"Band of Gingers" Frontman Doug McFarlane Speaks On Bloodnut's Forthcoming Stoner-Sludge Metal Album ST. RANGA (The Witzard Interview)

Bloodnut are a self-proclaimed "Stoner-Sludge band of gingers" hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. I can vaguely recall, just a few short months ago, @BloodnutBand Tweeting a proposition for the senior vice president and creative director of a major music-minded network (which I wont name) to hear their then-forthcoming second album, St. Ranga; I believe said network SVP Replied something to the effect of he didn't listen to pre-release album advances. Needless to say, I saw all of this going down in real time and quickly jumped on the opportunity to score an advanced copy of Bloodnut's St. Ranga. I've been corresponding with Bloodnut founder, bassist, and frontman Doug McFarlane, via email for roughly two weeks now and on the heels of their recent Doomed & Stoned-premiered "The Space Orangutan," agreed we would do a short and sweet, yet informative 5-question mini-interview for publication here at The Witzard. Please feel free to headbang and rage accordingly to Bloodnut's St. Ranga teaser single, "The Space Orangutan" down below and delve into my mini-interview with bassist and frontman Doug McFralanee. Bloodnut's Blues from The Red Sons (currently FREE on Bandcamp) follow-up, St. Ranga, will be self-released by the band on August 1st with 10% of all album sales going to Melanoma NZ.


"The follow-up to the 2016 album - Blues from The Red Sons, St. Ranga is raw, visceral, and tuned even lower than their first offering. A Sludge-filled album that still has tongue-in-cheek elements, it endeavours to cover the darker side of what it means to be red of hair. With songs that cover religious persecution, the negative myths, and history surrounding the 2% you might even get a bit of an education of what it's like to be ginger. Recorded in a garage session-style by fellow ranga Elliot Lawless (of Greenfog) over one weekend and in a rare 4-piece variant of the band, St. Ranga is a clear evolution from their first offering and perhaps, a reaction to the polished bit-by-bit style of recording utilised on Blues from the Red Sons."

I. How did you initially come up with the concept of establishing a somewhat tongue-in-cheek "Band of Gingers" playing redhead and viking-themed Stoner Metal?

I was watching a Tim Minchin video on YouTube (he's a famous Aussie ginger musical comedian) and it was a song called "Prejudice" about how only a ginger can call another ginger "ginger. "At one part of the song, he goes through a big list of the things redheads get called and "BLOODNUT" was one of them. I had the thought that that would make a good Metal band name and wondered if I [could] fill this band with only redheaded people; turns out, I could and the band was formed.

II. What does your latest album title, St. Ranga mean and how does it correlate to Bloodnut's over-arching theme of redhead-ery?

The title works on two levels, really: the first track of the album is called "The Space Orangutan" and is a kind poke at religion, by making up a deity for the red of hair, so the name of the album applies to this deity. Also, our debut album was called Blues from The Red Sons, which was a reference to the classic Kyuss album - Blues for The Red Sun... so, we figured this album should be a reference, too to keep the trend going. Are we into Metallica [St. Anger] as much as we are in to Kyuss? Well, no, but the name was too good to pass up.


III. What were some of Bloodnut's greatest sources of inspiration and influence while writing and recording St. Ranga?

Kyuss... always Kyuss. but some Mastodon, Baroness, Windhand, and many other bands started to creep in as we wrote this lot of songs. Hence, the down tune to A (our first album is all in C.)

IV. How would you say Bloodnut's sound has changed and progressed between Blues from The Red Sons (2016) and St. Ranga?

The sound is more raw, visceral, and tuned even lower than their first offering. A Sludge-filled album that still has tongue-in-cheek elements, it endeavours to cover the darker side of what it means to be red of hair; with songs that cover religious persecution, the negative myths and history surrounding the 2%, and some more Norse mythology in there, too.

V. St. Ranga's CD tray has an inscription that reads: "This album is dedicated to all those who came before us. They lived lives filled with persecution and fire and we exist because of them." Would you care to further explain?

Without giving a long winded-explanation, redheads have actually been through a lot, through the ages. The recent bullying and name-calling pales in comparison to being burned at the stake, offered up as sacrifices, etc... hundreds of years back. The dedication is just to acknowledge where the gene came from and the tough people who passed it down.