What started out as a simple chat about music a year ago in front of Shively dining hall has morphed into the powerful, politically-charged music of Red Army. Red Army will bring its acoustic-folk rock sounds to 19 South tonight.
Sophomores Austin Young and Will Cooper formed the group this fall after combining their musical talents to create good music and political awareness among their peers.
Both members of the group acquired a musical background playing the acoustic guitar before attending Ohio University last fall.
My uncle sang and played acoustic guitar
so I was always interested in doing it too Young said.
Cooper has a more unconventional story.
I lied to a girl I was dating in the sixth grade and told her I could play the guitar and I couldn't
he said.
Cooper eventually validated his story when he took up playing electric guitar in bands during high school.
The two met the summer before their freshman year at the LINKS program and discussed the possibility of playing together.
We talked about playing together all last year
but I lived on the East Green
and Will lived on the West. This year I decided to just stop being lazy
Young said.
Cooper and Young both began performing solo the following winter at various venues on campus.
The name Red Army was inspired by an Italian terrorist organization, called The Red Brigade. The name symbolizes going against the system, Cooper said.
It's a reckless thing to name your group after murderers
but our hearts are in the right place
Cooper said.
Red Army is in the process of writing songs together for future performances, but is currently performing songs that were written individually.
Politics really gets me warmed up
Young said. Everyone can relate to oppression.
Both said their fathers played an essential role in developing their political ideals, which lead them to strive to make a significant difference in society.
Cooper said they want their music to be a call for people to wake up and not be manipulated by the government.
However, their songs have a myriad of topics, including the subject of love. The group feels that it is easy to write love songs, and tries to stray away from writing many of them. Cooper explains that it is a universal subject, because everyone has had his or her heart broken.
Love is essential
Cooper said. You must have love to have a revolution.
And a revolution is what Red Army intends to ignite with their music, he said.
