Getting to Know… Red Giant | Interview

In the 518th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, Dave Simpson gives us the inside scoop on his blues rock band Red Giant..

Awesome, Red Giant! Dave Simpson, the guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter of the band, expounds, “We have a very distinctive dark, heavy sound as well that hits the crowd in a certain way.” Simpson gives us the inside scoop on Red Giant’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know… Red Giant: Interview No. 518 (2026)!

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For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

What makes Red Giant distinct is our sound and look. It’s very much a mix of blues, rock & grunge, and we don’t dress like any of the cliché dress codes bands feel they need to adhere to. There’s no spandex or bandanas. Haha. We don’t mind approaching the darker side of life with our music and like to write music that has meaning. We throw everything we have at it in the hope that people who hear our music have a positive experience. We improvise a lot live, and because of that, no two shows are the same. We don’t know where we are going, so the crowd can’t, and that makes it exciting for all of us. We have a very distinctive dark, heavy sound as well that hits the crowd in a certain way.

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Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Red Giant form, and what were some of your goals or visions early?

The band formed in 2024 out of the ashes of our previous band, the Dave Simpson Trio. The DST was a more straightforward blues/rock band with a fair few 12-bar structured songs. The new music we were writing just didn’t match the name or the older sound we had, so we decided to change it to Red Giant. Darker, heavier, and brutally honest. Write from the lives we have. The main vision of the band has always been and will always be to get our music out there to as many people as possible. We know we will never be a huge act. Especially in this day and age. We can’t afford it. So, if we can get as many people [as possible] to hear us and have people come see us live, that’s a success.

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Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or perspectives changed since you first started? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

Our goals haven’t changed, no. As I said in the previous question, we just want to be given the opportunity to be heard. It’s very tough in this day and age, as the industry is in decline and there just isn’t the place for original working-class bands right now. But we hope in the future for music to return roots.

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Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences, and how are they influential?

My main influences are people like John Frusciante, Jimi Hendrix, and Rory Gallagher, to name a few. People who made music their life and identity. We are all focused on being the best musicians we can be when we play together.

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Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

Good lord. We have many, many stories from being out there. A fair few I’m pretty sure we cannot repeat in public. Sorry.

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To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

It’s hard to say, as I am very proud of a lot of the songs I have written.  But if I had to pick, I’d say our song “Why?”. That’s the first song I feel where I really nailed everything I wanted to say in lyrics and music. The song’s all about my struggles through secondary school, and I feel that song really captures everything about that time.

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Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Live telepathy. Hahaha. When we play live, none of us know what’s going to happen from one song to the next. We fly by the seat of our pants in every song, and we all have to be fully switched on all the time. Otherwise, you get left behind and look silly.  Hahaha. We have an uncanny ability to read each other’s minds and know without looking or saying where each of us is going.

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What is Red Giant currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

We are currently working on songs for a new album that will hopefully be out late 2027. The new songs we have are feeling a lot more rounded out than our previous album, and we cannot wait to get into the studio to record them. It’s going to be fun. We released a four-song EP [RG EP, Vol. 1] in April 2026 that we are also extremely proud of as well. All in all, we have a lot more left to give, and if people will give us the chance, we will not disappoint.

Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

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Getting to Know…Red Giant: Interview No. 518 (2026) [📷: Red Giant]

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