Sub-Radio
Photo Credit: Kurt Heyde
High-energy, entertaining, out of the norm; all characteristics of Washington DC band Sub-Radio. The six piece indie pop group came together after high school and have since spent their time writing music. They took a huge step in 2016, when they released their debut album, “Same Train/Different Station”. This began a musical journey that has certainly paid off for the group. Since making their Spotify debut in 2017, the group has seen significant streams on many of their recent songs. Take last year’s “Better Than That” for example, a fantastic indie pop groove that exemplifies their unique sound. With more music coming soon, we talked with Guitarist Matt Prodanovich and Lead Singer Adam Bradley about their favorite non-music activities, musical inspirations, and more!
How did you start making music?
Matt: The band came together in high school! We were mostly just jamming in each other’s basements, writing songs, and playing a handful of shows every year. In 2016, we decided to start taking things a bit more seriously. We changed our name to Sub-Radio and released our first album, “Same Train//Different Station”. None of us have really had a serious musical project outside of Sub-Radio.On a personal note, I picked up a guitar when I was 12 and never put it down. I’ve kind of fallen in love with songwriting and fully realizing a song after working on it for months is one of the greatest feelings for me.
How would you describe your sound?
M: High-energy Indie Pop with an emphasis on inclusion.
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
M: This is always such a tough question! I think at the moment, The 1975 is my biggest inspiration. Smallpools, WALK THE MOON, and MisterWives are all up there for me as well. There’s a ton of good music out there, so my inspiration is constantly changing based on what I’m hearing!
What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
M: Lately I’ve been spending a ton of time running. It feels amazing to be outside at the current moment. I also watch a good amount of soccer and am an avid Manchester City fan! All of the guys in the band spend a good amount of time playing Nintendo Switch as well. We actually livestream ourselves playing Smash Bros on Tuesday nights at 8PM if you want to tune in some time! We get a little discussion topic for the evening and have the room open so other fans can join in. It’s a blast!
What was your inspiration behind the song “Clark Kent”?
Adam: The instrumental with the sort of mysterious-sounding pad and the repeating bass line is something Matt and I had been kicking around for literally years. We had been listening to “Somebody Else” by The 1975 a ton as I recall and were interested in exploring that darker, quieter vibe. The post-chorus refrain came first, actually — “I couldn’t touch you if I tried.” Didn’t really know what that meant yet, but it felt right for the song. I was writing the lyrics right as the Marvel hype was peaking, and there were superheroes everywhere. Felt like something that was ripe to be picked apart a little bit. Why are these characters so hugely popular? Can we live up to them? Should we?
If you could collaborate with one person, who would it be?
A: So rude to narrow it down to just one! But a dream collaboration for me personally would be Hayley Williams. Everything she touches turns to gold and she’s got like 5 unique singing voices that are all cool.
What’s next for you?
A: Truthfully it’s hard to say what’s next given the state of the world, but we’re taking every opportunity we can find to get our music in front of people. The music video for “Clark Kent” was released on July 31 — it’s the first time we’ve DIY’d a music video since we were in college, and I think it rocks. And we’ll be releasing the rest of the EP later in August. We’re also lucky enough to be playing an outdoor show in the parking lot of our hometown venue, Jammin’ Java (in Virginia outside of D.C.) on August 22. Hopefully we’ll all remember how to play music.
