Running Blue is a nostalgic 80s band that embodies the essence of the era’s music scene. The band’s origin can be traced back to 1982 when Alan Kennedy and Damien Reilly first started jamming together after leaving school. Alan performed a few acoustic gigs at the Briars Inn, Bowral, a popular local pub in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which still pulls in the patrons even nowadays. In no time, Alan and Damien had written over 10 songs, and it was time to form a proper band. Joining them were Michael O’Grady, Sam Kalos, and Nando Pettinato, for keyboard, guitars, and drums respectively. With the new line-up in place, the band began rehearsing regularly at Damien and Gerrard Studios in mid-1985.

The live music scene in Sydney was thriving in the mid- to late-80s, and Running Blue quickly gained a following due to their high-energy performances. In early 1986, the band recorded some live sessions at Damien and Gerrard Studios, produced by Russell Pilling. They later went on to record two original tracks, “Daniel” and “Grey Day,” produced by Trevor Nathanial. These songs were heavily influenced by other artists of the time, such as The Cure, Spandau Ballet, and The Smiths.

Despite its short lifespan, Running Blue had a super creative and memorable 18-month period that produced some incredible songs.Running Blue have now reformed for the 2020s and beyond, with the talents of Alan, Damien, and a new third member that Blue Pie readers may already know: Gabe Rizza! www.gaberizza.com

Presently, the band are getting ready for live shows, and are experiencing great amounts of radio play across the pond: in particular, Finland, Mexico, and Finland seem to really love Running Blue, and especially Inside Your Head, which has over 23k plays on Spotify alone at the time of writing! And the rest of their catalogue isn’t far behind either, all things considered…

And what’s an awesome music release without a kickass music video to help capture your imagination? Running Blue certainly have those, and they’re raking in tens of thousands of views!

Running Blue are back and they’re here to bring a much beloved era back into the limelight… won’t you join them, rocking down memory lane at 1985 miles an hour?!

For more on Running Blue, check out their links or Spotify!

• www.bluepierecords.com/artist/running-blue
• www.gaberizza.com
• www.runningblue.net