Where are they Now: Jack the Radio
About a year ago, we were first introduced to the guys with Jack the Radio and we grew to really like them. Not only did they win the 2014 Last Band Standing and open our Main Event, but they embraced Band Together and worked hard to promote our events, lend their faces and voices to videos and supply us with backing tracks for our digital story-telling.That’s why we’re taking the time to follow-up with them to hear about life as an up-and-coming band, juggling other jobs and responsibilities to pursue their love of music. We know the band, but now we can find out more about the guys who make up Jack the Radio: A.C. Hill, George Hage, Brent Francese, Danny Johnson and Chris Sayles.Can you give us some early history? How did you guys meet up, decide to become a band – and what’s with your name?
A.C.: George and I lived together for a bit while we were at NC State and just started sharing some musical ideas. Using a couple of acoustic guitars and a laptop for drum loops, we started writing songs together. Five or six ideas became a small, self-titled EP. We took a break for a few years before coming back together and putting together a full band. George had a list of band names from previous bands he'd been in, and "Jack the Radio" was one of the top ones on the list and we both thought it fit the vibe we had at the time.
How do you balance being a band on the rise with life and careers?
BRENT: There are a bunch of really good friends in this band and it is tough juggling schedules, kids and careers – but everyone's flexible. There is a lot of push/pull tension that comes with that, but at the end of the day we are five dudes that are all good friends with great families that want us to make music.
CHRIS: It's actually not super easy to tell you the truth. In my line of work, I could hear on a Thursday afternoon that I'm flying out for a week on a Sunday. I travel a lot of the year and that can sometimes make it difficult to keep things balanced. But it always seems to work out.
DANNY: It's all about making time to do the things that you love. As a full-time high school teacher, with multiple part-time jobs, it's not always easy to make time to practice, travel for shows, etc... but you manage to find a way to make schedules work because without that time spent in the practice space, on stage, or in the studio, you'd go crazy. To me, it's akin to asking a runner how they make time to run. They run because they have to; we play music because we're musicians, and we find a way to make our schedules work.
As far as other careers, in an area as "local-centric" as ours, there's always crossover between worlds. I have had students of mine show up to music festivals where Jack the Radio was playing, wear the band's t-shirt to class, etc... I think it's an unavoidable part of gaining notoriety and living in a town that appreciates the arts. That aside, hearing someone you don't know yell, "Heyyyyy, it's Jack the Radiooooooo!!!" while walking around downtown is pretty cool.
What are some of the challenges of being a band trying to gain exposure and renown?
DANNY: Living in a time when the market is oversaturated with content (audio/visual/social media) makes "gaining exposure" a daunting task. Being in a position to tour hundreds of days each year would certainly be beneficial when it comes to getting our product out in front of a larger group of people, but even that is no guarantee for success.
Honestly, there are an endless number of ridiculously talented artists out there playing venues across the country every night that just can't seem to be heard over the white noise. I think the best thing bands like us can do is find ways to connect with people (fans or otherwise) that share common interests. And specifically, to go where they already are. Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, local festivals, breweries... gathering places for people who might be interested in the same things we are (i.e. good music, nice instruments, the outdoors, quality clothes, hats, etc...).
What is one thing you would like your fans to know about your band?
BRENT:
- Chris Sayles really loves pancakes. Like really loves them. He even has a maple syrup tattoo.
- Hage has an insane comic book collection.
- A.C. looks like Neil Diamond with a beard.
- Brent plays drums like a righty but is left handed.
- Danny seems to know a lot about everything... so he teaches America's youth about criminal law. He also makes very good fish sticks.
DANNY: When it comes to musical tastes, we are an extremely eclectic group of guys. I think one reason Jack the Radio's songs sound like they do is that we're all coming from so many different places in our musicianship. What you're hearing with Jack the Radio is really just an organic blend of five different guy's musical tastes, with some substantial crossover in the Americana/Indie Rock category.
Stay tuned for the next installment of "Where are they Now: Jack the Radio" and take a look at their latest song, My Way.For more about JTR, visit: