Redheads preparing for 1st album

April and Brett Walker have never shied away from adventure.
It’s that spirit that led them to move their family to Alaska.
And it now has their daughters, the members of Redhead Express, on what they hope will be the road to country music stardom. That road will lead them through Jay County for shows at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Bearcreek Farms.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s crazy. It’s exciting,” said Kendra, 23, the eldest daughter, lead singer, guitar player and songwriter for the band, of touring with her family. “It’s nice to know that you have people that support you and love you and have your back.
“You have your moments … when you need your space too. But it’s been a great experience for us.”
The redheads — sisters Kendra, LaRae (banjo), 22, Alisa (fiddle and mandolin), 20, and Meghan (bass), 17 — are four of April and Brett’s seven children who took to the road six years ago as part of a family band but have now become the main attraction.
The Walker girls grew up in Idaho before the family moved to Alaska. But as April and Brett’s love and their children’s interest in music grew, they decided they wanted to make another change. So they returned to the Lower 48 to learn the music business, and soon the family band was hired to work in Branson, Mo.
“It just kind of kept growing,” April said. “This is not what we ever planned.”
In those days it was a family show with April (keyboard) and Brett leading the way while their daughters performed a little bit here and there. But as time has gone on, Kendra, LaRae, Alisa and Meghan have moved into the spotlight.
“As they grew and got better as musicians, mom and dad started to back off until we’re almost non-existent on stage,” said April, who now manages Redhead Express along with her husband.
“And we always felt like the four girls would be much more marketable in mainstream music than the whole family.”
Walker brothers Sean, 14, Justice, 12, and Ammon, 11, also occasionally join their sisters on stage.
Redhead Express, now based out of Nashville, performed a trio of shows Tuesday at the Spokane Interstate Fair in Washington and then hit the road for an appearance Thursday at Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. The group also has shows in Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee and North Carolina (Sept. 15) before getting a few days off prior to the visit to rural Bryant.
And as they tour, the girls are also preparing to cut their first album in October. They’ve been working with Paul Worley, who has served as a producer for country acts like the Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride and Lady Antebellum.
“He’s been our biggest connection in Nashville,” said Kendra of Worley. “He’s really well respected. He’s helped us grow and get to know the right people.”
Kendra calls their sound “country music with an acoustic feel” and says it’s heavily influence by their roots in bluegrass. She always keeps a book with her to write down lyrics and saves favorite melodies on her phone.
“Firecracker”, a song she co-wrote with Leslie Stacher, is about being a redhead and has become like a theme song for the group. Another possibility for the album is “Sing Your Heart Out”, co-written by Kendra with Rodney Crowell.
“I love that one,” Kendra said. “It’s probably my favorite.”
The goal for Redhead Express is to have a single on the radio by early 2014 and then to get signed to a label and begin opening for larger acts. And in time, they want to be the ones having major acts open up for them.
“We just want to take it as far as we can and reach as many people as we can,” said Kendra.
But even if they don’t end up on stage at Madison Square Garden or the Grand Ole Opry, Redhead Express and the rest of the family are enjoying their time in the music business.
“It’s not the glamour life that people see on stage,” said April. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of miles in vans and trailers. …
 “You’ve got to love what you do. We love what we do.”[[In-content Ad]]