Redlight King

Canadian singer/songwriter Mark Kasprzyk leads Redlight King, a group whose output centers on deeply felt, introspective material anchored by expansive, crowd-ready choruses. Operating out of Los Angeles, the outfit made an immediate impact with Something for the Pain (2011), landing multiple rock and alternative chart entries in both Canada and the United States on the strength of its opening singles, “Old Man” and “Bullet in My Hand.” Following the comparable commercial reception of Irons in the Fire (2013), the band stepped away for several years before resurfacing early the following decade with Moonshine (2020) and In Our Blood (2023). Although they have drawn on hip-hop, dance, and roots influences, Redlight King have remained at heart a hard-rock act.

Prior to forming the group, Hamilton, Ontario native Mark Kasprzyk released music in the 2000s under the name Kazzer, issuing his debut album in Canada and Europe via the major label Epic. Late in the decade he and guitarist Julian Tomarin—who had participated in the Kazzer sessions—established Redlight King and signed with Hollywood Records. Something for the Pain, released in 2011, generated “Old Man” (sampling Neil Young’s song of the same title) and “Bullet in My Hand,” both of which charted on Canadian rock and alternative lists as well as Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, Mainstream Rock, and Alternative Airplay tallies. Irons in the Fire followed in 2013 and restored the band to the charts via the singles “Born to Rise,” “Times Are Hard,” and “Devil’s Dance.” Redlight King reappeared in 2020, now featuring Mark Goodwin on drums and Brian Weever on bass—positions previously handled in part by studio players—and issued their third album, Moonshine, the same year. Lead track “Lift the Curse” quickly ranked among the group’s most popular songs, while their version of Rush’s blue-collar anthem “Working Man” slotted naturally into the set. After moving from Parts + Labor Records to the German AFM label and installing Randy Cooke as their new drummer, Redlight King recorded and released their fourth album, In Our Blood, in 2023.