In the modern world ruled by likes, streams and views, a lot of artists like to say their music can’t be classified under any single genre. More often than not, it’s usually a nice story they like to tell themselves in order to feel they stand out from the rest of the DIY artists across the endless sea of the internet.
However, once in a while, with enough searching and digging, a band comes along so explosively original they truly can’t be contained. They’re loud when they should be low. They change up timing, tempo and styles often within the same song. And they’re not afraid to make sure everyone knows they take their music seriously, especially when not taking themselves seriously.
Enter Red 40, the new(ish) four-piece experimental rock act that has been igniting the local scene. This week, they’ll make their Crepe Place debut with psych metal trio Supernaut and hard rockers Dead Engine.
“All the content surrounding our songs—like the lyrics, the titles and the overall vibe that we have—is cooked up between us when we’re sitting in a room together, trying to think of the most funny, ridiculous shit we can,” guitar player Christian Stewart says. “It’s about having a good time.”
It’s a sentiment that pumps through the music’s veins. The closest thing I can think of to describe them is the avant garde Mr. Bungle hanging out with Herbie Hancock at Hunter Thompson’s house. Red 40 incorporates elements of jazz, funk, hardcore and metal, garnished with the carnival portion of Tom Waits’ brain. They aren’t afraid of pushing their music into new territory, no matter how weird it gets.
That’s probably partly due to three of the four members having backgrounds in science at UC Santa Cruz.
“We’re friends of the scientific method in Red 40,” drummer Will Davies says, laughing.
It was Davies and Stewart who founded the band in 2024 after they met in class and realized they both had a passion for music. They decided to combine Stewart’s metal background with Davies’ love for jazz and practiced in a jam room at Stevenson College. Soon after, Davies brought in bassist Sam Kaplan and the initial incarnation of Red 40 was born.
“I was trying to keep up,” Kaplan says of that first practice.
However, according to Stewart and Davies, Kaplan wasn’t just keeping up but forging new territory.
“At that point we had one song—‘Devil Wings’—and started writing ‘Mr. Lee,’ Stewart remembers. “I showed [Kaplan] the riffs I had and he busted out with the bass line that still is the part.”
Red 40 remained a trio for almost a year and played numerous shows around town, often at backyard parties and house shows.
“The thing about the college scene is that it was easy for us to play in front of people who were open to weird, instrumental music,” Davies says.
However, at the beginning of 2025 the band would expand to include singer Taylor Posey who—at the time—was playing with the now-defunct local punk outfit S.A.M. but was looking for something different.
“I saw an Instagram ad saying they were looking for a vocalist,” Posey remembers. He sent them a message and after a little back-and-forth communication, they sent him a demo tape.
“It was 40 minutes long with a 15-minute conversation of them talking about selling a one-of-one Red 40 hat,” Posey laughs. “I listened to the whole thing because it was so fucking funny!”
Since then they have operated as a quartet, playing an array of different shows, including in-between bouts at indie wrestling matches and a mini West Coast tour earlier this year with fellow local act Rosewood.
This past August they released their debut EP, Isle of Red 40, which expands the musical spectrum while still remaining focused enough to deliver catchy earworms that have no problem pulling an RFK and making themselves home. From the chaotic “Greaseball” to the rolling “Devil Wings,” Isle of Red 40 is a case study in what makes music interesting.
So imagine my happiness when they said one of their main focal points in the next year will be putting out a full-length for the world to love and fear.
But what does the science say?
“Our hypothesis for the new year is: Red 40 busting out the wazoo in 2026,” Kaplan says, laughing.
Looks like we’ll have to give it the ol’ college try and find out for ourselves.
Red 40 plays at 8pm on Jan. 2 at The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.
