An Interview With The Alt-Pop Punk Band SILENCE THE RADIO!

Meet the alternative/pop punk band from Rhode Island, Silence The Radio!

Coming together in early 2015, Silence the Radio was formed as a counteract to the metal and easycore scene of Providence, RI. Wanting to revive and revamp the timeless sounds of mid 2000s pop punk and alternative music, Jack Petit, Brandon Teh and Josh Nardine began the writing process for their debut EP “If It Helps You See.” Not long after, the group teamed up with Chris Piquette of No Boundaries Studios to complete the recording process of their hard hitting first album. With the release of their first EP, Silence the Radio found a connection with the New England local scene by offering their unique, yet familiar sound as a callback to days of power chords and unforgettable anthem choruses.

Playing regularly in the Providence and Massachusetts area, they began to build a dedicated fan base, headlining shows in their hometown of Providence to packed venues, and providing direct support for national acts such as MAKEOUT (formerly Trophy Wives), Carousel Kings, Knockout Kid and countless others. Along the way, they’ve secured endorsements with companies such as Black Market Custom (All Time Low, Issues, Four Year Strong, etc.) and Voiceless Clothing.

Following the release of their theatrical single, “Knock Me Out” in the fall of 2016, and the addition of guitarist Thom O’ Rourke, Silence the Radio has completed the recording process of their sophomore EP.

Last week, they released their EP and they previously released their song and video for “Friendly Neighborhood Nightmare” and you can view it here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyb5AyWRjXs&feature=youtu.be

Connect With Silence The Radio Here:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/silencetheradiori

Learn more about Silence The Radio in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find the band? Is there music playing in the background? If so, what is it?

Focusing on the release of our new song! We’re all excited to be putting out new music.  Right now Shapeshifter by Knuckle Puck is playing in the background.

What are some words you would use to describe 2017? How differently did you all approach this year?

It’s been what feels like a long year, but it’s been a good one! Well, some of us have started spending time in college, so the dynamic has been a little different. But we’ve stuck to the same formula of writing music we’re passionate about and playing live.

What have been some highlights of the year? The upcoming release of our new EP is definitely a big highlight. We’ve all been itching to put it out!

Looking back on how you all decided to form this band, what do you think first made you all think you could do this and make music together?

We all just love playing music. We have to play music. Plus we’re all great friends, so it didn’t take long for us to connect and know that we could work well together.

How did you all first meet each other and come up with your band name?

We all knew each other from playing shows in our local scene. Everyone was doing their own thing with their own bands, and eventually we decided to join up and try something. The name “Silence the Radio” comes from a story Jack (vocals, bass) heard in middle school about Kurt Cobain’s first suicide attempt in Rome, and how he turned a radio all the way down. The story was probably fake, but the name stuck. What other band names were you considering? The Morning After, Saving Saturn, We Are Champs. Too many to name. How do you think your name sums up who you are and the kind of music that you make? It’s kind of a statement encouraging people to not worry about the status quo and just do whatever you want. That’s how we like to live.

How do you think you have all been influenced by being from your home in Rhode Island?

The Providence scene has really shaped all of us as performers. We’ve learned a lot from playing with the artists in this community. Everyone says it about their local scene, but it really is like a family. Do you think that it has affected your music? Yes and no. We definitely find inspiration from our local scene, but we also try to just write what we like. What is the music scene like there? If you haven’t checked out some of the bands from RI, you should, right now. Bands like Makeout, Ten Cents Short, Another One Down and a ton of others are some of our favorites.

What was the inspiration for your latest single “Friendly Neighborhood Nightmare”?

“Friendly Neighborhood Nightmare” is a story about an adolescent who creates a character to represent their mental instability and anxiety. It’s about the disconnect you feel after coping with it for so long, and how it starts to personify itself. The Friendly Neighborhood Nightmare could be anybody. Everyone goes through it. What was it like putting together the video for it? It was a ton of fun. Dan Fried (director for the video) is an amazing guy, and he really helped us bring the song to life. How creatively involved were you with the making of it? A good amount, but we couldn’t have done any of it without Dan. We had a basic idea going into it, but Dan really helped shape it to fit the vision we had in our heads.

How do you think “Friendly Neighborhood Nightmare” prepares listeners for your upcoming EP that will be out in December?

It represents the theme of the album well. Plus it’s the titular track. How did you go about picking this song to release first? We all just knew when we were recording it that it would be the first single. It really serves as the introduction to the story of the EP and shows our growth as a band.

Did anything surprise you about the process of putting your EP together? Were there any unexpected challenges?

There were definitely some challenges. It took a long time to put together and a long time to perfect for ourselves. But all in all it was a great experience. The whole process helped us grow as songwriters.

Do you have any touring plans coming up this year?

We’re currently booking tour dates for 2018, but until then we’ll be playing plenty of east coast shows up until the end of 2017.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere? Do you have any upcoming touring dates scheduled?

We need a healthy balance of performing and recording. We couldn’t live without one or the other. We also like watching Netflix.  We have several upcoming dates for the fall/winter of 2017 and winter of 2018. Keep an eye on our social media to stay up to date with all our shows!

How do you think being a musician and in this band gives you all the most joy in life today?

It’s just who we are. We’re happiest when we’re playing music, and our songs are our babies. We put everything into music. With everything going on in the world today, how do you think your music is a reflection of these times? Music has always been and will always be a reflection of the times, especially punk and alternative music. Music is poetry, and poetry tells a story.

Who are you all listening to these days?

Thom just got the new Turnover record which we’ve all been listening to. Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep, MAKEOUT, Post Malone are some others we all bump a lot. What artists have continued to inspire you and your music? Green Day is one of those bands all of us will always go back to. We look to a lot of older artists as well, like The Who and the Rolling Stones. But we get inspiration from a little bit of everything we listen to. Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future? Post Malone would be awesome. That dudes got an amazing voice. John Feldmann is another one.

What advice would you give to a young band just getting started today?

Just go for it. Save up your money and buy a shitty $100 Fender knockoff, write music in your bedroom, play tiny clubs in front of your friends. Just play music and enjoy yourself. You’ll figure it out from there.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourselves or your music?

Our new EP, “Friendly Neighborhood Nightmares” came out on December 1^st, 2017. You can order NOW on iTunes and get it on Spotify, Google Play and all other music platforms. You can also watch the video for our new song “Friendly Neighborhood Nightmare” on YouTube and Facebook!