DecembeRadio was an American
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...
band formed in 2003 and composed of bassist and lead vocalist Josh Reedy, lead guitarist Brian Bunn, rhythm guitarist Eric Miker and drummer Boone Daughdrill.
Reedy, Bunn and Miker first ventured out on their own as DecembeRadio after a stint as touring band for
evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
Billy Wayne Arrington. After a year of gigging, DecembeRadio released two independent albums in early 2005. Following their signing with
Slanted Records
Slanted Records is a contemporary Christian record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee. As part of the Spring Hill Music Group, Slanted Records signs Contemporary Christian artists whose music can be described as progressive rock or modern rock. S ...
and the addition of Daughdrill on drums, the band released ''
DecembeRadio'' in June 2006. The album was nominated for "Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album" at the
49th Grammy Awards
The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at the Staples Ce ...
,
and won the 2007
Dove Award
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...
for "Rock Album of the Year".
A follow-up, ''
Satisfied'', was released in August 2008. DecembeRadio dissolved in 2012, and the members moved on to other musical projects.
Musically, DecembeRadio is heavily influenced by
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
and
blues-rock from the 1970s, owing to early exposure to family members' record collections. Their sound has been compared to that of
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...
and
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk.
Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
, among others.
History
Early years
The members of DecembeRadio all began playing music in their teens. Josh Reedy and Brian Bunn attended the same schools, and the former's rendition of "
Johnny B. Goode" on
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
at a middle school talent show convinced Bunn to take up guitar, as well.
"Our first year of high school, we started a
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
band. We played
Hootie & the Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish are an American soft rock band that were formed in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986. The band's lineup for most of its existence has been the quartet of Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. The band w ...
covers and that sort of thing. Then shortly thereafter, we realized that God had given us these gifts, and we wanted to utilize them for him," recalled Bunn.
The pair decided to pursue music full-time upon graduation from
Auburn High School in
Riner, Virginia
Riner is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2020 Census was 1,196.
The Howard-Bell-Feather House and Riner Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
...
.
After a performance opening for
evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
Billy Wayne Arrington in
Dublin, Virginia
Dublin is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The amount of Bojangles was 1 in 2023. It is part of the Blacksburg, Virginia, Blacksburg–Christiansburg, Virginia, Christiansburg Blacksburg-Christiansbur ...
, Arrington invited Bunn and Reedy to join his touring band.
[ ] Bunn credits Arrington with helping to alter the band's focus: "We were playing music for God, but we didn't really know why we were doing it. It was more so to be 'rock stars', per se, and just use God as a way to get there. And so he really helped us flip-flop that and get it the way it should be."
Eric Miker started playing guitar at the age of sixteen when his father taught him a few
chords
Chord may refer to:
* Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously
** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning
* Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve
* Chord (as ...
. After two years at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
, Miker felt a calling to go into
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith, the prototype being the Great Commission. The '' Encyclopedia of Christianity'' defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", in ...
.
He met Bunn and Reedy at a youth event in
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
,
where he impressed the pair with the "
Sweet Child o' Mine
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses. It appears on their debut album, ''Appetite for Destruction''. In the United States, the song was released in June 1988 as the album's third single, topping the ''Billboard'' ...
" guitar lick that he added to a worship song. Shortly thereafter, Miker joined the band full-time, playing with Arrington for a few months before the trio ventured out on their own.
The band came up with its name after Miker photographed an old radio with a calendar on top of it open to the month of December.
2004–2005
DecembeRadio played scattered dates for
churches and
youth groups in 2004 with Bunn as the lead singer. However, Bunn contracted a virus that paralyzed three-quarters of his
vocal cord
In humans, vocal cords, also known as vocal folds or voice reeds, are folds of throat tissues that are key in creating sounds through vocalization. The size of vocal cords affects the pitch of voice. Open when breathing and vibrating for speech ...
s, and Reedy took over as lead singer. (Bunn regained most of his voice after therapy.)
The band also found time to record two albums that were released independently in early 2005. ''
Noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
'' was a self-produced album of
praise and worship covers on which each band member contributed at least two lead vocals,
and ''
Dangerous
Dangerous may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Dangerous'' (1935 film), an American film starring Bette Davis
* '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', a 1993 collection of music videos by Michael Jackson
* ''Dangerous'' (2021 film), a Canadian-Ameri ...
'' contained nine original songs and a cover of "
Are You Gonna Go My Way" by
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk.
Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
. ''Dangerous'' was
produced with Scotty Wilbanks, whom the band met through Arrington.
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
native Boone Daughdrill joined the band in late 2005; he had previously toured with
Kimberly Perry
The Band Perry are an American band composed of siblings Kimberly Perry (lead vocals, guitar), Reid Perry (bass guitar, background vocals), and Neil Perry ( mandolin, bouzouki, background vocals). They signed to Republic Nashville in August 200 ...
,
Jump5
Jump5 was an American Christian teen pop group active from 1999 until 2007. The group was made up of five members from Nashville: Brandon and Brittany Hargest, Chris Fedun, Lesley Moore and Libby Hodges. After Libby Hodges left in 2004, Natash ...
and
ZOEgirl
ZOEgirl was an American contemporary Christian music, Christian teen pop and pop rock band formed in 1999. The group comprised Chrissy Conway-Katina, Alisa Childers and Kristin Swinford-Schweain. They were signed to Sparrow Records from 1999 to ...
.
"We got Boone's phone number from
ilbanksabout a year ago. We called him up and were like, 'We need a drummer for this stint of dates.' We met him at the airport and as soon as he walked off of the plane and gave us a big hug it was like we'd known him forever and we decided to keep him!" said Bunn.
Wilbanks also arranged a showcase performance for DecembeRadio in front of record company executives, leading to the band’s signing with
Slanted Records
Slanted Records is a contemporary Christian record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee. As part of the Spring Hill Music Group, Slanted Records signs Contemporary Christian artists whose music can be described as progressive rock or modern rock. S ...
in December 2005.
''DecembeRadio''
The band’s first album for Slanted was recorded at Southern Tracks Recording in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, in early 2006 with Wilbanks in the producer’s chair. The
self-titled album was released on June 27, with lead single "Love Found Me (Love’s Got a Hold)" released to radio two months prior. Second single "Drifter" was released in August and slowly climbed the charts, finally peaking at number 5 on the
''Billboard'' Hot Christian Songs chart on December 30.
[ ] Tour dates in 2006 were split between residencies at
youth camps, one-off gigs at churches and schools, and the occasional festival date.
[ ] In December, the band was nominated for a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for "Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album".
They were hanging out in a guitar shop when they received the call from the president of their label; "We were kind of shocked but honored to have our first album be nominated for a Grammy," Miker said.
The band lost to
Jonny Lang
Jon Gordon Langseth Jr. (born January 29, 1981), known as Jonny Lang, is an American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has made five albums that have charted on the top 50 of the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and has wo ...
at the awards ceremony a few months later.
DecembeRadio continued playing gigs and releasing singles from ''DecembeRadio'' to radio in early 2007, and then joined
Superchick
Superchick, originally known as Superchic '', was an American Christian alternative pop/rock band. Their music incorporated various styles such as pop, punk, rock, rap, and R&B. Their sound has been compared to mainstream artists like No Doubt ...
’s Generation Rising Tour for a string of dates in April and May.
More accolades came the band's way with their nomination for four
Dove Awards
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...
("New Artist of the Year", "Rock Album of the Year", "Dangerous" for "Rock Recorded Song of the Year", and "Drifter" for "Song of the Year"), though their only win was for "Rock Album of the Year".
''Satisfied''
Recording for DecembeRadio's fourth album began in September 2007,
again at Southern Tracks Recording.
The band took a break in October and November to headline their own Drifter Tour, which also featured
Nevertheless,
Superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
and
Bread of Stone.
Near the end of the tour, Slanted Records released an expanded edition of ''
DecembeRadio'', which included a new track recorded during the aforementioned recording session.
The song, "Find You Waiting", performed similarly to "Drifter", climbing slowly and not reaching its peak position of No. 5 on the
''Billboard'' Hot Christian Songs chart until April 5, 2008.
Recording of the band's fourth album continued in early 2008, but the sessions were again interrupted for a major tour, this time in support of
Third Day
Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the ...
in March and April. Soon after the tour ended, DecembeRadio finished recording the album,
which was titled ''
Satisfied'' and released on August 26. "It's got a real southern feeling, definitely '
Crowes-ish' and swampy," said Reedy of the album.
''Satisfied'' debuted at its peak positions of number 116 and 3 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and
Top Christian Albums
Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the ''Billboard'' 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly ...
charts, respectively.
[ ] Following a two-month break, DecembeRadio embarked on a month-long headlining tour in support of ''Satisfied'' with guests
Ruth
Ruth (or its variants) may refer to:
Places
France
* Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France
Switzerland
* Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny
United States
* Ruth, Alabama
* Ruth, Ar ...
,
Sevenglory
Sevenglory is an American christian rock band from Indiana. It was formed in 2001, and is signed to 7Spin Music. The band is composed of Gabe Johannes (drummer, drums), Caleb Johannes (bass guitar, bass), Jeff Smith (lead guitar) and Kurt Felsman ...
and Billy Wayne.
[ Retrieved on November 26, 2008.] A digital-only
EP entitled ''Comfort & Joy'' was released on November 25, 2008. The EP contains covers of three
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
songs: "
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
"God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" is an English traditional Christmas carol. It is in the Roxburghe Collection (iii. 452), and is listed as no. 394 in the Roud Folk Song Index. It is also known as "Tidings of Comfort and Joy", and by other varian ...
",
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
's arrangement of "
Run Run Rudolph
"Run Rudolph Run" is a Christmas song written by Chuck Berry but credited to Johnny Marks and M. Brodie due to Marks' trademark on the character of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It was published by St. Nicholas Music ( ASCAP) and was first recor ...
" and an instrumental version of "
Away in a Manger
"Away in a Manger" is a Christmas carol first published in the late nineteenth century and used widely throughout the English-speaking world. In Britain, it is one of the most popular carols; a 1996 Gallup Poll ranked it joint second. Although i ...
".
[ Retrieved on November 26, 2008.]
DecembeRadio began a two-month North American tour in support of
Newsboys
Newsboys (sometimes stylised as newsboys) are a Christian rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, the band has released 17 studio albums, 6 of which ...
in February 2009.
The following year, the band released a live album on both CD and DVD in March, and Daughdrill left DecembeRadio in September to join
The Band Perry
The Band Perry are an American band composed of siblings Kimberly Perry (lead vocals, guitar), Reid Perry (bass guitar, background vocals), and Neil Perry (mandolin, bouzouki, background vocals). They signed to Republic Nashville in August 2009 ...
.
A five-song EP, ''Southern Attic Sessions'', was released on March 15, 2011.
Dissolution
DecembeRadio played its last concert on November 8, 2012. No announcement of the band's dissolution was ever made, but in 2013 the three remaining members formed a mainstream country music trio called JEBtown, which played at least one show in Nashville and filmed a music video for a studio track. By 2014, the band members had moved on to other projects. Josh Reedy toured as a bass player with
Chris Cagle
Christopher Norris Cagle (born November 10, 1968) is an American country music artist. He was first known for writing songs for David Kersh before signing to Virgin Records Nashville in 2000. Cagle made his debut on ''Billboard (magazine), Bill ...
, then joined
Thomas Rhett
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the Ap ...
's band as a keyboardist and guitarist. Brian Bunn had a stint as a touring guitarist with
Third Day
Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the ...
, then joined Reedy in Rhett's band. Eric Miker became a youth pastor and worship band musician at Jewel City Church in
Shinnston, West Virginia
Shinnston is a city and former coal town in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, along the West Fork River. In 1778, Levi Shinn constructed his log home along what is now Route 19; today it is the oldest standing structure in north-cent ...
.
Musical style and influences
DecembeRadio's music is strongly influenced by
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
and
blues-rock from the 1970s, be it directly through artists like
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
and
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
, or through later interpreters such as
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...
and
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk.
Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
. The band's label,
Slanted Records
Slanted Records is a contemporary Christian record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee. As part of the Spring Hill Music Group, Slanted Records signs Contemporary Christian artists whose music can be described as progressive rock or modern rock. S ...
, also notes the influence of
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
,
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American Rock music, rock supergroup (music), supergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine membe ...
and other contemporary rock bands.
In addition, their music has been compared to
U2,
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots (also known by the initialism STP) is an American rock band from San Diego, California, that originally consisted of Scott Weiland (lead vocals), brothers Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass, backing vocals), and Eric Kretz ...
and
King's X
King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...
.
"We feel like God has called us to a musical style that is not represented as much as, say, more modern, harder edged bands. We are bringing the old school to the new school," says Josh Reedy.
The band members credit family members with introducing them to rock music through old collections of
vinyl record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
s.
Boone Daughdrill cites "
When the Levee Breaks
"When the Levee Breaks" is a country blues song written and first recorded by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy in 1929. The lyrics reflect experiences during the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.
"When the Levee Breaks ...
" as his biggest influence. "When I heard that drum fill come in the intro...oh! I was a little kid and my uncle had all of the
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...
records. He was a drummer too and he would always be like, 'Man, check these guys out.' I was only three or four and I didn’t know what music was, but I knew that I loved that."
Brian Bunn and Eric Miker credit
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
and
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
, respectively, with their interest in taking up guitar.
Bassist Reedy started out on guitar, as well, stating that his inspiration was either "
Crossfire
A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I.
...
" or "The House Is Rockin'" by
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Although his mainstream career spanned only seven years, ...
. "I was really into blues before anything else," said Reedy.
Members
* Brian Bunn – lead guitar, vocals (2003–12)
* Eric Miker – rhythm guitar, vocals (2003–12)
* Josh Reedy – lead vocals, bass guitar (2003–12)
* Boone Daughdrill – drums, percussion (2005–10)
Discography
* ''Dangerous'' (January 2005, independent)
* ''Noise'' (January 2005, independent)
* ''
DecembeRadio'' (June 2006, Slanted)
* ''
Satisfied'' (August 2008, Slanted)
* ''Live'' (March 2010, Slanted)
* ''Southern Attic Sessions'' (EP) (August 2011, Slanted)
Awards
GMA Dove Awards
Notes
References
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
American Christian rock groups
Musical groups from Virginia
Musical groups established in 2003
American musical trios
Musical quartets