Last summer, Jeff and Steven McDonald, the brother duo who founded the pioneering and life-changing band Redd Kross, decided to see their old friends Sparks at the Hollywood Bowl. McDonalds, long inspired by the band created by brothers Ron and Russell Mael, saw the show with his friend and musical collaborator Josh Klinghoffer and Steven's wife, That Dog singer Anna Waronker, and came away with a new appreciation for what Sparks accomplished as a band.
“I thought, 'God, these guys have never stopped,'” said Steven, who played bass for Sparks from 2004 to 2009. “At first, I thought they were a little crazy, but after following them all these years and following them observed, I know they are not crazy. “They are just dedicated and have a singular vision.”
In 2019, Redd Kross was ready to celebrate his legacy with a 40th anniversary release, beginning with the release of his seventh studio album, “Beyond the Door.” The band's debut EP was to be reissued on Merge Records, along with never-released demos and a victory tour that was in the works, with a final show at the Regent Theater to include all the people who played at Redd Kross for join. in an improvised session.
Then the pandemic hit and McDonald's was left in the lurch. Although, as they would describe it, something as nice as celebrating a 40th anniversary wouldn't suit them anyway.
“I always thought it would be more fun to be like the 37th anniversary or the 42nd anniversary, because really, what does that mean?” Jeff says with a smile. “And 'Beyond the Door' had to be our 'Beatles for Sale': the strangest, strangest album in our catalogue.”
Los Angeles legends Jeff (right) and Steve McDonald of the band Redd Kross pose for a portrait as they release a new album.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Sitting at a round table in Steven's home in the Hollywood Hills, the brothers still retain the charm and humor that has made them favorites on the underground circuit. The McDonalds founded Redd Kross (originally Red Cross) at his parents' home in Hawthorne in 1979, when Jeff and Steven were 15 and 11, respectively. The brothers grew up with a love for '60s melodic rock, which has been at the heart of their music. Their journey is a march through Los Angeles rock history: from hanging out at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, to opening for South Bay Hellraisers Black Flag at a house party, to playing at his first “real” concert at the now-defunct Hong Kong Café, on a night when David Bowie was in the audience.
Despite Jeff’s joke, the brothers are going to celebrate Redd Kross’ 45th birthday in style because, as Steven said, “people like milestones.” The band is also the subject of a full-length documentary spanning their entire career titled “Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story.” Directed by former “Friends” showrunner Andrew Reich, “Born Innocent” showcases the creativity and approach the McDonalds have taken and how their punk rock beginnings morphed into left-of-center power pop.
Unlike other music documentaries that delve too deep or scratch the surface, “Born Innocent” is the perfect introduction to the band's history. It also showed that Redd Kross has never been carried away by the popular. “We get bored easily,” Jeff says. “And we always hated uniforms. Hardcore had its uniform, and metal with long hair too. We were next to the Paisley Underground, which was strange because we hung out with those people, but we were the only ones who had taken acid.”
“They were their own autonomous universe,” Reich says of Redd Kross. “Even in their early punk/garage days, when their skills had not caught up to their ambitions, they had a knack for writing great choruses. 'Kill Someone You Hate' is very raw, but you can't get it out of your head. Their songs have strength and bite, but are full of joy. They smile when they sing, they don't growl, and you can't help but smile when you listen.”
Jeff McDonald, center, and Steven McDonald, right, at one of Redd Kross' early shows in “Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story.” The McDonalds founded Redd Kross (originally Red Cross) at his parents' home in Hawthorne in 1979, when Jeff and Steven were 15 and 11, respectively.
(Underwater Entertainment)
As the documentary progressed, Reich asked the brothers if they would contribute a new song to close the documentary that traced the band's origins through their own eyes. That song, “Born Innocent” (not to be confused with their 1982 debut album of the same name), along with the pandemic, proved fertile ground for McDonalds to quickly get over “Beyond the Door” and get to work. their eighth album.
A couple of months after Sparks' Bowl show, Redd Kross ended up in the studio with Klinghoffer behind the kit (jokingly billed as the band's 75th drummer) and producing the project.
“I am honored that they took my decision into account,” says Klinghoffer. “It was a perfect opportunity for me to produce the way I think it should be done, where you care as much about the people who are making the record with you as you do about the songs.”
Their new self-titled double album marks the latest twist in the Redd Kross story. The chemistry and inspiration, as Steven hoped, was instantaneous and was fueled by the five solo songs Steven wrote, the three by Jeff, and the additional 10 co-written. During Steven's downtime from playing bass with the Melvins, they went to Klinghoffer's studio in the El Sereno area, playing acoustic demos of his friends before knocking out the 18 songs that make up the album.
“We started with 14 songs thinking we'd have a solid 12-song album,” adds Steven. “We missed the deadline to release the album in the summer. We didn't want to tour and have the album come out in the fall. “So we decided to add more songs.”
Looking back on 45 years as a band, the McDonalds are uniquely representative of Los Angeles. They're native Angelenos to the point that Steven jokes, “We grew up puffing on the fumes of LAX.”
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
At one point there was a conversation questioning the logic of making a double album. However, they decided it was a good idea and their trust in Klinghoffer allowed them to work differently than in the past. “We've never felt so comfortable with a producer before,” Steven said. “He was the third brother we never had. He kept us on our best behavior.” So much so that during downtime, Steven found himself with Jeff and Klinghoffer watching a documentary about cults. “It was my way in with Jeff,” Klinghoffer says.
Unlike previous albums, the brothers had the lyrics for the songs completed and had an idea of where they wanted them to go, no matter how difficult the demos were.
“Candy Coloured Catastrophe,” the sun-drenched album opener and first single, comes from a demo Jeff wrote 15 years ago. The McDonalds picked up the idea, but it didn’t make it onto their last two albums. This time it fits.
“During the process, I realized that this was a rare chemistry and that it had been a very lucky experience,” Steven said. “I don't expect it to happen again.”
Along with the documentary and album, Redd Kross is releasing a book, “Now You're One of Us,” co-authored with writer Dan Epstein.
“We had to meet a lot of deadlines at the same time,” says Steven. “We’re not used to that with Redd Kross.”
“That's it Steve,” Jeff jokes.
“I always thought it would be more fun to be like the 37th anniversary or the 42nd anniversary, because really, what does that mean?” said Jeff McDonald.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“I didn't meet the deadlines, they imposed it on me,” Steve insists in response. “I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to hemorrhage! But with the album, I was very dedicated to not missing this moment with the publication of the document and the book.”
Looking back on 45 years as a band, the McDonalds are uniquely representative of Los Angeles. They're native Angelenos to the point that Steven jokes, “We grew up puffing on the fumes of LAX.” The eclectic way they've navigated their career hasn't quite matched how the city has changed, but Redd Kross reflects the best of how the city's quirkiness continues to influence scenes elsewhere. Outside of maybe X, Redd Kross outlived his contemporaries. Calling this the beginning of their third act (an idea Steven says he took from a Jane Fonda book), the McDonalds believe they have more in common with the Mael brothers (and point to Kim Gordon) in terms of careers than any other person.
“We have been doing this [playing music] for so long that the Redd Kross thing has always been on the sidelines,” says Jeff. “He is always there. So when we decided to pick it up, we picked it up. He gives you an excuse to refresh and reboot. And now we can finally say that the band is middle-aged.”
