Red Calling a hard rock band from Tampa, FL
Interview conducted on June 05, 2021
By Dan Locke
Hard Rockers Red Calling has debuted their new single and music video “Torture.” Led by frontwoman Jessica Pons’ strong and exotic vocals, the track is about not hanging on to one’s hurt anymore and finding relief through a special relationship, a calming voice. This unique voice can silence the torture inside our heads. It’s been a crazy year full of anxiety, fear, depression, uncertainty and mental health issues have been a second pandemic.
Jessica Pons – Vocals/Guitar/Keys Javier Pons – Guitar and programming Luis Pons – Bass Deven Starr – Drums
What is your upbringing?
Jessica Pons: I was born and raised in a small oil town in Venezuela. I founded an all-girls rock band called “Naturaleza Muerta” (Still Life) and began playing as a touring musician and recorded an EP. My love for music took me over 2,000 miles in my travel from my hometown to Tampa, FL in 2007 with my former band, which disbanded a year later. Then I met the guys in 2010. Javier and Luis are siblings, they were born and raised in Guatemala, they moved to Tampa in 2001 and Deven is a full-time musician originally from Florida.
How did you discover music?
Jessica: My parents were music lovers and i grew up listening to their awesome rock, brit rock, pop and blues vinyl collection. I noticed my passion for music at a very young age, i was 4 yrs. old when grandpa gave me a “Cuatro” guitar, which is a Venezuelan four-stringed guitar. I started playing piano at 6 yrs. old thanks to my uncle. I moved my way up to an acoustic/electric 6strings guitar by 14 years old and started singing as well around that time.
How did you start to write music?
Javier Pons: As long as I can remember I’ve always loved to write lyrics and guitar riffs even before I joined the band. So, by the time we formed the band we already had a bunch of songs ready to be assembled.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
Jessica: I got it from my uncle when I was 14 yrs. old and yes I still have it. It’s a beautiful Vantage acoustic-electric guitar, it is my go-to everyday guitar.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model? Does she have a name?
Javier: It’s a 7-string black mate ESP TE-417, it doesn’t have a name but sometimes I think of her as my black beauty lol
How did your band form?
Javier: Jessica, Luis, Destiny and I were in a 7-piece Latin rock band, it wasn’t the type of music we love to play but we loved those guys and they are still great friends. After that band ended the 4 of us decided to form Red Calling, only this time we could play metal and hard rock which is what we truly love playing. Destiny quit the band in 2019 due to personal reasons, then Deven Starr joined us the same year.
How did you get your bands name?
Javier: Red is a very passionate color and we all have a calling or a meaning to exist. For us, music is both our passion and our calling
Describe your music
Javier: We like to mix the heaviness of metal while still keeping it melodic. We also add electronic elements so, in simple words, we are a hard rock/alternative metal band.
The 4 of us have different musical influences, which pushes us to always explore different sounds.
What was your first performance at like?
Javier: Our very first performance was very special to us, we rented and filled a venue in Ybor City, FL with our closest friends and people who supported us from the start. We had a great time.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
Jessica: Yes, we’re with BMI but we really don’t think much about this. We all know that the main source of income for most bands is touring and merch sales, the music industry is not what it used to be.
What makes a good songwriter?
Javier: That’s a very subjective question, i guess as long as you express yourself in an honest and unique way there will always be people that appreciate you as a songwriter
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Javier: It was “Let me fade” and yes, we recorded it, it is part of our full-length album. It was actually our first radio-friendly single
What is the process of writing your music?
Javier: It is different every time. Sometimes we all start jamming and something comes out of it, some other times I bring a full song with lyrics. In other cases, Jessica brings a guitar riff and we start building the song from there
You have open for bands like 10 Years, Lit, Otep, Adema, Candle Box, Saliva, Hed PE, Mushroomhead, Taproot, Tantric and the Dollskins. Has any of the band given you any words of wisdom about the world of music?
Jessica: We’ve had the chance to hang out with lots of awesome bands but honestly, we never get to talk about those things, we just have fun and talk about gear or music in general
Tell me about the video “Torture”?
Jessica: Javier always wanted to direct and produce one of our videos and he finally decided to jump in for this production. He wrote the music for torture so it was super easy for him to create the visual impact we wanted to achieve. Torture has a personal meaning for us, it’s been a crazy year full of anxiety, fear, depression, uncertainty and mental health issues that have been a second pandemic. Writing “Torture” and doing the video was not only a way to cope but to also tell our fans that they are not alone
Why did you feel that Javier would be a good director for the video?
Jessica: Javier is a very talented video producer; he does that for a living. He’s been creating our social media content for a long time so it was like a natural step for him to take. It’s great because we get to have full creative control and saving money is a plus lol
What is your favorite track on your album?
Jessica: I love “Never go Back”, it is a very personal song and i love the music arrangements. Also, shooting the video for this single was pretty fun!
What are your feelings about streaming music?
Javier: Both as a musician and as a music fan is the best thing that could ever happen. As a musician, your music gets to be heard worldwide and as a music fan, you get to have all the music in the world at your fingertips. Unfortunately, it took a financial toll on the industry, but now there are other avenues to make money as concert streaming, online merch sales, etc
Digital vs. vinyl?
Jessica: Oh, Vinyl definitely, we’re huge vinyl collectors. The Sound quality, cover art, booklets, etc let you fully experience the music and message that every artist wants to convey
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Jessica: Dream on from Aerosmith’s first album. It is a rock classic; lyrics are deeply meaningful (interesting view about life) and guitar arrangements are amazing. Also, Steven’s voice is beautiful in this song.
Tell me about Woman Rock That Rock Fest in August with The Dev, Auditory Armory, Level the Planet and Shadow the Earth?
Jessica: It’ll be our first show after the pandemic, we really can’t wait to be back on stage. We’ll get to play with these awesome, super talented female-fronted bands from central Florida, you gotta check them out. It’ll be at The Haven, one of the best rock venues in Florida, were so glad they survived.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Javier: Covid-19 put a long pause in live music but it didn’t kill it, at least not here in Florida. Bands and venues are coming back full force and stronger than ever. I’m not sure to what extent it affected music festivals and big concerts but the local music scene is thriving. We cannot wait for music festivals to return. As far as any changes in our music and live performance, I think we’ll be way more intense and dynamic. We’re super stoked to be back on stage, you never know when live music can be taken away again, regardless of the reason.
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
Javier: It definitely hasn’t for most musicians, but in our case, we learned a lot about online marketing, demographics, online music festivals, we did tons of online interviews and our music got to places we never thought of before like Ireland, Turkey England, Argentina, Brazil, among others.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Javier: I guess we partially answered that in the previous question lol but I’d like to add that we released 2 video/singles, created lots of social media content, and did some writing.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
Jessica: With lots of sunlight (we’re lucky we live in Florida) healthy eating, walking and working in a bunch of band and personal projects
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Jessica: Yeah, i went back to photography and playing with puzzles during lockdown lol
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
Jessica Wow i wasn’t aware of that, that’s horrible for so many bands and musicians i know that have made live-streaming a source of income. I guess Facebook will make tons of money with the licensing process lol but i know musicians always find new ways and new platforms to survive.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
Javier: By Releasing singles pretty often and creating tons of social media content. This can be an expensive strategy but it isn’t if you do everything yourself. Live streaming rehearsals is another option and you can always sell your merch online.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Jessica: It still is, more than ever, for both tours and playlists.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Javier: It is a great technology, especially for awesome artists and bands that are no longer with us. I’m not sure if it’s something we do in the near future lol
Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?
Jessica: Yes, it will, targeted relief for live music and creators was needed as most of them couldn’t take full advantage of PPP loans for small businesses. I just hope they can extend this help and build a bridge to the next phase when everything goes back to normal. The good thing about all this is that this unified view brought venues, booking agents, etc closer and people is ready to share information and share in the idea of doing this better together.
Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artist? The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. RELIEF RESOURCES. Have you applied for it yet?
Javier: No, we haven’t. I recently heard about it and it’s great to know they’re helping out musicians, live music is the bread and butter of millions in this country. In our case most of us have daytime jobs, so we managed to survive.
