Never in Red

By: Cameron Berkman

Throughout many lineup adjustments and name changes, Never in Red's technical, yet catchy post-hardcore sound, has managed to stay surprisingly consistent. In mid-2000 a band called Headcase was formed in South Florida, but in three years time, Headcase came to be Never in Red, featuring Ryan Haft on guitar, Bret Swensson on bass, Aaron Silva on drums and Orlando "OJ" Llizo on vocals. Recently, Aaron and Bret have gone their separate ways, now replaced by Alex de Renzis on drums, and Miguel Camacho temporarily filling in on bass. The band is searching for a dedicated bassist to permanently fill the spot.

The Never in Red sound is hard to match, a driving, yet melodic blend of hardcore breakdowns and fast catchy guitar riffs. The band has been well accepted in the local area and has built a following by playing many local venues and releasing a well-received demo. Never in Red's stage show is extremely appealing. The band manages to put on an exciting and energetic stage show without missing a beat. "Our live show is a huge explosion of wild random actions," says Ryan. "We pride our music on the way we present it to an audience. It needs to be remembered." The guys prepare to take the show on the road this summer, planning a tour that will span the East coast.

What's next for Never in Red? The band just finished post-production on a five-song CD entitled "a neatly scrawled note…" that was released last month on Goodbye Blue Sky Records. "The CD is a reflection of the band as a child," says vocalist, OJ. "Two-thirds of my contribution was written rather hastily and I felt it needed work. I've learned a bit from it and I feel the next release will be light years ahead, lyrically as well as musically." If a chance arises to catch Never in Red live, don't miss it; the energetic foursome puts on quite a show.