Play Radio Play Makes New Pop Rules

By: Brett Hickman

Thursday May 24, 2007

Play Radio Play Interview
Play Radio Play's Dan Hunter may be young (17), but he's already made a name for himself with his own brand of music that mixes pop melodies with an ear bent towards new wave and electronica. Play Radio Play are already signed to Stolen Transmission and have released The Frequency EP just a month ago (the full-length is due in the fall) and will be a part of this year's Warped Tour.

Hunter began posting his music on his MySpace page simply for the fun of it. Hunter taught himself how to play guitar, drums and bass and began dabbling in electronic music in class at school. "We used to use a program called Fruity Loops. The first song I ever made was called 'Jello'. It sucked but that was the first real PRP song." "Jello," about missing a phone call, sparked an online flurry of interest in Hunter and his popularity on MySpace came so fast, his songs were getting over 30,000 plays a day.

Now Hunter is recording his full-length with Grammy Award winning producer Garret Lee, who has worked with U2, Snow Patrol, The Hives and Bloc Party. For now, The Frequency EP is a real treat for the ears, showing Hunter's gift for pop melody and taking his music in unique directions. Here's a link to one of Play Radio Play's gems, an audio stream of "Confines of Gravity. The EP also features a sublime take on The Killers' hit "Mr. Brightside." Below Hunter answers questions posed to him by Static Multimedia's staff.

Are there any current trends in music that excite or repulse you?

Not really, I don't really stress too much about things going on outside of what I listen to.

How did you get your start?

I'm self taught on bass, guitar, and drums, then I started programming in a Music Tech class in High School.

How did the name Play Radio Play come about?

I really don't remember, but I remember that I knew instantly it was the name I wanted to use.

What kinds of things did you take into recording that you'd done on other albums and what sorts of new approaches did you try?

Well the EP that [came] out on April 24th is the only release I have, and I recorded that all at my house by myself. So going into the studio with producers for the full length was different already. I had never written or recorded a song with someone else.

What would you do differently on the next album?

The full-length will flow better than the EP, it'll be more like 1 unit of work rather than several.

What were some of the challenges you encountered while making your latest album?

Getting good drum sounds...haha. Recording things yourself is hard and it took a lot of trial and error to get something that didn't sound like rubbish for the drum sounds of "Confines." More experienced people will probably listen and think "But it STILL sounds like rubbish!" well it was the best I could do.

What are you most proud of about the album?

The EP, for me, is kind of a look back at the last 2 years of PlayRadioPlay, and a lot has happened. All the songs are from different times in my life, so it's surreal thinking about how much things have changed since I wrote and initially recorded those songs.

What is the best song on the new album and why?

Haha...I'm not sure. I personally like "Bad Cops," but for people listening to the EP, they'll connect to different songs for different reasons, and those will be their favorite songs.

Were there any songs that didn't make it to the final cut that you really wish had?

Yes I had about 30 songs that were considered for the EP. We had to release my best music without burning the songs that we were planning on keeping for the upcoming full length. I wish "Madi" and "Decipher" had been on it, but after being in the studio with producers and redoing those songs, I know fans will think the wait was worth it. The new versions are huge.



What were your hopes for the album and how have things gone with it so far?

Well, preorders have been good.

What direction do you see the band/yourself going in next?

Well my live show is the first thing I've overhauled. I brought in some great musicians to tour with me. The full-length album is more diverse. Some of it is darker, some of it is faster, some of it is dancier, it's definitely not a one-trick pony.

What plans do you/the band have for the near and distant future?

I'm doing a lot of touring, then in July I'm going back into the studio to finish the full length.

What are your aspirations for yourself/the band at this point?

Right now I just want to put on a good show for kids on tour and meet as many of them as I can.

Do you think the MySpace phenomenon has helped or hurt you/your band at all?

I don't think it's hurt me at all. The whole "phenomenon" is the reason I'm doing the interview right now. If it hadn't happened I would be in college.

What upcoming albums by other artists are you really psyched to hear?

Zeigeist by the Smashing Pumkins.

Is there any particular band or artist you'd really love to work and/or tour with?

I really want to tour with Danger Radio again, I love those guys. I also really want to work with Adam Baker from Annuals.

While most artists want to be known for doing something original, every musician has likely been influenced by another band or artist. Who has been your biggest influence or what band/musician do you most admire?

Billy Corgan.

Do you have any touring plans for the near future?

Yes, 3 weeks of Warped Tour and a lot more.

What do you like best and least about the tour grind?

Well last time I was on tour I was sleeping in Danger Radio's van with them...haha. This tour is going to be different since I'm no longer the only person on stage when PRP plays.

Have you ever had a dream where you wrote a song that you were sure was the best ever written, but upon waking up, you couldn't remember anything about it? If you did remember the song, was it as amazing as the dream made it out to be?

Haha...I HAVE had dreams where I get song ideas, but they normally don't end up being as cool as in the dream.

If you were a Saved By the Bell character, which one would you be? (If you have never watched Saved by the Bell, substitute your favorite show).

I'm totally Screech.

What inspires during the lyric writing/creating stage?

Everything from my girlfriend Madi and skipping school, to the death of my father and the few years of drugs and drinking that followed.

Now that the EP is out, is there anything that you would change or do differently and why?

Nope. These songs were all written when I was in a certain state of mind. So changing them would kill the emotion that went into them in the first place.

Describe any life experiences show up in any particular song(s)?

A few of the new songs on the full length confront the sudden death of my father ("Without Gravity").

Do you plan on doing any collaborating in the near future or for your next release?

Possibly! Some really cool ones too, but none of them are nailed down so we'll see.

Who is your favorite songwriter or artist and why?

Billy Corgan. I've loved the Pumpkins since I was a kid.

Ten years from now, how would you like your fans to reflect on your work?

I'd like people to look back and remember the way it made them feel at that time of their life.

How would you like to reflect on your work ten years from now?

Haha...I'd like to look back and not be too embarrassed about anything.

Do you plan to stay in this particular genre or do you wish to branch your sound out?

It's already started to branch, and people will hear that on the full-length.


Photo By Gabriel Hernandez