Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

JR:  Joe Robinson. I spit mad lyrics and shred the axe

JS: Joe Stiteler.  Hondo Texas.  Sagittarius.  Right handed.  True Believer.  Four.  Bass.  

KB: Kyle Biane, Guitar

HS: Hyke, Drums and perc

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Pacific Radio? How long has the band been around?

JS:  Me and JR were in a band called The Ringers; we toured the country and had some songs on TV and film and did well for a mid 2000s rock outfit.  That band imploded after fate interfered and Pacific Radio was born.  

JR:  Yeah we were wild. The Ringers really showed me what was possible through showmanship and commitment.  Sweaty, dirty, flashy shows.  I remember one show I broke 3 strings, didn't replace, just kept on going. I think a week later Joe S broke his E string on his bass, nearly impossible to do and recover from -he did. When that band split, Joe S. came by with a bass line that is now the intro for “Kitchen Table”. (See video) That began Pacific Radio.

KB: I played in a band called The Kepler Mission, along with our drummer Hyke. As that band entered an extended hiatus, I met Joe and Joe in about 2011.

HS: Kyle mentioned Kepler, I also play/played in an instrumental three piece project called “i am the scavenger’. I also write and produce my own music.  

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

JS:  So yeah, we were BirdDog originally, trying to earn our keep and do good by others.  Until some scoundrel, unoriginal, lily-livered dirtybutts (who shall remain nameless) stole our damn name when we weren’t lookin!  We’ve definitely gotten over it though, Pacific Radio is 1 million times better.  AND this time we’ve handcuffed it to a furnace so it ain’t going nowhere.    

KB: We were originally called Bird Dog, I will let Stiteler tell that story… We are now named after a electronics store in burbank… Really cool store if you are into building things.  

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?

JR:  I'll usually get a chord structure with a melody and obsess over it until I'm sick of it, shelve it, rediscover it, bring it to the band. If it blossoms into a G-Damn orchid, which it usually will with the talented gang we've formed, we run with it. As far as topics, I've just started writing new Pacific Radio songs again, we’ll see what sticks. I see good things.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

JR:  M. Ward is my dude this week.  I can't stop listening, he's got a mood to him. A little sarcasm. Yeah, I’ll listen to The Replacements and Beck and whatnot to get energetic inspiration, structural guidance, but lyrically, I find singer/songwriters more interesting, more personal.

KB: Weezer; Pinkerton, Beck; Sea Changes, Beach Boys; Smile and Pet Sounds, Wilco; Sky Blue Sky

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

JR: The side room at First Avenue in Minneapolis is a smaller venue called The 7th Street Entry, 100 people capacity or so. As a kid I'd get a fake ID and see whoever was there.  I saw Har Mar Superstar and Soul Coughing in that little room when they were starting out. Those were the two that I remember thinking “I want to do that”.

JS:  I saw Aerosmith between my freshman and sophomore years in high school.  Me and my buddies had just seen ‘Dazed And Confused’ and decided to make the voyage to Austin to see the band, just like in the movie.  We rolled a bunch of shitty weed into a bunch of shitty joints and rocked out at South Park Meadows right outside of Austin.  Mom drove.  

KB: A kid named Ryan Lowe showed me how to play “Come as you are” by Nirvana… that changed things for me.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

JR:  hi-5s and air-punches

JS:  I get comatose.  Kyle asks me what the F is wrong.  Then I go onstage like I’m shot from a cannon.  Happens every time.  

KB:  I jump up and down and try to get my hands warm by playing guitar for a while before we go up. The jumping part looks kind of goofy, but I have yet to injure myself on stage, so it must be working.  

HS:  I like to warm up my hands and body for sure. I give my instrument my all which requires a great deal of energy.  I can get some gnarly cramps in my neck if I don’t loosen it up pre-show.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

JR:  Getting to play Bottlerock is d o p e

JS:  Recording at Conway studios in LA with Eric Weaver.  That place feels like a fantasyland; groups like Metallica, GnR, and Foo Fighters all worked there.  I was honored and inspired to have been around such a majestic place.  Plus there’s a damn Oreo cookie jar that fills itself up every five minutes!

KB: Being invited to Bottlerock has been a pretty big deal for us.

HS: Bottlerock!

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

JR:  Eagles of Death Metal.

JS:  Oh damn.  Kyle showed me some pics recently of Led Zeppelin's airplane, The Starship.  I could definitely roll with those dudes.  Plus I ran into Robert Plant one time at the baggage claim at LAX and he didn’t even taze me, nice fella!  As for current acts, I’d probably pick Led Zepagain.  

KB:  Present:  Manchester Orchestra would be pretty cool, I like those guys songs and sounds a lot. Past: Fleetwood Mac… just to watch it all unfold. There must have been some crazy days on those tours. Stevie would probably come hang in our bus sometimes and do duets with Joe, they would fall in love but Lindsey’s jealousy would eventually overflow leading to a brawl at a gas station one night in the pouring rain. Robinson would emerge the victor because lead singer always beats lead guitarist (trust me I have tried). And that story would live forever in rock and roll history.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

JS:  I get up around seven.  Get outta bed around nine.  I don’t worry about nothin, no; because worryin’s a waste of my...time.  

KB: Nope, thanks for the questions.  

HS: Thank you!