EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Sub-Radio - CelebMix

Sub-Radio are a Washington, DC based sextet who create smart, dance-able pop/rock music that is bound to leave listeners smiling. They have recently released their festive EP titled ‘Holiday Hangover‘ and here we speak exclusively to Sub-Radio’s guitarist Matt Prodanovich and drummer Michael Pereira about musical inspirations, the bands creation and all things Christmas;

Growing up who inspired your love of music?

Matt – For me, it has to be my middle school guitar teacher, Mark Campayno. If it wasn’t for him I’m not sure I would have been as in love with the guitar as I am today. My passion for music definitely started in his class. I quickly developed a passion for writing songs as well. I remember when he told my parents how invested I was in creating music of my own. My parents have and always will be very inspirational to me and supportive of me as well.

How did you all meet?

Michael – We all met in high school! Sub-Radio has had the same members since the start of our junior year, which is now 7.5 years ago. Matt truly assembled the crew, it started with him and John our keys/guitarist in middle school, and he reached out to each of us one by one till we were all together. In the formative years we experimented with different members and genres, but we became stable come junior year and have been ever since. We operated under a different name for a long time too, the name Sub-Radio has only existed for a little under two years. 

When did you decide to start the band?

Matt – I decided to start a band with one of my friends, John Fengya, when I was about 13. It took a while to get the group going however. Sub-Radio didn’t fully come together until I was entering my Junior year of high school. We all took the group pretty seriously from the beginning and I think that’s part of the reason we’re still together almost a decade later. That and we all actually love each other. 

What’s your favourite Christmas memory?

Michael – One of my favorite Christmas memories was the first year I discovered that my dog loved shredding wrapping paper. He had no interest in wrapped gifts, but as soon as the paper was separated from the gifts, he shredded every last sheet of paper till the entire living room floor was filled with confetti. There are probably still shards stuck in the recesses of the couches. 

How did you pick the songs you wanted to cover for your new EP?

Matt – Well I personally have wanted to cover “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out” for years. This was our first holiday themed release so my Christmas wish finally came true. The Ariana Grande tune is just a wonderfully written Christmas ear-worm. I loved the idea when Adam suggested covering it and I love how our version of it turned out.  

What’s your favourite thing about Christmas?

Michael – I really love my family’s Christmas Eve tradition. I’m ethnically mixed, and we do a big family dinner with my mom’s side of the family on the Eve, and my mom’s side is the Asian side. The food is AWESOME (we make spring rolls, a giant pot of curry, my grandma makes a spiced chicken and cabbage dish, etc it’s all great) and the family [are] super loud and funny so it’s a blast to be a part of. It’s not traditional in the slightest.  

And Matt, do you have any special festive traditions?

Matt – Generally my whole extended family gets together on December 24th for a Christmas celebration. We exchange gifts, eat a huge dinner, and just have a ball. It doesn’t feel like Christmas to me if that doesn’t happen. The whole shindig got snowed out a few years ago and that was a real bummer. 

What can fans expect from your original Christmas song on the EP?

Michael – The original song ‘Holiday Hangover’ is actually a song about New Year’s – it’s a more relaxed number about being true to yourself in a season of new resolutions and pressures to change. Being confident in who you are in the present can be more important than who you want to be down the road, and we wanted to highlight that. 

What can you tell us about your upcoming musical project?

Matt – I’m always proud of the music we release, but I’m particularly excited for the EP that we’re releasing in April. It’s a collection of songs that make you dance, laugh, cry and drive a little too fast with your windows down on the highway. 

Do you have any touring plans lined up?

Michael – No tour dates announced at the moment, but we have plenty of DC shows in the coming months, we’re going to be back in NYC in February, and we’re planning ahead for traveling the summer! We don’t sit still very long, so stay tuned. 

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions?

Matt – I’ve made a New Year’s resolution to play and attend more music festivals. We played Firefly last year and that was an absolute blast. It’s amazing seeing so many great bands in one place. I’m looking forward to every summer being filled with mud and music. 

What do you hope to achieve over the course of your career?

Michael – Well, honestly, we’d love to win a Grammy someday. If you’re gonna shoot somewhere, why not shoot for the stars?

Make sure you follow Sub-Radio on Twitter @subradioband to keep up to date with all their latest music and tour news!

Did you enjoy our exclusive interview with Sub-Radio? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter @CelebMix. 

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