Dream big. Sometimes it might just work out.
The same week that Local Radar premiered in August of 2024, KSMU received an email from a band out of St. Louis looking to get their music on the radio. As it happens, one of my many jobs here is monitoring our inbox, and I liked what I heard. (Also, more importantly, I had a BRAND-NEW radio show. I was still trying to figure out just what the heck it was, and here was the thing I needed more than anything else: CONTENT.)
So, on my second-ever episode, I debuted “I’ll Mess With You” by Four Degrees Colder. Two girls with a big sound. It really was a solid track. I knew almost nothing about the band, but they had great songs, high production quality, and cool album art. Heck, Jess (KSMU’s announcer/producer/host extraordinaire/and frequent Local Radar guest) liked it so much that she bought the record from their website while we were still on the air. It was only then that I started to get a fuller picture.
It came in a pizza box.
I do not say this to denigrate. It was a brilliant way to send an album through the mail. The vinyl was carefully packed, looked gorgeous, and played great. This was a high-quality piece of musical merch, but it came in a pizza box with a hand-written note from the guitarist/lead singer thanking Jess for her purchase because it “really helps to justify all this to my mom.”
It turns out they were really the scrappiest of D.I.Y. outfits. They were writing all original music as a two-piece, had only played a handful of shows at that point (like, four), were making their own recordings (and their own shirts!) in their basement, and they were both barely 20 years old. Also, they somehow were making this huge sound live with just drums, a laptop, and an extra small bass guitar. AND, they had only recently taught themselves their respective instruments out of pure logistical necessity. It all seemed impossible.
But that’s why you dream big.
Fast forward to right now, they are releasing their first full-length album “Nothing to Do,” they've been playing shows to enthusiastic crowds all around St. Louis, they can now legally imbibe at same said shows, they’ve had some very positive press, and they have been a frequently featured artist on at least one regional radio program. (Mine. My radio program.) Check them out for yourself; the new record drops today! And, if you happen to be in St. Louis next Saturday, they’re doing an album release show at Off Broadway!
So, rock out, dream big, and we’ll see you next week!
