State Radio in their natural habitat

State Radio is a popular lo- cal alternative rock band that has re- leased three successful albums since 2005. They are known for their activ- ism just as much as their music. They have supported numerous organiza- tions and have created their own non profit, calling all crows, “a service or- ganization that mobilizes musicians and fans to promote human rights”. Their sound is unique, and sometimes reflect the hugely popular indepen- dent band Dispatch, which was active from 1996-2002 that is mostly due to the fact that both bands share a lead singer; Chad Stokes of Sherborn MA. Other members of SR are Chuck Fay and Michael “mad dog” Najarian, who is also from MA. The band has released a full length album every two years from 2005-2009, with another release expected in 2011. The three albums already released all have simi- larities but continue to evolve as they go along. A constant for the three al- bums (Us Against the Crown, Year of The Crow, and Let It Go) is a topical politically charged message that has it’s roots in Dispatch but has definitely taken on new meaning in State Radio. The sound of the music has evolved, gathering a much harder edge for the most recent two albums with tracks such as Held Up By The Wires (2009) and Gang of thieves (2007) but one of the great assets SR has is their ver- satility, being able to flow effortlessly from easy reggae tracks such as Call- ing all Crows (2009) to hard edged punk songs like Doctor Ron The Actor (2009). State Radio began pretty humbly. Drummer Mike Najarian says “It was amazing to see this band grow from a grassroots level. We would go to a city and 20 people might show up… We would try to put on a good show and hope those 20 people told their friends and they showed up the next time around… Maybe 50 would be there the next time, maybe 100 the next, and so on and so forth. You’d be surprised how important you are to a band as a fan, especially a band like State Radio. A fan should never underestimate his or her power to help a band succeed, as well as make an influence in the life of the band members. I have met so many great people on the road, and when you are in the middle of traveling the country, living out of a bag, all you re- ally have is the experience and inter- action with all the people you meet. And I can say with certainty that State Radio fans are some of the most warm, generous, intelligent, real people you will ever meet”. SR has gained popular- ity steadily since their formation, with each show the word seems to spread amongst friends and fans and they have gone from playing small record stores to playing at large venues such as the republican national convention (opening for Rage Against The Ma- chine) and the Bank Of America Pavil- lion (headlining twice). The band also works very hard, going on many tours and playing colleges when there not on tour, as well as regularly releasing EP’s between albums to satisfy their die- hard, extremely supportive fans. When asked about what SR thinks of their fans, Najarian says “Well to be hon- est all State Radio really has is its fans. Being an independent band (Ruffshod Records is our own label) we rely 100% on our fans to show up for shows and listen to our music. Without the fans State Radio has nothing: no budget, no music, no touring. Therefore, the fans are everything to us and there is not a day that goes by that we don’t think about how lucky we are to actually have fans, nevermind the great fans that listen to State Radio”. Being an independent band has advantages and disadvantages. A huge advantage is not having a major record label to boss the band around and tell them what kind of music to do. A disadvantage how- ever is that you have to do everything yourself, from booking your own tours to recording your own albums, and if you dont have fans coming to shows or buying albums, than you are not mak- ing money and the band will quickly be out of work. Luckily for SR however, they have extremely loyal fans that will support them at all costs and travel great distances to see them play. Boston has always been the home base for SR, and as a result they often play their biggest shows and hold charity events in the area, such as the Hal- loween 5K in Northampton on Oct 30 to benefit Calling All Crows. When asked about their fans in the Boston area, Najarian said “As far as Boston is concerned, Boston is our home, we have the most fans here, it basically all began here. In Boston, we thrive on all the college students being open minded and willing to listen to our music, come out to shows, and like I said share our music with others to help spread the word and allow us to play music for a living. For this I am very very thankful and would like to personally thank everyone who has been a part of State Radio’s success. No matter how small a role you play, it all adds up, and thats a big deal. All in all, there is truly no place like home”. Upcoming SR Shows: Oct 28, Iron Horse, Northampton MA, Oct 29, Cal- vin Theatre, Northampton MA For more info on the band: Stateradio. com To get involved with the band’s organi- zation: Callingallcrows.org All of State Radio’s Music is available on Itunes