Red Orkestra

The very beginning of Red Orkestra’s fourth and latest album, Burning Little Empires, really sets the tone for an overall solid CD. “First Night Back To Life” had me initially thinking of old western movies where the cowboy rides off into to the sunset. With its deep and powerful acoustic strumming and a voice that equally matches in deepness and impact, it soon evolved into a smooth and catchy foot-stomping tune. That sets the stage for the next nine songs.Hailing from Waterloo, the indie band Red Orkestra is a four-piece that walks the line between alternative, folk, county rock and rock itself. Their music is spirited, clean and simple and powerfully rocks out. Johnny Charmer, Steve Parkinson, Neil McDonald and Rick Andrade have found a formula that should take them far. Their song-writing skills show strong on all songs whether it’s about struggles in life and love, reflections, or even politics. There’s a great deal of soul and passion being emitted, especially with Charmer’s haunting voice.

“I’m Not Going to Live My Life the Way I Should” substantially steps up the energy from the onset with distorted guitar. The strumming is simple yet very effective, as is the lead guitar. Like I said, they have found a cool formula that works! “A Matter of Love” keeps that rock train rolling along. At this point, it hits me that these guys sound a lot like Blue Rodeo. (That is meant to be a big compliment.)

Ah, nice finger-picking on the acoustic with the start of “The Wedding”! This fifth song is certainly the prettiest of all, and I include the lyrics in the statement. But here’s the thing with this one: although it’s a pretty song, it brings with it an incredibly sad story. It’s the one song where I actually got the album sleeve out and read the lyrics and was very surprised! So, with Red Orkestra, make sure you invest some time into soaking up the lyrics. They tend to be on the lengthy side, but that’s the entertainment of it all.

“World of Laughter” is a terrific song that soars through multiple levels of which I can fully relate. “The 7th Seal”, however, is the number one song of choice for me here. Stemming from one of my favourite movies, Ingmar Bergman’s epic film of the same name which depicts life battling death, it powers its way through the story of saving oneself versus what the devil has in store for you. The boys are rocking out here hard with a great ending!

The last two, “The End of the World” and “Oh My Beautiful World” have similar themes but are two very different songs. That’s a beauty of their clever songwriting skills.

Burning Little Empires is a class album. I had no expectations going into it as I had not heard these guys before, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Red Orkestra has produced a solid, good-sounding CD. I hope it gets out there enough for the public to be aware of it. You are all in for a nice treat.

Score: 7.5 / 10 - Velvet Rope Magazine

The very beginning of Red Orkestra’s fourth and latest album, Burning Little Empires, really sets the tone for an overall solid CD. “First Night Back To Life” had me initially thinking of old western movies where the cowboy rides off into to the sunset. With its deep and powerful acoustic strumming and a voice that equally matches in deepness and impact, it soon evolved into a smooth and catchy foot-stomping tune. That sets the stage for the next nine songs.Hailing from Waterloo, the indie band Red Orkestra is a four-piece that walks the line between alternative, folk, county rock and rock itself. Their music is spirited, clean and simple and powerfully rocks out. Johnny Charmer, Steve Parkinson, Neil McDonald and Rick Andrade have found a formula that should take them far. Their song-writing skills show strong on all songs whether it’s about struggles in life and love, reflections, or even politics. There’s a great deal of soul and passion being emitted, especially with Charmer’s haunting voice.

“I’m Not Going to Live My Life the Way I Should” substantially steps up the energy from the onset with distorted guitar. The strumming is simple yet very effective, as is the lead guitar. Like I said, they have found a cool formula that works! “A Matter of Love” keeps that rock train rolling along. At this point, it hits me that these guys sound a lot like Blue Rodeo. (That is meant to be a big compliment.)

Ah, nice finger-picking on the acoustic with the start of “The Wedding”! This fifth song is certainly the prettiest of all, and I include the lyrics in the statement. But here’s the thing with this one: although it’s a pretty song, it brings with it an incredibly sad story. It’s the one song where I actually got the album sleeve out and read the lyrics and was very surprised! So, with Red Orkestra, make sure you invest some time into soaking up the lyrics. They tend to be on the lengthy side, but that’s the entertainment of it all.

“World of Laughter” is a terrific song that soars through multiple levels of which I can fully relate. “The 7th Seal”, however, is the number one song of choice for me here. Stemming from one of my favourite movies, Ingmar Bergman’s epic film of the same name which depicts life battling death, it powers its way through the story of saving oneself versus what the devil has in store for you. The boys are rocking out here hard with a great ending!

The last two, “The End of the World” and “Oh My Beautiful World” have similar themes but are two very different songs. That’s a beauty of their clever songwriting skills.

Burning Little Empires is a class album. I had no expectations going into it as I had not heard these guys before, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Red Orkestra has produced a solid, good-sounding CD. I hope it gets out there enough for the public to be aware of it. You are all in for a nice treat.

Score: 7.5 / 10 - Velvet Rope Magazine

Red Orkestra's music is the kind that you could listen to anywhere at any time and seems to always blend in with the background perfectly. It does not give you a kick in the face with hardcore screams or feed artificial sweetener down your throat with boyish vocals. The best way to describe the sound on Life with the Machines is, perhaps, rock n roll fused with orchestra.

The album starts catchy with "World Turned Upside Down" and "One by One," and then mesmerizes listeners with refreshingly original guitar solos on "Radio Towers". Acoustic rockabilly, bluesy guitars and a steady drums set the tranquil tone on Life with the Machines.

However, as the record takes a turn for the slower, with "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," some momentum is lost. Although the tracks are just as well structured and composed with originality pop music lacks, they become almost too calm, and blends a little too well into the background.

Red Orkestra, a band that blurs the line between rock and orchestra, if ever possible, is creating something new in music.


- Saint Rock n Roll

Red Orkestra's music is the kind that you could listen to anywhere at any time and seems to always blend in with the background perfectly. It does not give you a kick in the face with hardcore screams or feed artificial sweetener down your throat with boyish vocals. The best way to describe the sound on Life with the Machines is, perhaps, rock n roll fused with orchestra.

The album starts catchy with "World Turned Upside Down" and "One by One," and then mesmerizes listeners with refreshingly original guitar solos on "Radio Towers". Acoustic rockabilly, bluesy guitars and a steady drums set the tranquil tone on Life with the Machines.

However, as the record takes a turn for the slower, with "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," some momentum is lost. Although the tracks are just as well structured and composed with originality pop music lacks, they become almost too calm, and blends a little too well into the background.

Red Orkestra, a band that blurs the line between rock and orchestra, if ever possible, is creating something new in music.


- Saint Rock n Roll

LIFE WITH THE MACHINES
4/5

Life with Machines, the newest from Red Orkestra, fronted by Waterloo's Johnny Charmer, is a veritable study in consistency. From the opening strains to the last notes, Life With Machines offers up a steady stream of pleasing pop crafted with mellow yet highly engaging arrangements, subtly clever lyrics and a distinctly British sound recalling classic Smiths tunes.
Frontman Charmer's distinctive vocals give just the right amount of edge to lyrics that might otherwise descend into melodrama, yet still manages to distinguish the overall tone of each, so that the album swings effortlessly from quirky and ironic to solemn and profound.
Although the entire album is consistent, the quality improves ever so slightly in the middle, where Red Orkestra seem to really hit their stride on tracks like "It's Impossible", "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "Ten Thousand Miles", showcasing a more upbeat tempo that really lets the listener have a little fun.
Red Orkestra succeeds in standing out among the masses of indie musicians by, frankly, not trying so hard. If a renaissance in Canadian music is on the way, look for Red Orkestra to be at the forefront with their refreshingly clean and simple sound.

by Moya Dillon - toonage.ca

LIFE WITH THE MACHINES
4/5

Life with Machines, the newest from Red Orkestra, fronted by Waterloo's Johnny Charmer, is a veritable study in consistency. From the opening strains to the last notes, Life With Machines offers up a steady stream of pleasing pop crafted with mellow yet highly engaging arrangements, subtly clever lyrics and a distinctly British sound recalling classic Smiths tunes.
Frontman Charmer's distinctive vocals give just the right amount of edge to lyrics that might otherwise descend into melodrama, yet still manages to distinguish the overall tone of each, so that the album swings effortlessly from quirky and ironic to solemn and profound.
Although the entire album is consistent, the quality improves ever so slightly in the middle, where Red Orkestra seem to really hit their stride on tracks like "It's Impossible", "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "Ten Thousand Miles", showcasing a more upbeat tempo that really lets the listener have a little fun.
Red Orkestra succeeds in standing out among the masses of indie musicians by, frankly, not trying so hard. If a renaissance in Canadian music is on the way, look for Red Orkestra to be at the forefront with their refreshingly clean and simple sound.

by Moya Dillon - toonage.ca

The Fading Ways label's radar for good music is rivalled by very few. So consistently do they find and release superb bands that I have begun to give serious consideration to the theory that Elvis, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, and several other rockers lost too soon are actually locked in the Fading Ways basement, being cajoled into breeding this new race of superbands. Red Orkestra, the Fading Ways signing in question here, sound roughly like a cross-breeding of Nick Cave, Morrissey, and Billy Bragg. Describing themselves as "urban folk" the Canadian ensemble characterise their second record by juxtaposing lyrical imagery of Radio Towers, bleak highways and towns on fire (ideas picked up in the grey, industrial-looking album artwork) with softer sounds from a bygone time. Folky and minimalist singer/songwriter tracks merge into rich, and appropriately orchestral, strings. The result is a multi-faceted record, which sways from grand peaks like the epic, fable-esque ‘Devil and the Deep Blue Sea' to understated indie tracks laced with echoes of Lou Reed, such as ‘All my Life'. Gracefully knitting together this collection of mood swings are the versatile voice, and lyrics of Johnny Charmer. Across Life with the Machines' 11 tracks Charmer gradually develops his poetry of seemingly insignificant urban detail, contrasting with more overarching and ironically universal ideas of alienation to create an album which will surely touch all those who open their hearts to it. - Bubblegum Slut magazine (UK)

The Fading Ways label's radar for good music is rivalled by very few. So consistently do they find and release superb bands that I have begun to give serious consideration to the theory that Elvis, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, and several other rockers lost too soon are actually locked in the Fading Ways basement, being cajoled into breeding this new race of superbands. Red Orkestra, the Fading Ways signing in question here, sound roughly like a cross-breeding of Nick Cave, Morrissey, and Billy Bragg. Describing themselves as "urban folk" the Canadian ensemble characterise their second record by juxtaposing lyrical imagery of Radio Towers, bleak highways and towns on fire (ideas picked up in the grey, industrial-looking album artwork) with softer sounds from a bygone time. Folky and minimalist singer/songwriter tracks merge into rich, and appropriately orchestral, strings. The result is a multi-faceted record, which sways from grand peaks like the epic, fable-esque ‘Devil and the Deep Blue Sea' to understated indie tracks laced with echoes of Lou Reed, such as ‘All my Life'. Gracefully knitting together this collection of mood swings are the versatile voice, and lyrics of Johnny Charmer. Across Life with the Machines' 11 tracks Charmer gradually develops his poetry of seemingly insignificant urban detail, contrasting with more overarching and ironically universal ideas of alienation to create an album which will surely touch all those who open their hearts to it. - Bubblegum Slut magazine (UK)

LIFE WITH THE MACHINES
STAR RATING: 4

Red Orkestra is one of those bands that that just seemed to be born out of karma; a group of musicians who seemed to have been brought together through destiny to make music. The band follows up their debut called After the Wars with this new album, which will surely take them further along the path to musical self-reliance. The CD starts off smooth with the soothing vocals of Johnny Charmer easily carrying you into the ambient acoustics of the record. The band cranks the amps for "One By One", but they let you get into it like a warm bath; a classic Oasis like manoeuvre as Orkestra plays between hard and soft throughout the track. They take things a bit up-tempo for "Radio Towers" and keep up that pace for much of the album. Sometimes Charmer and the guys try to deke and slip one by you, like giving "Ten Thousand Miles" a bass chord that has shades of U2, but is uniquely constructed into the band's urban folk pop sound. Sometimes outgoing, other times introspective, Life With the Machines displays a band comfortable with there style, but with a willingness to add odd spices and flavours to their recipe in order to give their music an unexpected kick or a moment to savour. - Lucid Forge arts magazine

LIFE WITH THE MACHINES
STAR RATING: 4

Red Orkestra is one of those bands that that just seemed to be born out of karma; a group of musicians who seemed to have been brought together through destiny to make music. The band follows up their debut called After the Wars with this new album, which will surely take them further along the path to musical self-reliance. The CD starts off smooth with the soothing vocals of Johnny Charmer easily carrying you into the ambient acoustics of the record. The band cranks the amps for "One By One", but they let you get into it like a warm bath; a classic Oasis like manoeuvre as Orkestra plays between hard and soft throughout the track. They take things a bit up-tempo for "Radio Towers" and keep up that pace for much of the album. Sometimes Charmer and the guys try to deke and slip one by you, like giving "Ten Thousand Miles" a bass chord that has shades of U2, but is uniquely constructed into the band's urban folk pop sound. Sometimes outgoing, other times introspective, Life With the Machines displays a band comfortable with there style, but with a willingness to add odd spices and flavours to their recipe in order to give their music an unexpected kick or a moment to savour. - Lucid Forge arts magazine

LIFE WITH THE MACHINES

Smart second

Canadian four-piece Red Orkestra take their name from a wartime Soviet espionage project. Life with the Machines is the second album from the band, with self-declared influences including The Smiths, Suede, Nick Cave, Billy Bragg, George Harrison and Gordon Lightfoot. The opening Hank Marvinesque track World Upside Down, with its reference to the "ones who would make us slaves forevermore" sets the conscious scene.
The rolling, guitar-picking rhapsody Radio Towers leads to It's Impossible, a touching assessment of romantic love. She Stands Alone is a chance for Johnny Charmer to showcase his engaging vocals, while For a Little While wanders into Asian Dub Foundation territory. Lyrics that rhyme agitator with traitor command attention. A satisfyingly clever album.

Hugh Tynan - Morning Star (UK)

LIFE WITH THE MACHINES

Smart second

Canadian four-piece Red Orkestra take their name from a wartime Soviet espionage project. Life with the Machines is the second album from the band, with self-declared influences including The Smiths, Suede, Nick Cave, Billy Bragg, George Harrison and Gordon Lightfoot. The opening Hank Marvinesque track World Upside Down, with its reference to the "ones who would make us slaves forevermore" sets the conscious scene.
The rolling, guitar-picking rhapsody Radio Towers leads to It's Impossible, a touching assessment of romantic love. She Stands Alone is a chance for Johnny Charmer to showcase his engaging vocals, while For a Little While wanders into Asian Dub Foundation territory. Lyrics that rhyme agitator with traitor command attention. A satisfyingly clever album.

Hugh Tynan - Morning Star (UK)

Rating: NNNN (out of five)

Named for the Soviet spy ring that successfully infiltrated Nazi-occupied Europe, the Red Orkestra's debut album is a brilliantly dystopian take on urban folk. Frontman Johnny Charmer (formerly of Charmer) wrote the album's music and lyrics and combines disparate influences from Blue Rodeo to Bragg, from the Smiths to Lightfoot. And like the best of urban folk, the album carefully navigates between intimate tracks and political polemics with ease while constantly maintaining a theme of struggle and resistance. The title track is a melancholic yet hopeful meditation on life after the current world order of perpetual conflict and imperialism. Hear, hear.

SAMI KHAN
- Now Magazine

Rating: NNNN (out of five)

Named for the Soviet spy ring that successfully infiltrated Nazi-occupied Europe, the Red Orkestra's debut album is a brilliantly dystopian take on urban folk. Frontman Johnny Charmer (formerly of Charmer) wrote the album's music and lyrics and combines disparate influences from Blue Rodeo to Bragg, from the Smiths to Lightfoot. And like the best of urban folk, the album carefully navigates between intimate tracks and political polemics with ease while constantly maintaining a theme of struggle and resistance. The title track is a melancholic yet hopeful meditation on life after the current world order of perpetual conflict and imperialism. Hear, hear.

SAMI KHAN
- Now Magazine

Funny how so many Canadian bands are doing their best to beat the Brits at their own game. We’ve got Pilate channelling Coldplay, and now Red Orkestra are doing the same with The Smiths and Stephen Duffy. Not to say that "After The Wars" is unoriginal. On the contrary, it’s an immensely engaging album characterized by gentle guitar and piano melodies and the mellow poetics of lead singer Johnny Charmer. Neil Leyton provides backing vocals, bass and piano duties. The album opens gently and beautifully with the acoustic guitar-driven "Still Waters" and ends with the lyrically evocative title track. Red Orkestra are off to a strong start and can only move up.

Shannon Whibbs - Chart Attack

Red Orkestra's debut is the perfect soundtrack for
a Sunday afternoon in the hammock. Johnny Charmer's airy vocals are
soothing and subtly convey an optimism about life in general. It's a very
easy going pop album that gently flows and evolves, and makes for a great
listen start to finish, so you won't be tempted to skip any tracks.
Charmer's songs have a nice musical consistency that allows his lyrics to cover a broad range of topics from the heavy to the more wistful. Whether it be a personal reflection or political observation, the listener is never subdued by the intensity nor underwhelmed by the levity. It's a wonderfully diverse, yet coherent collection that is as deep or as light as you want it to be.

Broose Tulloch
- Stylus Magazine (U of Winnipeg)

Funny how so many Canadian bands are doing their best to beat the Brits at their own game. We’ve got Pilate channelling Coldplay, and now Red Orkestra are doing the same with The Smiths and Stephen Duffy. Not to say that "After The Wars" is unoriginal. On the contrary, it’s an immensely engaging album characterized by gentle guitar and piano melodies and the mellow poetics of lead singer Johnny Charmer. Neil Leyton provides backing vocals, bass and piano duties. The album opens gently and beautifully with the acoustic guitar-driven "Still Waters" and ends with the lyrically evocative title track. Red Orkestra are off to a strong start and can only move up.

Shannon Whibbs - Chart Attack

Excuse a little lazy journalism here but when Red Orkestra mainman Johnny Charmer dubs his creations 'urban folk' I can do nothing but agree with him. The term perfectly sums up Red Orkestra's delicate yet backstreet-hardened latter day folk ballads. Rendered in fragile acoustic guitars, handclaps and Johnny's softly expressive vocals these 11 aching anthems are mired in the claustrophobia and isolation of the teeming city. Never bleak about the surroundings that inspire him though, Charmer squeezes the sense of nostalgia and loss he creates into golden memorials of perfect pop songs like 'Wide' with all the charm of classic Morrissey. - Bubblegum Slut [UK] (issue #15)

Excuse a little lazy journalism here but when Red Orkestra mainman Johnny Charmer dubs his creations 'urban folk' I can do nothing but agree with him. The term perfectly sums up Red Orkestra's delicate yet backstreet-hardened latter day folk ballads. Rendered in fragile acoustic guitars, handclaps and Johnny's softly expressive vocals these 11 aching anthems are mired in the claustrophobia and isolation of the teeming city. Never bleak about the surroundings that inspire him though, Charmer squeezes the sense of nostalgia and loss he creates into golden memorials of perfect pop songs like 'Wide' with all the charm of classic Morrissey. - Bubblegum Slut [UK] (issue #15)

Red Orkestra's Johnny Charmer Contemplates Life With The Machines
Tuesday September 19, 2006

Waterloo, Ontario-based musician Johnny Charmer has played a number of roles in his young career, including stints as part of the bands Red Autumn Fall and Charmer. But when he started making music on his own under the moniker Red Orkestra, he quickly found himself playing the part of innovator as well.

Two years ago, Fading Ways Records president Neil Leyton took an interest in Charmer's music and came to him with a novel idea: release an album that can be legally manipulated and traded by the public.

Charmer bit and, in 2004, Red Orkestra's After The Wars became the first internationally distributed CD to be released under a Creative Commons license — a classification that enables the lawful reuse and sharing of cultural works.

Charmer, still intent upon flying in the face of convention, has just released Red Orkestra's second LP, Life With The Machines, under the same share-ware license. It's actions like this, he hopes, that will help people look at the world in a different way.

"If there's a common theme running through the album, it is one of resistance to the status quo," Charmer explains. "The name of the record reflects that underlying theme… In the same way that machines simply serve a purpose and never define that purpose themselves, so too do most people simply play the role assigned to them by others.

"I realize that this is not a new concept, and some might even go so far as to call it cliche, but I think it's vital that this be taken very seriously. It seems we're becoming less feeling — less human — with each passing generation."

The road to Red Orkestra's two releases hasn't been an easy one for Charmer to traverse. Over the last few years, he's had to recruit a number of rotating musicians to play as his live and recording bands. Charmer hopes that the latest incarnation of his group — Stephen Parkinson, Neil MacDonald, and Rick Andrade — might be the one that sticks (at least for another record or two).

"With the new bandmates there has, of course, been a change in the way my songs have been interpreted in both the live capacity as well as in the studio," ponders Charmer. "I think Life With The Machines is more upbeat, musically speaking, compared to After The Wars, but I don't think I strayed too far from the first record. I do think it's an improvement, though."

Even through numerous lineup changes, Charmer feels he's been able to stick to his creative vision and his unique brand of music — a difficult-to-describe genre that many in the industry have labelled "urban folk."

"The folk influences are still present on the new record, but perhaps not as apparent as on After The Wars," he explains. "Still, I'm loath to refer to my music as rock 'n' roll or pop because it really is neither, and 'urban folk' represents both the thematic and musical aspects of my songs better than either of the others do."

Charmer says that one of the main reasons he's continually able to see his plans through is producer/engineer Steve Payne, who's helmed both Red Orkestra discs.

"Steve and I go back a number of years. He's got a great head for music. I think that without him I still would have made a record, but it would have either cost me twice as much or would have been half as good. Or maybe both. He knows what he's doing, and more importantly he knows what I'm doing."

Though Charmer and his Red Orkestra continue to gain momentum, the songwriter is reluctant to make the move to the Big Smoke. He's watched the notoriety of Toronto-based acts continue to ascend, but, in the end, Charmer believes that he's better off in a smaller city.

"The pull from Toronto is something that is always present since it's the central locale for so many great venues, labels, studios, et cetera, but I've been playing in Toronto for over six years now with various bands, and I've never been able to reconcile myself with the idea of actually moving there simply because I think the standard of living for artists in the outlying cities — such as Waterloo, London, St. Catharines, Kingston — is better."
- Scott Bryson

Red Orkestra's Johnny Charmer Contemplates Life With The Machines
Tuesday September 19, 2006

Waterloo, Ontario-based musician Johnny Charmer has played a number of roles in his young career, including stints as part of the bands Red Autumn Fall and Charmer. But when he started making music on his own under the moniker Red Orkestra, he quickly found himself playing the part of innovator as well.

Two years ago, Fading Ways Records president Neil Leyton took an interest in Charmer's music and came to him with a novel idea: release an album that can be legally manipulated and traded by the public.

Charmer bit and, in 2004, Red Orkestra's After The Wars became the first internationally distributed CD to be released under a Creative Commons license — a classification that enables the lawful reuse and sharing of cultural works.

Charmer, still intent upon flying in the face of convention, has just released Red Orkestra's second LP, Life With The Machines, under the same share-ware license. It's actions like this, he hopes, that will help people look at the world in a different way.

"If there's a common theme running through the album, it is one of resistance to the status quo," Charmer explains. "The name of the record reflects that underlying theme… In the same way that machines simply serve a purpose and never define that purpose themselves, so too do most people simply play the role assigned to them by others.

"I realize that this is not a new concept, and some might even go so far as to call it cliche, but I think it's vital that this be taken very seriously. It seems we're becoming less feeling — less human — with each passing generation."

The road to Red Orkestra's two releases hasn't been an easy one for Charmer to traverse. Over the last few years, he's had to recruit a number of rotating musicians to play as his live and recording bands. Charmer hopes that the latest incarnation of his group — Stephen Parkinson, Neil MacDonald, and Rick Andrade — might be the one that sticks (at least for another record or two).

"With the new bandmates there has, of course, been a change in the way my songs have been interpreted in both the live capacity as well as in the studio," ponders Charmer. "I think Life With The Machines is more upbeat, musically speaking, compared to After The Wars, but I don't think I strayed too far from the first record. I do think it's an improvement, though."

Even through numerous lineup changes, Charmer feels he's been able to stick to his creative vision and his unique brand of music — a difficult-to-describe genre that many in the industry have labelled "urban folk."

"The folk influences are still present on the new record, but perhaps not as apparent as on After The Wars," he explains. "Still, I'm loath to refer to my music as rock 'n' roll or pop because it really is neither, and 'urban folk' represents both the thematic and musical aspects of my songs better than either of the others do."

Charmer says that one of the main reasons he's continually able to see his plans through is producer/engineer Steve Payne, who's helmed both Red Orkestra discs.

"Steve and I go back a number of years. He's got a great head for music. I think that without him I still would have made a record, but it would have either cost me twice as much or would have been half as good. Or maybe both. He knows what he's doing, and more importantly he knows what I'm doing."

Though Charmer and his Red Orkestra continue to gain momentum, the songwriter is reluctant to make the move to the Big Smoke. He's watched the notoriety of Toronto-based acts continue to ascend, but, in the end, Charmer believes that he's better off in a smaller city.

"The pull from Toronto is something that is always present since it's the central locale for so many great venues, labels, studios, et cetera, but I've been playing in Toronto for over six years now with various bands, and I've never been able to reconcile myself with the idea of actually moving there simply because I think the standard of living for artists in the outlying cities — such as Waterloo, London, St. Catharines, Kingston — is better."
- Scott Bryson