Red Wanting Blue enters picture at ‘Vanishing Point’

January 26, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Over the past few years, Red Wanting Blue has had die-hard fans wanting new. That is, the Columbus-based rock act’s latest studio effort, “These Magnificent Mile,” was released in 2008. The problem is fate finally smiled the group’s way when, two years later, the band signed with Fanatic Records, an EMI/Caroline-distributed record label based in New York City, which decided to re-issue “These Magnificent Miles.” What was good news for the band did keep its loyal following waiting.

Now the wait is over as Red Wanting Blue released its latest studio effort, “From the Vanishing Point,” which includes lead single “White Snow.”

“As much as it pained us to stay on the road and not make a new record, it gave us time to kind of keep compiling music and songs,” said the Ohio University/Athens-formed band’s lead singer, Scott Terry, calling from Michigan. “The label wanted to re-release ‘These Magnificent Miles’ nationally to get more people to hear it, because our reach of getting music out there had been limited. So we had to shine on making this new album, which thank God we did because we could have rushed into the studio and recorded something we thought we were ready for.”

Instead, Terry said “From the Vanishing Point” is exactly the album the band had been itching to make for years. Whereas the vocalist loves its predecessor, the new effort relied heavily on studio production and keen songwriting to craft more of an alternative-rock-sounding affair. Notable new tracks include the upbeat “Love Remains,” rocking “Stay on the Bright Side” and country-esque feel “Walking Shoes.”

“This record is a step up sonically for us, “Terry said. “We definitely stepped up to the plate and raised the bar on how this album sounds. We tried to consider the fans of the last decade, who have been consistent fans, and the earlier stuff — what was it about it that they liked so much? — and at the same time branching out and getting out of our comfort zone and trying to do things. It was a lot of fun to make the record. We’re real proud of it.”

Furthermore, Terry said the band is proud to bring the new effort to Youngstown on Saturday for a show at Cedars.

“There has always been support for our band in Youngstown, but for the last 10 years it’s been like on hiatus,” Terry said. “We were playing there and selling out rooms 10 years ago when the band started, at places like The Mill and The Varsity Club. But then they closed down. We had to go to other places to play our music like in Kent and Akron. It felt like a lot of the luster was lost, and so we wound up disappearing for a while. Now it’s shifted back that our fans of Red Wanting Blue aren’t driving for an hour to see us play the House of Blues in Cleveland.”

Considering the struggle Red Wanting Blue endured during its first decade together, the recent developments of signing a label deal, garnering more exposure and radio airplay must have the band members feeling as though this is the moment they had been dreaming about all along.

“Yeah, it does,” Terry said. “There’s a lot of momentum behind us. ‘These Magnificent Miles’ was the record label’s way of getting our music and name into the pockets of certain people out there, being radio stations or press. It was sort of like rolling out the carpet, letting them know this band exists. And then now with ‘From the Vanishing Point,’ the same people are like, ‘Now we’re really ready and prepared to listen to this group.’ Now more than ever, know we’re definitely feeling serious groundswell behind the band, and we’re hoping to keep that going.”