Red Level Eleven cranks up the volume

Red Level Eleven guitarists Michelle Williams and Patrick Hill have very different backgrounds: It might even be said that she's a little bit country, he's a little bit rock 'n' roll. But when they met at work (right here at Creative Loafing), they found enough in common to try forming a band. Just goes to show that sometimes creative loafing can result in something more productive.

With Hill's roommate Greg Stevens on drums and the second in a string of three bassists, Red Level Eleven (the name is a Spinal Tap reference) began playing out, drawing positive comparisons to everything from Sonic Youth to aggressive touch football. They even popped out a debut CD, Fort Seduction, fairly early on.

But the one thing Red Level Eleven wanted to do but hadn't yet, was put their music on vinyl. "It was just too expensive," Hill says of doing an entire LP. Instead, they looked into doing a 7-inch single and asked fellow Atlantans The Close to join them. Now, with local indie-rock label Moodswing Records putting out a split single from the bands, Red Level Eleven finally has its wish.

Red Level Eleven's contribution, "The Listener" — recorded at the Close's Slimmertwin Studios — was the first song the band wrote with its third bassist, Ben Russell, a friend of Williams' from their hometown, Rome, Ga. "I liked their CD before I played with them," Russell says, "and I thought Greg was a better drummer than I was, so I decided I wanted to play bass with that guy."

Group members believe that what holds the band together despite lineup changes is that they were all friends before becoming bandmates. "Being in a rock band is not just about playing rock songs," Stevens says. "It's about chemistry, and when these four elements come together, it's a strong bond."

Red Level Eleven and The Close play The Earl Fri., Jan. 25.??