Unsigned Spotlight: College Radio
Hailing from the Gloomy Emerald City of Seattle, College Radio have made a name for themselves with catchy choruses, hard-charging drums, and soaring harmonies. They combine classic old-school pop punk with an unexpected alternative twist, while making songs that are fresh, but instantly familiar.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Gordon - Vocal/Guitar
Evan - Vocal/Bass
Mike - Drums
Melvin - Lead Guitar/vocal
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to College Radio? How long has the band been around?
Gordon - I used to be apart of I Declare War
and Enterprise Earth as well as No Home and To The Wind.
The Band has been around since 2018 but this line up is fresh to 2020/2021 adding Mike our new drummer in 2020 and our new lead guitar player Melvin this year!!
Evan: I used to be in a thrashy punk band called Photon Pharaoh, and I currently play in another pop-punk band called Midnight Movie. We opened for College Radio once in 2019, that’s actually how Gordon and I first met.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
Gordon: Origin comes from the love for my local College Radio station KGRG and that the name worked way better then the original idea “Growing Pains” but no we haven’t had a name change.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Evan: Gordon and I usually do the bulk of the song writing, but it is definitely a very collaborative process between all four of us. One of us usually brings in the skeleton of a song, and then we all work together on it to shine it up and make it perfect. Although recently, Gordon and I have been sitting down together and building them from the ground up, which has been producing some pretty cool results.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Evan: my inspirations change a lot, but right now I would say it’s NOFX, PUP, Run The Jewels, and Weezer (The green album could be the textbook for a pop songwriting class, for real).
Gordon - atm a whole lot of No Use For A Name, NOFX, MXPX, Charley Crockett
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Gordon - Green Day and Blink 182!!!!
Evan: The Hippos were the first band that I heard and was instantly like “yes, I can do that, and I WILL do that.”
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …
Gordon - super long cardio day and obviously watching some of my favorite live sets from Alkaline Trio!!!
Evan: I’m extremely mellow, I usually sit in my car and have some quiet time before the shows. Also, if there is room in the venue, and the floor is clean enough, I like to do a liiiiil teeny bit of yoga.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Gordon - for me I wanna say our first major sold out show in Seattle!! Which was with our friends in The Classic Crime and assuming we survive and pretty awkward!
Evan: I know it was our most recent show, but I would say the show we just played at El Corazon. I I’ve never had so many people sing one of my songs back to me, it was an absolutely amazing feeling.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Evan: my top choice would be Jeff Rosenstock. The music is immaculate, I don’t think I could get sick of it if I wanted to, and they all seem like incredibly nice, positive dudes. And opening the tour would be Teenage Bottlerocket and the Bombpops.
Gordon - The Clash, Green Day, Alkaline Trio, The Bombpops, Bayside. Fuck we just wanna TOUR!!!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Gordon - Go check out our new single “11:59” and go follow us on Spotify!!!!
O’Doyle rules!!!!!!!