By Nick Christophers
Blake Red hit the road running when she broke into the music scene in 2018 where she released two studio EP’s. Blake, who is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter at first performed with various bands until she went solo in 2018, hence the two EP’s. The metal seed was planted when Blake was a teenager after hearing the song “Them Bones” by Alice In Chains. After that she fell in love with the pounding and hard driving sound. Blake then discovered such heavier acts like Tool, In Flames, Megadeth, Pantera, Lamb of God and Korn. Her debut EP was titled “SOS” which was her baptism into the metal / alternative music scene. It is also interesting to note she one of the few African American metal /alternative female performers.
The second EP was called “The Cradle” which was more experimental compared to “SOS” where she delved more into the alternative side of her music. Her upcoming project “Out of the Cage” has more of heavier modern metal sound which derives from her influence from the band, Korn’s 2016 album “The Serenity of Suffering”. According to Blake in this project the lyrics offer a more progressive and stylistic approach, especially via the songwriting.
Blake, who hails from Chicago, has already taken the club circuit by storm and has shown off her musical skills. The venues she has taken the stage at are places like Rochaus, WC Social Club, Beat Kitchen and The Promitory. Blake also enjoys the more intimate dive bars like Livewire Lounge that offers a more instant response from the crowd. Only just recently she released the new project “Scorpion” a razor sharp lyric driven track that slices through the BS and offers a focused message. It is a song that cries out for those who hunt and look to harm the innocent.
“So far, the feedback has been positive overall! My fans have been waiting patiently for 4 years for me to release new music and it’s exciting to finally deliver. People have been very encouraging and supportive of me continuing to make music. I’ve shared a lot of clips in the studio from recording sessions, so they’ve had a front row seat of the journey towards making this record. I think that has helped build a lot of excitement around the release of “Scorpion”.”
The track was mixed/ mastered by GRAMMY-winning producer Darryl Swann (Macy Gray, Black Eyed Peas) and it features the thunderous sound from drummer Tom McGeoch and of course Blake with her axe grinding guitar and vocals. Her third upcoming EP “Out of the Cage” will feature five tracks, “Scorpion” being one of them. The other ones are “Secrets Are No Fun”, “Sixth Sense” and “Out of the Cage”. In addition, there is a bonus new mix of the single “The Cradle” which is from a previous EP. This is one of her heaviest records to date. The prominent message in this EP is perseverance, finding strength and never giving up. The EP also has sentimental value as she dedicated it to her late father who passed on in January of 2025.
For the remaining months of 2025 she is set to release “Out of the Cage” on October 3rd. She is planning to perform live more often and set up a tour soon. On October 3rd she will be setting up a release party at the Epiphany Center venue in Chicago. It will be billed as a comeback performance which she is planning to unleash the new projects to see the audience’s reaction. Blake is coming on strong and lighting the fire to inspire other female singers to chase their dreams and never yield.
