠So the name Red Afternoon is a reference to a moment in Jack Kerouac’s on the road novel. He uses the phrase to describe an existential crisis he suffers in a hotel room. What really made me love this as a potential name is the use of it in a Dream Machine song called “Oceans wide” where the scene from the novel is set using a high tempo tribal like sequence that ends with “the doorstep of Red Afternoon”

I’ve seen all of you play solo or as a part of another outfit, what makes this combination special?

⁠I think we work well because we’re a bit of an odd bunch that’s been thrown together. There’s five completely different music tastes blending into each song. Everyone has full creative licensing for their own parts after the loose structure of the song has been formed. This has been responsible for our unique style and sound

What’s been a highlight for the band so far, or some stand out memories from performing together?

⁠I think we all agree that our favourite gig was at Komodo on the 19th December. It was the last Friday before Christmas and the place was rammed with everyone buzzing for the time off work. We ended the set with a cover of Rocking around the Christmas tree by Brenda Lee, the whole crowd sung along. It was an amazing feeling

Do you have specific aims, and with such a talented line up, do those goals ever conflict?

We’re just taking things one step at a time and enjoying playing. We played in Liverpool this February, it felt like a huge milestone getting out into another city and planning a whole trip around a gig. So we definitely would like to be doing more of that in the future but also just releasing more music and getting into Lincoln’s bigger venues would be nice. We played The Platform at The Engine Shed, but the main stage would be a great step.

I know that Tom & Angela from the band have been a couple for quite a long time now? What’s that like, playing with your partner?

Tom: It’s really nice, it’s rare getting to share some incredible experiences on stage with the same person I share a hair dryer with, the best moments are the occasional little glances we have at each other mid song.

Angela: I grew up with a piano teacher for a mum who knew how little I practiced my instrument and I thought, as an adult, I would be safe from this until I joined a band with Tom… who is also aware of how little I practice. This can cause the occasional bicker but always feels worth it when we get to share a stage together.

Musically what are your main influences and does the whole band share these influences or is it a combination of everybody’s tastes?

There’s definitely a lot of stuff going on in our tunes with the 5 different tastes. The more upbeat tunes have a Coral vibe and the more psych stuff gets compared to Pink Floyd. Without speaking on the others behalf too much I know Dan loves his Shoe gaze/post punk, Joe is a 70s rock man and Lexie brings the Northern soul

What are you guys listening to at the minute and what can you recommend we check out?

Loving the new Coral and the Dream machine Albums really good for the summer. There’ll forever be a loop of favourites in the background with the likes of Mac Demarco, Beach House and The Beatles

What’s next? What’s on the horizon for Red Afternoon?

We’ve recorded a single! “Devil and the deep blue sea / The Waltz” should be out late July with any luck. A few exciting gigs to keep an eye out for also, so make sure to follow us on social media