Red Edmund's just released their self-titled album, and oh, what a gem it is. Ten songs of full-on smooth and sexy sweetness, flowing together and providing an enlivening listening experience. Frontman/guitarist Cory Graddy has a beautifully flexible and fluid voice. Bassist Tim Lyons not only adds a groove but also steps up to occasionally lead the riffs, thereby keeping the music fresh. Drummer Chad Geiser is a solid and varied beatmaker, providing cohesion to the talented triumvirate.

Though each of the three has some degree of formal musical training, they profess that, wher it matters, they are largely self-taught. As Tim explains, "All the training in the world can't give you a good ear for music or the ability to communicate ideas to other musicians. With Red Edmund, we have grown to understand how each of us plays and hears music."

Lyrically, that music has something to say, as Cory sings songs of living, loving, losing and searching. "Songs to me are photographs of how I feel at certain times," he reveals. "There are so many emotions tied up in the writing of a song that the hardest part is just starting. But you get to a point where everything builds up; the next thing you know, there's a piece of paper with lyrics on it."

"Cory is a great lyricist in general; his songs paint a picture," adds Chad. "'Eraser,' for example, is about acceptance and living in the moment. The only constant in anyone's life is change."

The live show is another place for Red Edmund to demonstrate their individuality; onstage, the three read each other so well, it's impossible to walk away having seen anything but a tight and powerful performance. "We do something unique in the studio," says Tim, "and we're able to do something equally unique onstage."

Despite the industry woes, Red Edmund remain optimistic. "The music industry has been liberated by the internet and affordable home recording systems," says Chad, alluding to the fact that his band's CD is self-recorded and -produced. "Now the fans have control over what they want to listen to."

"If you need to play, to make something and try to see if people can relate, then the rest of that stuff doesn't matter," says Cory. "That's the fork in the road that separates the people who want to play from those who have to play or they'll go nuts."

RIYL: Starsailor, Radiohead, Elbow, Miles Davis