Pacific Radio

Hey everyone it's Off The Record's official interviewer Megan Nelson here and I would like to welcome you to the publication's first written interview with the awesome guys in Pacific Radio! This band was a great start for our blog because of how unique they are. When I started listening to their music during my research their lyrics and sound stood out to me and there was a lot I wanted to ask about. Check it out below:

PACIFIC RADIO IS:

Joe Robinson:  Guitar and Lead Vocal

Joe Stiteler:  Bass

Kyle Biane:  Guitar

Hyke Shirinian:  Drums

Q: I saw that the band pulls a lot of inspiration from the heartbreak of the lead singer...while a great idea artistically, is it emotionally tough to write songs based off of those experiences?

JR: Yeah.  It has always been hard for me to play a personal song socially.  I've always had musicians around me and when the guitar was being passed around I'd pass or play “Dandy” by The Kinks or “Ice Ice Baby”.  When I was drunk enough to play an original it'd get a solid response but it felt a little short of my heroes.  Now, with a band beside me, we're all together in this and it feels like when I give a middle finger with a tear in my eye to the girl walking away, the guys yell, “he's right, piss off” with me.  It's a good bunch of dudes.  As far as subjects being personal, I’d feel like a liar if I hadn't gone through it.  It's my messed up life, there's no shame in honesty.

Q: To follow up on that question, the song LA Is Pretty (But It's Killing Me) is heartbreaking to just listen to. I can't imagine the emotions writing and performing that. Can you tell me more about writing that song & what it means to you?

JR:  LA is Pretty is a special one to me.  I was in a tough place.  Drinking too much.  Isolating.  Not writing.  Losing friends.  Worrying family.  It was a lonely time.  When I finally got my shit together and pulled out of it I sat down with a guitar and that was the first thing I wrote.  I saw the sun come up because I didn't want to stop while the heavy-heart was fresh. Everything just fell into place that night...and Eric Weaver (producer) absolutely captured it in the studio. I'm proud of it.

Q: I like the sound a lot..there are a lot of different things going on...what are the influences there?

JS:  I’m a simple man.  I look for sounds that move my head north and south, not east and west.

KB:  We really like to use the studio as a laboratory and instrument all its own.  Lots of our inspirations come from studio greats like Pink Floyd or Brian Willson.  As we take a song from the live set and prep it for the record, we like to examine all possibilities and really try to sonically get the most out of every tune.   

Q: I find the lyrics in “Tight Jeans” to be very bold, is that something that the band aims for when writing? I like that it allows your fans to really feel the song and should make for a great live show.

JR:  That was very intentional.  That was a song Stiteler (bass) wrote before Pacific Radio when we didn't have a band or girlfriends or shame.  We had margaritas at noon every other day and I was learning to home record (badly) and it just seemed to fit that time and place.  You can't go wrong with a Na Na Na chorus either.  It's a burner.

Q: When the band first got together was it difficult to figure out what kind of sound you wanted to produce? The sound is very unique.

JS:  I agree with Kyle, the sound was kinda the perfect rock & roll storm.  We may never all agree on a concert we would all attend (besides our own), but each dude brings their particular brand and influence to the table.  

KB: All of us have been playing in bands for quite sometime.  Because of that we each have a rather strong music identity.  I think that the sound was never a conscious choice but the result of our collaboration.

HS: The guys had already been playing together for a bit when I jumped in.

Q: What is the goal for the band? Is there anything specific that you guys would like to accomplish?

JS: Indefinite touring, band BBQs, naming kids after one another, private plane, kidney transplants.  

KB: Getting to keep making records would be amazing.  Along with our producer, Eric Weaver, we are always trying to push the boundaries of our production methods.  I am really excited to see what the future holds in that regard.

HS: I think I see it simply as playing and recording.

Q: Does the whole sound have an underlying message or does each individual song have a unique and different meaning? Some bands have a general message that they try to portray in all of their songs whereas for some; each song is different.

JR: There's no through line/concept album. It's just a bunch of shit that's happened. And by the response so far, it's happened to a lot of us.  So we made it into a party.

KB:  I think fun is an overlaying message in the music and at the shows. But as we all know… with fun, there is normally some kind of darkness that lurks underneath. I think we touch on that a bit too.

Q: Lastly, what's in the works right now for Pacific Radio and why do our reader/viewers need to check you guys out?

JS:  Readers need to check us out because there’s a giant void in their life and they know it.  They don’t know what it is yet, as they flip through their radio dial or squander their hearing on the same Spotfiy playlist they’ve had for a year.  In the age of spacebar DJs, selfie rap, and dookie factory record labels piping through speakers, Pacific Radio brings a much needed element to the equation; the human element.  Our music is the product of the instruments we hold in our hands, the sweat on our brow, and the dedication of staying true to our rock & roll medium even though it’s lost in the popularity shuffle at the moment.  

KB:  We are in the studio working on the full length record.  We will be in Austin, TX this March and then headed up the West Coast in May.  You can find us on Twitter: @PacRadBand, instagram: @PacificRadio and Facebok: www.facebook.com/pacificradioband

JR:  ...well said gentlemen.

Thank you to everyone that checked out our first written interview! Keep checking back for more exclusive content and interviews! Also, take a look at Pacific Radio's newest music video for 'Kitchen Table' posted below before you leave!

xo Megan

Twitter: @MeganENelson

Instagram: @meganelizabethnelson