If you’re a frequenter of such late-night establishments as The Juke Joint in Ocean Springs or The Cannery in Biloxi, then hopefully you’ve had the pleasure of rocking out to Burn N Redd. These long-time friends have separately made their impression on the coastal rock, goth, and metal scene for years now. While tremendously talented performers on their own, it is their combined talents that will really blow you away.
Tony Burn and Rhiannon Redd have only been a duo for the past couple of years but had been following around in each other’s orbit long before that. Redd first met Tony when she was just 18 years old at Thunder’s Tavern in Pascagoula. She was there to see the metal band Teratoma at the time. Teratoma, led by Burn’s son, was the opening act for Burn’s own metal band, only known then as Burn. Little did they know, that first chance encounter would change the trajectory of their personal and professional relationship in the years to come.
Burn first asked Redd to collaborate with him because he needed a female vocalist to perform No Doubt’s “I’m Just A Girl.” Although she was hesitant since Tony was only an acquaintance at the time, Redd said yes. “For me, I was like this is a guy I don’t know super well,” says Redd but she decided to take a chance. Their paths crossed again when they both joined the Breaking Benjamin tribute band “Boys II Ben” in November 2021. “When we met in Boys II Ben,” says Redd, “we just instantly clicked.” Their shared personalities and tastes in music is a major reason why they work so well together.
After Boys II Ben, Burn and Redd were inseparable and would frequently play music together. While at a photo shoot at The Cannery, talks of a duo ship began to take off at lightning speed. “Redd was helping me do my makeup for a photoshoot and I asked her to come take a photo with me,” says Burn. Redd then came up with the name while Tony toyed around with the logo and graphics. “Burn N Redd posted a picture just as a joke,” continues Burn. The feedback from that one post was so overwhelmingly positive that this dynamic duo had no choice but to make people’s dreams into a reality.
Their first-ever performance together was also at The Cannery. While supporting another duo, Burn N Redd took an opportunity to perform a song together. Their first song choice? Rollin In The Deep by Adele. While the other band was on break, Tony had an idea. “The guitar was up on stage and I was like “Hey Redd, wanna go do a song?” When they finished, Matt Mavar, the owner of The Cannery, immediately took the chance to book Burn N Redd for two dates. “We had to come up with 30 songs within a month,” says Redd.
Burn N Redd’s onstage chemistry is nothing short of electrifying. There’s a certain fluidity that plays out between them. While this can partly be attributed to their strengths as performance artists, the rest is due to their long-standing friendship.
“There was seven of us in Boys II Ben,” says Burn, “but we went off and did our own thing because we had that same chemistry…we didn’t have to force it.” The two pulled from their own individual styles to appeal to a wider audience. “People were booking us left and right, just the two of us with a backing track…that’s gotta say something.” They also continue to evolve their sets by adding 3 or 4 new songs to each show in order to keep things fresh.
Along with their similar tastes in music, Burn and Redd share a love for female-led vocalists. “When I was growing up, I always liked female-fronted bands like Garbage, No Doubt, Pat Benatar, and Joan Jett,” says Burn. Redd emphatically agrees. “With female vocalists, I feel like you get so much more of a range to work with,” she says. What is perhaps most impressive about Redd’s range of abilities comes from her classical training background. “I sang Opera and had a scholarship to Juilliard for the Operatic Arts,” says Redd, “but then I got into singing rock-n-roll music and metal.”
Burn N Redd’s favorite and most requested song to sing is “Life Is Beautiful” by Sixx: A.M. “It took me weeks to learn,” says Burn, “but once I did, we started playing it acoustically.” It allows them to cool down a little after doing a mostly high-intensity set. “We’ve both been at the lowest of lows,” says Redd “and have experienced homelessness and suicidal thoughts at times.” Which is why they connect so strongly with the song’s message.
“It’s clear that there’s something there and it works,” gushes Burn about his partnership with Redd, “and that’s what’s so awesome about it…I couldn’t do it without her.” “What’s funny,” adds Redd “is that we both get offers but we’ve turned down a lot of them because if Tony and I can’t be in the band together, I don’t want to do it.” You can catch Burn N Redd at their next two gigs: Friday, April 26th at The Juke Joint at 10 p.m. and at Emo Prom on May 11th at Rooftop Taco & Tequila Bar from 5-8 p.m.
