Get ready world! Midnight Red is about to blow up big. We speak with Colton Rudloff, the fifth member of the boy band. “We’re not manufactured…We came together in a way that is organic,” he states. “There’s something for everyone in Midnight Red.” [Keep reading for interview.]
People can’t resist the simple pleasure of talented young men singing together – and it doesn’t hurt if they’re not bad to look at either. Enter Midnight Red, a new group of exciting performers from across the country who are carrying on that legacy by bringing outstanding harmonies and electrifying dance moves to the pop landscape. Midnight Red is: Joey Diggs Jr., Thomas Augusto, Eric Secharia, Colton Rudloff, and Anthony Ladao. We speak with Colton Rudloff, the fifth member of the group.
[By Monica Harris]
Q. My first question is about how you joined Midnight Red — I heard they discovered you on Youtube?
Colton Rudloff: They did. They had been a group of 4, and they traveled all the way to New York City for some record labels and all the record labels told them that, you know, there was something there but they needed a 5th member. So they came back to L.A. They held auditions. Nothing was really quite working and then they went to Youtube for a last ditch effort. They luckily found me right away. And I was in L.A. already. I went and auditioned and they put me in the band right on the spot. Since then its been Midnight Red.
Q. That’s exciting. That’s the power of Youtube!
Colton: I started doing Youtube covers back when I was 17 just for fun…Its definitely the way of the future. Me being this small town boy from Buffalo getting a hit opportunity out here in California through the internet? Its cool. Because it wouldn’t have happened any other way.
Q. Is the group working on an album now?
Colton: We spent 10 days in Paris in December, just before Christmas, Interscope flew us out there to work with RedOne. We had been working with him throughout the year and a half prior, but they flew us out to Paris to really get that album done. So in December we went there, we recorded the bulk of the album. Its not to say that we won’t record more, but we’re really close.
Q. I think you have the best fashion sense in the group. You dress really well. How would you describe your sense of style?
Colton: Are you being serious? That’s so funny because in the group I am so not the one with the fashion sense. But I would describe my style as clean cut, the opposite of grunge, its very all-American, relate-able. I’m a very simple guy, simple values. I have a hard time glitzing and glamming it up, so its very much my personality to keep it simple and wear the all-American prep look. That fits me the best, I’d say. Which is why I stick to that in the group because it just feels most comfortable.
(L-R) Thomas, Joey, Anthony, Colton, Eric
Q. How do you think Midnight Red is going to stand out from other “boy bands”?
Colton: Well there’s something different about Midnight Red in the sense that, you know, we’re not manufactured. That’s not to say that all the other boy bands are manufactured, but we did come together in a way that is organic, and we all happen to be so very different. And a lot of boy bands like to conform to one look or one general style. But you honestly couldn’t put Midnight Red in that category because we’re all so different that I think we’d freak out if we were all tried to put into one outfit. We come from different backgrounds. Everybody couldn’t be more different in their personal life, their family life, the values they were brought up on. I think that’s something that’s commendable, something that’s going to go a little bit more global. There’s tons of people out there, and there’s something for everyone in Midnight Red. We believe that. We’re really bringing back that party onstage energy in that — hopefully arena, fingers crossed — there’s going to be a lot more going on than what boy bands now are giving out. We’re so grateful that we grew up with that 90’s pop boom and we go to watch N’Sync and all those groups really go for it. And they had a lot of energy onstage. I think that’s been lacking in the boy band scene today. And I think we’re going to be that niche.
Q. What kinds of things do you guys like to do besides music?
Colton: A few of us are into working out. We definitely are movie-goers for sure. We’re constantly talking about movies. We’re 5 very normal dudes and we like to hang out. I know Eric and Anthony love their video games.
Q. Did you ever audition for American Idol?
Colton: I did, yeah. I tried out when I was 16 in a few different cities. I made it all the way through the really tough preliminary rounds to get to Paula, Simon and Randy in Boston. That was weird. That was like walking inside your TV.
Q. I bet you were really nervous.
Colton: You know I was but — that was like 8 year ago — which is even weird for me to say. [Laughs.] I was nervous and just really not ready. I was like a deer in headlights. Just this little 16 year old kid. I got some praise from Randy and a back handed comment from Simon. It was weird. Simon was like, “I think you’re a good singer but you should be a good singer part time and figure out what else you’d like to do with your life.” At the time I was like, that sucks. But my mom helped me see it in the right light. She said, “How many times have you watched the show and he tells someone never to sing again. He told you, you’d be a good singer part time. That’s something. You’re 16 years old.” And I really held that with me. It was good to get that reaction at 16.
Q. I’m glad you stuck with the singing! My last question — can you finish this sentence: “Life is awesome because _______.”
Colton: Life is awesome because Midnight Red is about to blow up and has given me everything to live for. And I can’t wait to share it with the world!
Life Is Awesome 