By Mary Ouellette

Fresh off a few local shows at Great Scot in Boston and Ralph’s in Worcester, a lot has changed in Radio America’s world since the last time Pulse Magazine interviewed them in January of 2007. Back then they made it clear that they were in this rock and roll revolution for the long haul, and they weren’t kidding. Anyone who may have gone to see them when they were Wormtown regulars might not even recognize them as of late. No, they haven’t transformed into a polka band or anything, but they have gone through a bit of a line-up change that has transformed their whole dynamic ~ one band with three singers and three songwriters. That kind of arrangement offers up an endless possibility of song-writing inspiration and the band is making the most of it by recording as many songs as possible to release the power of Radio America to the people.

Shortly after the band relocated to the Big Apple to broaden their horizons a bit, they signed a record deal with an indie based label called Mother West. However, a bigger shake-up was on the horizon. The longtime drummer of this close-knit group decided to leave the band to pursue other avenues. What might break most bands only made Radio America stronger. Founding members Tom Stuart and Jesse Reno (both originally from Sterling, MA) set out to find a new drummer, and they quickly found their new partner in crime in their friend Robby VanSaders. Soon after that, they added another guitarist, Gabe Wilhelm, to round out the quartet. How has this affected the band? According to Central MA native Stuart, “The addition of Robby and Gabe has completely affected everything that we do. That goes for both the creative and personal chemistry of the group. Gabe and Robby already seem indispensable to us, and they are great friends. They’ve forced Jesse and me to become much better musicians as well. I think I practice my guitar playing now more than I did when I was 14; because I am scared to death of showing up at rehearsal and having my ass handed to me every time Gabe flips the switch on his amp. He’s that good. Robby, for his part, gives us the ability to play any style of music we might want to try, which is probably the best thing a drummer ~ a great drummer ~ can provide for a group. Honestly, I think that once Robby joined the group and settled in, it was inevitable that we would have to go out and find a Gabe Wilhelm to flesh out the band’s sound. It’s the only way we could take full advantage of Robby’s musical ability.”

Speaking of musical abilities, if you happened to tune in to the right episode of “One Tree Hill” this season, you had the guilty pleasure of catching everyone’s favorite baby daddy Kevin Federline lip-syncing Radio America’s song “Mahabharata.” Faced with the option of mass exposure via a perhaps less-than-desirable mouthpiece, these kind of opportunities can sometimes weigh heavy on a band ~ but for Radio America, this one was a no-brainer. “When we found out who would be ‘performing’ “Mahabharata,” I think our label was afraid that we were going to say, ‘Thanks but no thanks.’ But in my opinion (which was shared by Jesse ~ we wrote “Mahabharata” ~ the whole situation was so unbelievably ludicrous that we just had to ~ had to ~ do it. I mean, it was so surreal. For a television network to approach us ~ an indie group, a punk rock band really ~ to use our tune to back up (arguably) the most prefabricated celebrity of all time…Not to say that we are the supreme arbiters of all things real and pure, but we cut that song for nothing, on a budget of zero dollars, in a basement up on the hill behind Holy Cross College…in between games of Nerf football. It doesn’t get much less glamorous than that. I mean, I wrote the riff to that song living in Watertown in my cousin’s attic! Cut to the scene in the show where K-Fed and his backing group are supposedly cutting our song in this absurdly large and plush studio with Kate Voegle on the non-existent keys (there’s no keyboard on the song)…It was far too funny. So I am 100 percent glad that we did it! Lots of people from around the world have heard our song as a result and are following our group and we are pretty proud of the whole affair. Now kids in The Virgin Islands and France and Australia have all contacted us to tell us how much they love our music! It’s a brave new world, to say the least.”

The whole “One Tree Hill” experience has pushed the band into overdrive. With three singers and three songwriters in the band you can only imagine the stockpile of songs these guys have in their arsenal of musical goodness. Add that to their great working relationships with producers in both New York and Worcester and the result can only be one thing ~ a double-vinyl LP! Okay, maybe not, but they do have a good 17-18 songs in the works for the album they will tentatively title “A Person’s Republic.” They have a 5 song teaser EP in the works as well called “You Will Pay For This” that will only be available online ~ and soon.

Until then you can catch Radio America live in a town near you. Three part harmonies, a choice of lead singers, and musicianship that shines through on each of their songs (ranging from punk to alternative to classic rock), these lads rock the house from top to bottom and leave a little extra for you to take home for later…you know, for those special moments. They aren’t afraid to strip it down and bust out an acoustic set either, so you really never know what you’re going to get, and hey, that’s rock n’ roll.

Check out their website for their latest tour dates: www.radio-america.net