Redefine - Interview With two very successful single campaigns under their collective belts, Redefine has definitely struck a chord with not only an eclectic indie market but also the more fashionable (depending on which side of the fence you sit) nu-metal scene that they will (unfortunately) find themselves pigeon-holed in at some point. However, having the label 'nu-metal' rubber-stamped on their creative output is something Redefine clearly want to avoid which, according to affable frontman, Pete Daplyn, is only a debut album away.

"Expect a new approach to emotional heavy music. No rapping, scratching or dancing girls. In fact, no attitude problem and no falsity. We intend to dedicate the next year to creating the most honest music we can. So expect some underground electronic vibe mixing with Emo-core, punk, metal and any other style we feel captures us most completely."

Busy toiling away in a recording studio in Bristol, Redefine are currently applying the final touches to their debut album - present working title is The Daisy chain Cycle. The recording has been gathering serious momentum with present results causing a few people at Sugar Shack Records to salivate rather uncontrollably! This, no doubt, has pleased guitarist Ben Wong who along with Steve Bishop (drums) and Paul Mah (bass) have been honing and crafting their sound with painstaking perfection over the past couple of years. "The great thing about Redefine is that we are still relatively young and therefore we are still growing. Musically, this means that we are always exploring new things," explains Ben concerning Redefine's present state of development. "We are not a band who are tied down to one particular sound. When you listen to the album, you'll find a vast range of sounds. We recorded a new version of Seven By Seven (Redefine's first single) which sounds much tighter and heavier with more of a dance groove. We've never been afraid to throw in any different musical influences." Arising from a culmination of watching Fight Club and American Beauty with the added dose of serving the nation's public on a daily basis, Seven By Seven was the perfect response to an otherwise banal existence the band was experiencing. The response was swift, with Radio One's Evening Session acknowledging the earth shattering intensity of this debut single, which was followed by the more accessible Cypher, again earning yet more plaudits with Kerrang magazine rewarding their efforts with 'single of the week'. "The success of Cypher has raised the profile of the band quite significantly," says Ben, acknowledging the band's present trajectory. "It [Cypher] has helped to generate more interest and excitement in the band from the press that ultimately led to the decision to proceed with the recording of our album." Drawing on a variety of sources with a nod in the direction of bands such as Hundred Reasons, Glassjaw and the Deftones, Redefine are not afraid to state their admiration for Crowded House and REM. Nowhere is this more evident than in Pete Daplyn's lyrical offerings with Catch All (a personal favourite of mine) being a prime example. "The lyrics to Catch All are probably the oldest lyrics I still use, and were written when I was about seventeen," says Pete. "It's just a song about a crush; one of those school romances which never go anywhere because each person is too worried that the other won't like them. It's (Catch All) about lying on your bed, waking up too early and dozing off in the shower, and wishing that you had just got on and asked that girl out!" Any regrets concerning past relationships will soon evaporate in the wake of Redefine's forthcoming album - tentatively scheduled for its official launch in March 2002 - which already boasts two compelling singles and an array of diverse sounds incorporating various elements of punk, metal and Emo-core. "Although we have so much to prove in the coming twelve months, I feel that the current musical climate is incredibly fortuitous," explains Pete concerning the future of Redefine. "We hope that the album will allow us to connect with more and more people across the UK as the core of what our band represents is just that; an interaction between ourselves as musicians and other people who are able to find something in our sound that makes them feel an emotion." Bristol could be on the verge of witnessing a guitar band who will finally break the mould of the trip-hop label this city finds itself constrained by. Redefine could be the band to do just that. Nathan Haines (Sugar Shack Records) Oct 2001