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Biography
Use mdy dates|date=February 2012Infobox musical artist | name = DecembeRadio| image = DecembeRadio-2007promo.jpg| caption = DecembeRadio in 2007. From left to right: Brian Bunn, Josh Reedy, Boone Daughdrill, Eric Miker.| landscape = yes| background = group_or_band| origin = Christiansburg, Virginia , USA| genre = Christian Rock | years_active = 2003 – present| label = Slanted Records|Slanted | associated_acts =| website = URL| http://www.decemberadio.com| current_members = Brian Bunn Eric Miker Josh Reedy| past_members = Boone Daughdrill DecembeRadio is an American Christian rock band originally formed in 2003; presently composed of bass guitar|bassist and singer|lead vocalist Josh Reedy, lead guitar ist Brian Bunn and rhythm guitarist Eric Miker.
Reedy, Bunn and Miker first ventured out on their own as DecembeRadio after a stint as touring band for evangelism|evangelist Billy Wayne Arrington. After a year of gig (musical performance)|gigging , DecembeRadio released two independent albums in early 2005. Following their signing with Slanted Records and the addition of Daughdrill on drums, the band released DecembeRadio (album)|DecembeRadio in June 2006. The album was nominated for "Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album" at the 49th Grammy Awards ,Cite web |url= http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_Show/list.aspx |title=49th Annual Grammy Award Winners List |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher=The Recording Academy |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080404004726/ http://www.grammy.com/grammy_awards/49th_show/list.aspx |archivedate=April 4, 2008 and won the 2007 Dove Award for "Rock Album of the Year".cite press release |title=DecembeRadio Takes Home Rock Album of the Year |publisher=Slanted Records |date=April 26, 2007 |url= http://www.slantedrecords.com/article.aspx? articleID=30 |accessdate=May 13, 2008 A follow-up, Satisfied (Decemberadio album)|Satisfied , was released in August 2008.
Musically, DecembeRadio is heavily influenced by hard rock and blues-rock from the 1970s, owing to early exposure to family members' record collections. Their sound has been compared to that of Aerosmith , Led Zeppelin , The Black Crowes and Lenny Kravitz , 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 at a middle school talent show convinced Bunn to take up guitar, as well.cite web |url= http://www.ymexchange.com/Youth-Ministry-Articles/index.php? option=com_content& task=view& id=312& Itemid=10013 |title=DecembeRadio: Music With a Mission |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |last=Sondova |first=Amy |publisher=Youth Ministry Exchange "Our first year of high school, we started a Top 40 band. We played Hootie & the Blowfish 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.cite journal |last=Price |first=Deborah Evans |date=July 22, 2006 |title=Rock in a holy place: DecembeRadio brings harder edge to Christian music |journal= Billboard Magazine |id= |volume=118 |issue=29 |pages=45 The pair decided to pursue music full time upon graduation from Auburn High School (Riner, Virginia)|Auburn High School in Riner, Virginia .cite news |url= http://www.roanoke.com/extra/wb/126430 |last=Key |first=Lindsay |title=Faithful fans greet Decemberadio |work= The Roanoke Times |publisher= Landmark Communications |date=August 1, 2007 |accessdate=May 11, 2008
After a performance opening for evangelism|evangelist Billy Wayne Arrington in Dublin, Virginia , Arrington invited Bunn and Reedy to join his touring band.cite news |url= http://gotricities.com/content/article.dna? idNumber=4191 |title=DecembeRadio and mentor Billy Wayne Arrington reunite at Winter Blast 2006 |publisher=GoTricities.com |accessdate=February 23, 2009dead link| date=June 2010 | bot=DASHBot 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."cite web |url= http://www.holypow.com/interviews/decemberadio_interview.htm |title=Decemberadio Interview |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher=HolyPOW!!& #33; Christian Entertainment
Eric Miker started playing guitar at the age of sixteen when his father taught him a few guitar chord|chords . After two years at West Virginia University , Miker felt a calling to go into Christian ministry .cite web |url= http://www.godsmac.com/episodes/episode-11---decemberadio.html |title=God's Mac Podcast - Episode #11 - DecembeRadio |date=November 17, 2006 |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher=God's Macdead link| date=June 2010 | bot=DASHBot He met Bunn and Reedy at a youth event in West Virginia , where he impressed the pair with the " Sweet Child o' Mine " 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.cite web |url= http://www.decemberadio.com/forum/archive/index.php? t-104.html |last=Miker |first=Eric |title=Five questions for Wikipedia |date=March 17, 2008 |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher=DecembeRadio Forums 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.cite news |url= http://www.thechristianpulse.com/content/view/101/55/ |first=Brad |last=McBrayer |title=DecembeRadio |publisher=The Christian Pulse |accessdate=November 4, 2007|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071012092746/ http://www.thechristianpulse.com/content/view/101/55/ |archivedate = October 12, 2007|deadurl=yes
2004–2005
DecembeRadio played scattered dates for Church body|churches and youth ministry|youth groups in 2004 with Bunn as the lead singer. However, Bunn contracted a virus that paralyzed three-quarters of his vocal cord s, and Reedy took over as lead singer. (Bunn regained most of his voice after therapy.)cite web |url= http://www.decemberadio.com/forum/archive/index.php? t-115.html |last=Miker |first=Eric |title=Was Brian the original lead singer? |date=March 27, 2008 |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher=DecembeRadio Forums The band also found time to record two albums that were released independently in early 2005. Noise (DecembeRadio album)|Noise was a self-produced album of Contemporary worship music|praise and worship covers on which each band member contributed at least two lead vocals, and Dangerous (DecembeRadio album)|Dangerous contained nine original songs and a cover of " Are You Gonna Go My Way (song)|Are You Gonna Go My Way " by Lenny Kravitz . Dangerous was record producer|produced with Scotty Wilbanks, whom the band met through Arrington.
Mississippi native Boone Daughdrill joined the band in late 2005; he had previously toured with The Band Perry|Kimberly Perry , Jump5 and ZOEgirl .cite web |url= http://www.decemberadio.com/forum/archive/index.php? t-295.html |last=Miker |first=Eric |title=Wikipedia...and photo request |date=May 13, 2008 |accessdate=May 25, 2008 |publisher=DecembeRadio Forums "We got Boone's phone number from Wilbanks about 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.cite web |url= http://christianmusic.about.com/od/interviewsal/a/decmradioint406.htm |last=Jones |first=Kim |title=DecembeRadio Interview – The New Christian Rockers |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher=About.com Wilbanks also arranged a showcase performance for DecembeRadio in front of record company executives, leading to the band’s signing with Slanted Records in December 2005.
DecembeRadio
The band’s first album for Slanted was recorded at Southern Tracks Recording in Atlanta, Georgia , in early 2006 with Wilbanks in the producer’s chair. The DecembeRadio (album)|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 Hot Christian Songs| Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart on December 30.Cite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp? cfi=355& cfgn=Singles& cfn=Hot+Christian+Songs& ci=3081332& cdi=9156687& cid=12%2F30%2F2006 |title=Hot Christian Songs - Drifter |date=December 30, 2006 |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher= Billboard dead link| date=June 2010 | bot=DASHBot Tour dates in 2006 were split between residencies at Summer camp|youth camps , one-off gig (musical performance)|gigs at churches and schools, and the occasional festival date.cite web |url= http://www.decemberadio.com/v2/php/tour.php |title=DecembeRadio.com - Tour Details |accessdate=May 11, 2008dead link| date=June 2010 | bot=DASHBot In December, the band was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album".cite press release |title=DecembeRadio garners GRAMMY Nomination& #33; |publisher=Slanted Records |date=December 8, 2006 |url= http://www.slantedrecords.com/article.aspx? articleID=16 |accessdate=May 13, 2008 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.cite news |url= http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/wb/xp-103873 |last=Key |first=Lindsay |title=And the Grammy goes to... |work=The Roanoke Times |publisher=Landmark Communications |date=February 10, 2007 |accessdate=May 11, 2008 The band lost to Jonny Lang 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 ’s Generation Rising Tour for a string of dates in April and May.cite press release |title=DecembeRadio touring with SuperChick this Spring |publisher=Slanted Records |date=February 23, 2007 |url= http://www.slantedrecords.com/article.aspx? articleID=27 |accessdate=May 13, 2008 More accolades came the band's way with their nomination for four Dove Awards ("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,cite web |url= http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm? fuseaction=blog.ListAll& friendID=14481114 |title=DecembeRadio MySpace Blog |accessdate=May 25, 2008 |author=DecembeRadio |date=September 10, 2007 |publisher=MySpace again at Southern Tracks Recording.cite web |url= http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ubcmMtZGQFo |title=DecembeRadio At Southern Tracks |accessdate=May 25, 2008 |author=DecembeRadio |date=September 20, 2007 |publisher=YouTube The band took a break in October and November to headline their own Drifter Tour, which also featured Nevertheless (band)|Nevertheless , Superhero (band)|Superhero and Bread of Stone .cite web |url= http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm? fuseaction=blog.ListAll& friendID=14481114 |title=DecembeRadio MySpace Blog |accessdate=May 25, 2008 |author=DecembeRadio |date=October 8, 2007 |publisher=MySpace Near the end of the tour, Slanted Records released an expanded edition of DecembeRadio (album)|DecembeRadio , which included a new track recorded during the aforementioned recording session.cite web |url= http://twardphotos.com/galleries/decemberadio/ |title=twardphotos.com – DecembeRadio |last=Ward |first=Tyler |accessdate=May 11, 2008|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071116040014/ http://twardphotos.com/galleries/decemberadio/ |archivedate = November 16, 2007|deadurl=yes The song, "Find You Waiting", performed similarly to "Drifter", climbing slowly and not reaching its peak position of #5 on the Hot Christian Songs| Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart until April 5, 2008.Cite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp? cfi=355& cfgn=Singles& cfn=Hot+Christian+Songs& ci=3093103& cdi=9718622& cid=04%2F05%2F2008 |title=Hot Christian Songs - Find You Waiting |date=April 5, 2008 |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher= Billboard dead link| date=June 2010 | bot=DASHBot
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 in March and April. Soon after the tour ended, DecembeRadio finished recording the album,cite web |url= http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm? fuseaction=blog.ListAll& friendID=14481114 |title=DecembeRadio MySpace Blog |accessdate=May 25, 2008 |author=DecembeRadio |date=May 2, 2008 |publisher=MySpace which was titled Satisfied (Decemberadio album)|Satisfied and released on August 26. "It's got a real southern feeling, definitely ' The Black Crowes|Crowes -ish' and swampy," said Reedy of the album.cite web |url= http://christianmusic.about.com/od/decemberadi1/a/dradio3daylive.htm |last=Jones |first=Kim |title=DecembeRadio - Pumped About Their New Album and Touring With Third Day |date=March 17, 2008 |accessdate=May 11, 2008 |publisher=About.com Satisfied debuted at its peak positions of number 116 and 3 on the Billboard 200| Billboard 200 and Christian Albums|Top Christian Albums charts, respectively.Cite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp? cfi=305& cfgn=Albums& cfn=The+Billboard+200& ci=3099316& cdi=9895873& cid=09%2F13%2F2008 |title=The Billboard 200 - Satisfied |date=September 13, 2008 |accessdate=September 4, 2008 |publisher= Billboard dead link| date=June 2010 | bot=DASHBotCite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp? cfi=310& cfgn=Albums& cfn=Top+Christian+Albums& ci=3099285& cdi=9894866& cid=09%2F13%2F2008 |title=Top Christian Albums - Satisfied |date=September 13, 2008 |accessdate=September 4, 2008 |publisher= Billboard dead link| date=June 2010 | bot=DASHBot Following a two-month break, DecembeRadio embarked on a month-long headlining tour in support of Satisfied with guests Ruth (band)|Ruth , Sevenglory and Billy Wayne.cite press release |title=DecembeRadio to Headline Fall Tour in Support of New Release |publisher=Nashville Publicity Group |date=October 23, 2008 |url= http://www.lightvox.com/decemberadio-to-headline-fall-tour-in-support-of-new-release.html Retrieved on November 26, 2008. A digital-only extended play|EP entitled Comfort & Joy was released on November 25, 2008. The EP contains covers of three Christmas songs: " God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen ", Chuck Berry 's arrangement of " Run Run Rudolph " and an instrumental version of " Away in a Manger ".cite press release |title=DecembeRadio Celebrates Christmas with Digital EP |publisher=Nashville Publicity Group |date=November 23, 2008 |url= http://www.lightvox.com/decemberadio-celebrates-christmas-with-digital-ep.html Retrieved on November 26, 2008.
DecembeRadio began a two-month North American tour in support of Newsboys in February 2009.cite web |url= http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm? fuseaction=blog.ListAll& friendID=14481114 |title=DecembeRadio MySpace Blog |accessdate=February 23, 2009 |author=Reedy, Josh |date=February 20, 2009 |publisher=MySpace 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 .cite web |url= http://decemberadio.com/news.php? id=67 |title=Boone Daughdrill Leaves DecembeRadio |accessdate=September 30, 2010 |date=September 30, 2010 |publisher=Decemberadio.com A five-song EP, Southern Attic Sessions , was released on March 15, 2011.cite web |url= http://decemberadio.com/news.php? id=73|title=DecembeRadio News|accessdate=March 15, 2011|author=Welton, B|date=March 15, 2011|publisher= http://decemberadio.com
Musical style and influences
DecembeRadio's music is strongly influenced by hard rock and blues-rock from the 1970s, be it directly through artists like Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones , or through later interpreters such as The Black Crowes and Lenny Kravitz . The band's label, Slanted Records , also notes the influence of Porcupine Tree , Audioslave and other contemporary rock bands.cite web |url= http://slantedrecords.com/decemberradio.aspx |title=Slanted Records - DecembeRadio |accessdate=May 15, 2008 |publisher=Slanted Records In addition, their music has been compared to U2 , Stone Temple Pilots cite web |url= http://slantedrecords.com/article.aspx? articleID=1 |title=Keep On Rockin' in the Free World |accessdate=May 15, 2008 |publisher=CCM Magazine and King's X .cite web |last=Breimeier |first=Russ |title=DecembeRadio - DecembeRadio |publisher= Christianity Today |accessdate=November 3, 2007 |url= http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2006/decemberadio.html|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071113100231/ http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2006/decemberadio.html |archivedate = November 13, 2007|deadurl=yes "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 s. Boone Daughdrill cites " When the Levee Breaks " as his biggest influence. "When I heard that drum fill come in the intro...oh& #33; I was a little kid and my uncle had all of the Led Zeppelin|Zeppelin 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 and Keith Richards , respectively, with their interest in taking up guitar. Bassist Reedy started out on guitar, as well, stating that his inspiration was either " Crossfire (Stevie Ray Vaughan song)|Crossfire " or "The House Is Rockin'" by Stevie Ray Vaughan . "I was really into blues before anything else," said Reedy.
