Interview: Andrew Reich
The Documentary Director Discusses 'Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story'
Last September, I declared 2024 “The Year of Redd Kross” in an article for The Big Takeover magazine.
And with good reason: Brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald celebrated their legendary band’s 45th anniversary with a stunning self-titled double album, an excellent oral history book co-edited by
, and U.S. and U.K./European tours.In many ways, the impetus for this yearlong celebration was Andrew Reich’s film Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story, an in-depth rock documentary made by a lifelong fan of the iconic punk/alternative/power pop band.
“I was fascinated and in love with Redd Kross for decades and came to think of them as second only to The Beach Boys on the list of great LA bands,” Reich told me for the interview below.
“In 2015, I heard Steve McDonald on Damian Abraham’s Turned Out a Punk podcast. He told a shocking and incredible story about his relationship with a much older woman when he was 13 that led to him being abducted and missing from home for three months. I related the story to my wife. I said something like, ‘On top of everything else that’s so fascinating about this band, there’s this story! Someone has to make a documentary about this band!’ She very casually responded, ‘Maybe you should do it?’ And that’s the origin.”
That “Year of Redd Kross” energy is extending into 2025.
Following a slew of film festival and special event screenings, music lovers can now stream Born Innocent at home. I caught up with Reich by email to discuss the film’s history, his experience making it, and the fan response so far.
I also asked for his five favorite Redd Kross songs, which are embedded throughout this interview. “This changes all the time, but here’s how I feel today,” Reich told me. “Ask me again tomorrow and you’ll get a different five!”
Spoken like like the diehard Redd Kross supporter he clearly is. If you aren’t a fan already, you probably will be too after streaming Born Innocent. It’s that good.
⚡️ What’s Your Favorite Redd Kross Song? 💥
Andrew Reich Born Innocent Interview
Congrats on taking your next step in the Born Innocent journey. Can you tell us how you first fell for Redd Kross?
Andrew Reich: The journey to Born Innocent began in 1984. I was a teenage punk and hardcore fan in suburban New Jersey. Morristown, NJ to be exact. I was pretty thoroughly immersed in the world of bands like Adrenalin O.D., Agnostic Front and The Misfits. The one other hardcore kid at Morristown High and I had the idea to become DJs on the high school radio station. That way we could play this music that no one else was really playing. More importantly, we could send letters on the radio station letterhead to all the independent labels who advertised in Maximum Rock ‘N’ Roll and Flipside and try to get free records.
It worked! We started getting lots of packages sent to the radio station from Dischord, Alternative Tentacles, SST and many others. One day a package came from Gasatanka Records. It included Do We Really Want to Hurt You? by The F.U.s, Third Strike by White Flag, and, most crucially, Teen Babes From Monsanto by Redd Kross. It was a life-changing listen. The first song is their cover of “Deuce” by Kiss. I had never heard the original, but their cover blew me away, and I still think it’s the best version. I loved every song on the record. Almost all covers, and all new to me. It opened my ears to a lot of music beyond hardcore. And there was something mysterious and funny and intriguing about the band.
I started seeking out their interviews in fanzines, which were always filled with crazy references and were totally different from interviews with other punk and hardcore bands. I became a fan for life and loved every subsequent record they put out. When I moved to LA in 1990 and finally got to see them live, it took my fandom to another level, because no band puts on a more fun live show.
How have Redd Kross fans responded to Born Inncocent so far?
Andrew Reich: The response from fans has been incredible. There hasn’t been a single fan who has come away from the film saying, '“Yeah, I knew all of that.” There’s something in it that’s new to everyone. I was prepared for haters, but haven’t really encountered any. There are plenty of people who say they wish it was longer, and that’s great. It means the movie doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. And there are people who wish certain subjects were covered, like the Desperate Teenage Lovedolls movies, but those subjects will be on the DVD/Blu-Ray special features, and I think the fans will be very happy with them.
My favorite responses, though, have been from people who came to the movie knowing nothing about Redd Kross. Hearing from those people how much they liked it is the most satisfying because I really made the movie with that viewer in mind. I didn’t want to just preach to the choir, I want more people singing in that choir.
What are the most surprising things you learned about Redd Kross and/or the McDonald brothers making this film?
Andrew Reich: One of the fun surprises along the way was finding the “Rock Against Drugs” PSA that Jeff did with his then girlfriend, Vicki Peterson of The Bangles. As Vicki says in the movie, it is cringe-worthy, but it is also very sweet. It kind of blew my mind that it ran on MTV and I missed it at the time.
A lot of the details of young Steve’s abduction were also new to me, and those were definitely shocking. Also, I just got to know Jeff and Steve so well, and came to understand how different they are from each other. As a fan growing up, they seemed like this unit: JeffandSteve McDonald. But they really couldn’t be more different.
You have done a lot of Born Innocent screenings and events in the past year. What are a few of your favorite moments?
Andrew Reich: Every live Q&A I’ve gotten to do with Jeff and Steve has been a thrill. We did a little mini-tour of the Pacific Northwest. In one day we did three screenings and Q&As in Seattle and Tacoma, and then we did Portland the next day. It was a dream come true for me to spend that much time with the guys. The movie played to a sold-out, 400-seat theater in Portland and we got our only standing ovation there.
Chris Slusarenko of the Revolutions Per Movie podcast was the moderator, and he asked maybe my favorite question. He recited each line of “Peach Kelli Pop” and had Jeff explain the lyrics. It was pretty revelatory, even Steve didn’t know what some of those lines meant. Another highlight for me was the San Francisco screening where I got to meet Penelope Houston of The Avengers, and Jane Wiedlin and Gina Schock from The Go-Go’s.
The ability to rent the doc at home should help the film reach a wider audience. Who do you think Born Innocent will appeal to?
Andrew Reich: I think Born Innocent will appeal to pretty much any music fan. Certainly any fan of punk or grunge or power pop or “college rock.” I also think it will appeal to anyone who is interested in Los Angeles history. And anyone with a sibling.
Basically, I think Born Innocent is for everyone!
Interview: Dan Epstein
When it comes to writing about longtime “underground sensations” like Redd Kross, it takes just the right partner to bring their incredible 45+ year story to life.
As a huge RK fan, I donated to the Kickstarter to help get the movie made. I was also lucky enough to see the movie on the big screen in late March. Took my wife along, who knows a handful of their tunes, but that's about it. And she LOOOOOOOVED the movie. Literally said "I'm so glad I went" afterward.