Cal in Red on Audiotree Live (Full Session)

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:04][music] Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to Audio Tree Live, where you discover your next favorite band. My name is Fingy. Today is December 17th, 2025, and today we have Cal and Red in the studio. With shimmering synths and jangly guitars, Cal and Red's music is the perfect soundtrack to the type of day that you never want to end. Take it away, boys.

[00:00:28]Heat. Heat. [music] [music] [music] [music] >> [music] >> Heat.

[00:01:12]Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Got to wait for the world.

[00:01:33]You got [music] to wait.

[00:01:40]It's a conversation.

[00:01:43][music] You got to stay close.

[00:01:47]You got to put in your work. [music] Heat.

[00:01:57][music] [music] Heat.

[00:02:11][music] Heat.

[00:02:18][music] Heat.

[00:02:27][music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat up [music] [music] here.

[00:03:02]>> [music] [music] >> No [music] distance [music] come out.

[00:03:29]She's alive. Heat. Heat.

[00:03:32][music] [music] Heat. Heat.

[00:03:47][music] [music] Heat. Heat.

[00:04:01][music] Heat. [music] [music] Heat.

[00:04:19][music] [singing] >> [music] [music] >> takes down [music and singing] for a while but you can't see it [music] down and you'll hear it from meat.

[00:04:58][music] [music] [music and singing] Heat.

[00:05:16]Heat.

[00:05:22][music] [music and singing] Heat.

[00:05:34][music] >> [music] [applause] >> Hey guys, we want to share something interesting with you about our channel.

[00:05:56]Over 80% of you who are watching this video right now are not subscribed. So, please hit that subscribe button down below and we'll keep bringing in all the best bands from around the world to play for you. Okay, back to the show.

[00:06:09]>> All right, so this is the last session of the year and there's been this burning question I've had that I've yet to have the opportunity to ask. So, >> if a gorilla ran through these doors right now, who's fighting it?

[00:06:24]>> Jonah.

[00:06:24]>> Who's running from it?

[00:06:26]>> Who's hiding? [laughter] >> Paint the picture for me.

[00:06:30]>> Okay.

[00:06:31]>> Actually, Connor might be the only one crazy enough to try to think he could fight a gorilla.

[00:06:34]>> Conor's making fun of the gorilla, probably. [laughter] Yeah, >> Conor's taunting, >> which was a mistake. It's the last moments of his life. Uh, I'm running. I don't know. I'm I'm honored that you guys would say I'm fighting, but I'm >> fighting. Yeah. Who's running? Who's fighting? Who's hiding? And it doesn't need to be, you know, siloed to that.

[00:06:51]What would be your natural reaction if this were to happen?

[00:06:54]>> Would maybe try to like unzip it like that Spongebob episode.

[00:06:58]>> Make sure it's it's really real, you know?

[00:07:01]>> Okay. [laughter] >> That's >> that's out of the box.

[00:07:05]I would say I would stand up and fight for these boys.

[00:07:07]>> I think Andrew would fight for us.

[00:07:09]>> Thanks, Dad.

[00:07:10]>> I've been sleeping on my neck funny. So, I'm not in the best physical shape to be fighting [laughter] anything.

[00:07:16]>> It's that tour life. You know, it >> it gets to you and it inhibits you from fighting gorillas. Oh, man. All right.

[00:07:23]All right. All right. So, I'm under the impression we got two brothers in the room. Hi, guys.

[00:07:28]>> I'm pretty sure I know how you met.

[00:07:30]Probably via your mother. Mhm.

[00:07:33]>> Uh but these lovely fellows over here, how did you how did you find these guys?

[00:07:37]How did this band come to be?

[00:07:39]>> I feel like uh well, how we met these two, I think it's it's kind of a shout out to like the I guess the music scene in Grand Rapids because just from like going to shows of like friends. Um I feel like that's how we ran into these two, just shows at the Pyramids game.

[00:07:54]>> They're both super talented musicians that play in a lot of different projects where we're from. Um, and yeah, Jonah linked up with us a couple years back, um, we got pegged to open for Best Steel when they were in Grand Rapids coming through, which was like the opportunity of a lifetime. And up until that point, it had just been Connor and I playing as a two-piece in this setting. Uh, we wanted a full band, so we >> grabbed Jonah for that one, and we didn't really let him go after that. And then actually, we pulled Andrew in specifically for Audio Tree >> and then for a couple shows we're doing after this week. So, >> yeah.

[00:08:26]>> Yeah, it's great. I mean, we've known Andrew for years and he's a good dude and it's a great fit.

[00:08:30]>> And you asked him, "Hey, man, if a gorilla were to come to the studio, what would you do?" He said he'd stand up.

[00:08:37]>> Yeah, we kicked right.

[00:08:39]>> That's That's a keeper. That's a keeper.

[00:08:41]And Okay, so this has been an iteration for a moment. Have you ever been testing demos during your live shows and have had the crowd reaction maybe reformat or rearrange what you thought might be a new song?

[00:08:58]Um, maybe not with demos. I'd say that happens with songs that are actually out. Like if there's one if there's one because I feel like we're more like chill lowkey, but if there's a song where people are kind of like getting into it, we'll try to give it a little more. Um, Connor came up with like with a new iteration of a song, Cut the Line, for our live version that we're going to do in a couple songs. Um, >> yeah, it was recorded and produced mostly as like a a synth keyboard song, but then as we were rehearsing leading up to it, it just sounded a lot better with more guitar. Yeah, that was it's kind Yeah. rehearsals, just us in the same room playing the stuff. We kind of figure out, but um we definitely learn what songs to cut from people's reactions in the office.

[00:09:35]>> Really? Okay. So, negative reinforcement has been more of a >> reinforcement.

[00:09:41]>> And sometimes, you know, you got to allow that to flow. I get it. I get it.

[00:09:45]And when neither of [clears throat] you are really able to hear the song, you got a bad case of demoitis. Do you have somebody that you go to to bounce that song off of and see if it's on the right track?

[00:09:56]>> Um, well, lucky for us, we do have another brother, a younger one who is actually the namesake of the band, Cal.

[00:10:03]>> Cal, typically wearing red.

[00:10:06]>> Um, yeah. And he he uh has a lot of the similar music tastes as us. So, we'll shoot him demos. He's like one of the first guys. We always um hit him with demos. Yeah.

[00:10:14]>> Yeah.

[00:10:14]>> Yeah. Does that apply to business decisions as well or >> Oh, I don't know if he partakes in that as much. Yeah, >> he's the vibe curator, not the business manager.

[00:10:25]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's good.

[00:10:27]>> And how does that look like when you have to make a bit more [clears throat] serious fiscal decisions? Is that still a communal decision- making process?

[00:10:37]>> Yeah, I think >> between us two.

[00:10:39]>> We It's between us two. Um, our longtime friend and manager, Zeke. We always turn to him for that stuff as well.

[00:10:46]>> Zeke's got the plan.

[00:10:47]>> Zeke. Zeke has the plan.

[00:10:49]>> Shout out Zeke. Shout out Zeke.

[00:10:51]>> Should we run a couple more?

[00:10:52]>> Let's do it.

[00:10:52]>> For sure. Yeah.

[00:11:06]>> [music] >> I talked [music] in [music] messing with [singing] my head. Feels like it's going to rain. [music] Don't look so far. [music] So cold [singing] at heart is the perfect way to start. [music] I got a feeling [music] that you're not the only [singing] one who's strong. [music] How was your weekend?

[00:12:01]Heat. Heat. Heat.

[00:12:08][music] >> [music] >> Just [music] do a corner.

[00:12:29][music] The time won't win, [music] but you got something to lose.

[00:12:42]Don't look cuz you're not that far.

[00:12:45][singing and music] Stone cold, but you're not that hard.

[00:12:51]Love is the perfect way [music] to start.

[00:13:00]I got a [music and singing] feeling that you're the only one [music] who's strong.

[00:13:09]How was your weekend?

[00:13:14]I didn't [music] see [music] it.

[00:13:30][music] [music] Heat [music] [music] [music] up here. [music] Oh, [music] [music] [music] [music] >> [music] [music] [music] >> Last one.

[00:15:01]>> [music] >> Thought I could change the weather.

[00:15:05][singing] Try and feed it [music] to try and make it.

[00:15:16][music] [music] >> [music] [music] >> I want to find you [music] [singing] costume and that's [music] a fun time.

[00:15:56]A pretty light show.

[00:15:59][music] It could be [singing] a star.

[00:16:06][music] It could hurt you.

[00:16:14][music] [music] But you miss this. Yeah. [music] Heat.

[00:16:35][music] [music] Heat. Heat.

[00:16:49][music] Yeah.

[00:16:53]Heat.

[00:16:56][music] [music] >> [music] [music] >> falling up, but they're coming after [music] you.

[00:17:34]>> [music] >> Look, but you just wanted to.

[00:17:40][music] And I know she [music] said I le [music] [music] don't wait too long.

[00:18:03]Both headlights [singing and music] are coming on.

[00:18:08]You take [music] [music] >> [music] >> It's already [music and singing] after.

[00:18:45]What the [music] She's in the water, too.

[00:18:52]Heat. Heat.

[00:18:55][music] your home.

[00:19:08][music] Don't wait too long. [music] Both headlights are coming [singing] on.

[00:19:21][music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat [music] [music] [music] up here.

[00:20:11][music] >> [music] [applause and cheering] >> Thank you.

[00:20:29]>> So, your latest EP, The Days, came out a few months ago. Was this an accumulation of songs that you were writing over time that amassed to this EP, or is there uh an overarching theme to this?

[00:20:43]>> I think both. I think it was songs that um we were kind of writing. We had a couple singles. We had Are You Ready in the Days were the first one. Those have been done for a long time. Um and we started playing those live. We shifted those in like a year ago as we were writing some other songs. And I think >> maybe we did kind of thematically. The rest of the songs kind of fell in line behind it.

[00:21:04]>> Push and pull thing between the two of us. I'd written like the [clears throat] days and then you just were cooking songs up left and right like three or four tracks and then we finally added like cut the line as like the last one.

[00:21:16]So it was just like slowly working in progress but we didn't have a ton of songs like backlogged from the record or anything. So all kind of fresh fresh >> it was all new. This was the first like time cuz after Lolo that was like Lo was like everything we possibly had.

[00:21:31][laughter] >> Right. And you said that these new songs were falling in line with the other ones. Could you expand a little more on that?

[00:21:38]>> Yeah, I think I think sonically a lot more guitars right out the gate. I think Are You Ready is for like a guitar song.

[00:21:44]Um I think The Days is kind of a guitar song too. Cut the lines kind of the one out in there. But yeah, we just started using more guitars. Um I think those songs are both loosely inspired by like our jobs and work and 9 to5 and our our place in society. And I think I don't know that was just kind of weighing on us last winter when we were working on all these and the rest kind of yeah followed suit. Wanted to try out um some like production stuff as well and some new production stuff. So I feel like that was also a big part of it.

[00:22:15]>> Yeah, totally. Do you have a favorite song on the project as far as what the process was like creating it?

[00:22:22]>> Oh, I do. [snorts] >> I I really I think you know what I'm going to say. I really like Smile Your Here, the weird one. Oh yeah, >> it's it's the weirdest song we've ever put out for sure. Uh there's like a skit in the middle uh in it. I remember last winter I was sitting on the couch like working on it on my laptop just trying to like demo this thing and my well fiance was sitting next to me.

[00:22:46][laughter] >> Oh yeah.

[00:22:47]>> Recent Hannah, what is up?

[00:22:50]>> Had to throw that.

[00:22:51]>> She was sitting next to me just trying to like read and she just I was like doing all these voices and she finally was like what are you what are you doing right now? down. I was like, "No, it's going to work. Trust me, it's going to work." Um, and yeah, I like that one was fun. I like how that turned out.

[00:23:04]>> It's a wonky one.

[00:23:05]>> Process, babe.

[00:23:05]>> What about you, Con? [laughter] >> Babe, this next song's going to hit it.

[00:23:09]I promise. This is going to be the one.

[00:23:10]>> I promise I'm going to pay [laughter] the rent for this.

[00:23:12]>> What about you, Con?

[00:23:16]>> Uh, like pay the rent.

[00:23:18]>> Favorite song passes. Yeah. [laughter] >> My favorite song.

[00:23:21]>> Um, definitely not Cut the Line. That was like um just dragged that out. You could ask Kendall. you probably wanted to uh ring my neck or something.

[00:23:29]>> There's like 83 mixes of that song and they're all basically the same.

[00:23:32]>> Um I I really like doing the days. Um that was one that I kind of put together and it was just like a very like less is more approach. Um because we we played earlier. Yeah. It's like the bass is like the same note the entire time. It's just very like um chill rhythmically. So that was a fun one for me. Yeah.

[00:23:50]>> Yeah. I love the pro the process of reduction instead of production. Just sticking to one bass note.

[00:23:58]>> Solid. Feels good. I like it.

[00:24:01]>> And now that we're, you know, coming closer to the end of the year, do we have any musical goals or intentions we're trying to see through next year?

[00:24:09]>> I don't know. We got we have some demos.

[00:24:11]We have like five or six demos um that we're just going to record. And maybe it'll be singles. Maybe it will be an EP. Maybe we'll work towards another full length. I don't know. We just want we want to get some new music out within the next few months or first few months of 2026. I think that's our goal right now.

[00:24:28]>> Beautiful. Quarter one out.

[00:24:30]>> Got to have a solid Q1.

[00:24:31]>> Come on. Q2 five.

[00:24:34]>> Q2 is right around the corner, >> right? I mean, I feel it.

[00:24:37]>> It's almost Q3 pretty much right now.

[00:24:39]>> God. God. [laughter] >> All right. Should we uh round this bad boy out?

[00:24:44]>> Let's do it. Thanks so much, Mickey. Of >> course.

[00:24:51]>> [music] >> Caught them up out for [singing] the weekend. Interrupted by [music] your best friend. I don't want to think about it. Be the one [music] to me. How is it like the way she's known [music] hanging on by [singing] the wayside [music] I would take back you take your leave [music] I never [music] just like you said said baby [music and singing] you like that might take me another minute. [music] Still, you got to face [singing] it. Let that body roll back. [music] She's a wondering [singing] somehow to [music] forget. Tell me what you [singing] are waiting for.

[00:26:06]>> [music] [music] >> Drop [music] my phone for the evening.

[00:26:22]Kept it low. I thought [singing] you [music] my name.

[00:26:32][music] just come to grace you might be reaching I can't afford to think about [music] be without it before [singing] you take off [music] and leave us all for dead [singing] I'd never go just [music] like you said and then you [singing] took off and [music] you left us so I can't [singing and music] do [music] my [music and singing] face.

[00:27:28]Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat.

[00:27:40][music] [music] Heat. [music] >> [music] [cheering] >> Colin Red, thank you so much for coming.

[00:28:12]That was amazing.

[00:28:13]>> Thank you. Thanks for having us.

[00:28:14]>> Of course. Thank you to our crew for capturing this. We can't do it without you. And thank you for watching. By the time you are watching this, it's already on all streaming services. Spotify, Apple Music, you name it, they are there. And if you have made it to the end of this video, we're this close to a millie subscribers. We're this close.

[00:28:34]Please, if you haven't subscribed, please do. My name is Fingy. Thank you so much for watching and we'll catch you next time. Peace.

[00:28:47]>> All right, so you guys want to do it for real now?