Formed in Tallahassee, Florida, by former Mayday Parade singer/songwriter Jason Lancaster, Go Radio have now released two EP’s and a full length album called ‘Lucky Street’ in March 2011. The deluxe edition of Lucky Street came out in October 2011 and features 9 additional tracks that weren’t on the previous release.
The band got together in 2007 and has since been taking on the world of Alternative Rock music by storm. Their catchy songs and lyrics have gotten them noticed across many continents. Recently, they played the Soundwave Revolution Festival in Australia, and are currently wrapping up some tour dates in the US.
This past summer, Go Radio played the entire Vans Warped Tour. When they stopped in Montreal in mid-July, I had the chance to sit down with lead singer Jason. I had a lot of fun chatting with him about his experience at Warped and his time so far with Go Radio. One of my favorite parts about interviewing artists at Warped Tour is how down to earth they all seem- Jason was absolutely no different. I had the best time hanging out with him for 15 minutes and immediately got the impression that he was genuinely happy being there, doing what he was doing.
CONFRONT: How’s Warped going for you guys so far?
JASON: Fantastic. Love Warped Tour, so many great bands. Warped is such an eclectic tour. There are some close-minded people but a lot of open-minded people that come to the shows to see a heavy band but they’ll still watch a pop band, and the other way around too.
CONFRONT: Yeah exactly, I’ve noticed that too. Have you discovered any bands this year?
JASON: On this tour… Bad Rabbits!
CONRONT: Everyone seems to be saying that!
JASON: They’re really cool! As it works out, my favorite bands on this tour almost all of them I’ve already toured with them before but there’s Lucero and Against Me that I’ve never toured with and they’re fantastic as well.
CONFRONT: Awesome. What would you say are the best and worst parts about Warped?
JASON: The best part is the opportunity, just playing on great stages with experienced crew and great sound systems and just people coming to watch shows. So many people. The worst part is that it gets really arduous and tiring and hot. It’s like the world’s hottest tour. Well, probably not the world but definitely the US’ hottest. Even today you can get a little sweaty, but this is hands down the least hot date by FAR. It was like 100 degrees in Texas.
CONFRONT: Luckily you guys made it through! *laughs*
JASON: We made it alive! *laughs*
CONFRONT: Have you played any shows where it poured rain?
JASON: That’s really cool that you asked that. We were in… Wait a second, I’ll figure it out. We were in… I guess I don’t have it. I can picture the venue. Anyway, we’re playing on the Nintendo DS stage, and half the shows are in an amphitheater and the other one is just a stage like today. About 10 minutes before we went on it just started pouring. Everyone from the tour just piled into the amphitheater. We ended up playing for like 12 thousand people, it was incredible!
CONRONT: That’s so sick! It ended up working out really well for you guys!
JASON: Heck yeah!
CONFRONT: Have you gotten used to things like the porta potties yet?
JASON: Yeah, I mean a big part of touring is finding… A decent toilet *laughs* Porta potties are not IDEAL but at least they’re there. A lot of the production buildings and amphitheaters have normal bathrooms, but a lot of the shows you can’t so you just go with it.
CONFRONT: Good! Do you guys have any pre-show rituals?
JASON: Yup, we all get together- the band and crew- and I give a short speech and say where we are, glad to be here, that kind of thing.
CONFRONT: Awesome. Do you find that all the shows each day blur together or are they distinct one from the other?
JASON: Warped Tour, for some reason, it’s just easier to distinguish the shows. I think it’s because you’re here ALL DAY so you make more memories of the day, whereas club tours you get there in the middle of the day, you load in, you play, you start drinking, finish playing, go to a bar, get in a vehicle and go. So definitely Warped is different. It was probably a bad example earlier since I couldn’t remember the name of that venue, but I can definitely PICTURE it! They don’t blend together too much.
CONFRONT: Cool! Would you mind giving just a brief history of Go Radio, how you guys got together?
JASON: In 2007 Jason and I had decided that we were never going to play music again, and then made a project just to write a little bit. A couple weeks later we just decided to do a band with it and got Steve, a drummer we both knew and had a lot of respect for, and then we just started touring. We went through two different guitar players and settled on our third, Alex. How Go Radio is NOW is how it should have been from the beginning, it just took us a little while to get there.
CONFRONT: Yeah, well at least you guys got there, that’s what matters! What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten in the music business?
JASON: The best advice I ever got was from Ben Nichols and I was talking to him last night about this. He’s the singer for Lucero, and six years ago I was talking to him about how I was not really going to play music anymore blah blah blah, and he was like why? So I told him I was getting too old and he was like I was 26 when I started this band, you’ve got a couple years, it’s never too late. So I ended up starting a new band and it’s taken me further than I ever thought could happen.
CONFRONT: That’s awesome. What advice would YOU give to other bands that are trying to make it?
JASON: If it’s in you, you just can’t stop. So many bands who are good enough don’t make it because they just stop doing it. The only way you can fail is if you just stop. If you persist, and if it’s in you, then you will be successful, but you just can’t stop.
CONFRONT: Great advice. What’s your favorite social media space to use with the band? Twitter, Facebook, YouTube…?
JASON: For the band? Luckily I don’t do ANY of that. I hate the internet!
CONFRONT: Really?!
JASON: I hate it, I just don’t use it. I use Google. If I have a question, I Google something. I have a Facebook but I really don’t use it. I don’t really care what my friends from 15 years ago’s kids’ look like. My wife loves it, she’s on Facebook constantly. But for the band, I think Twitter is pretty cool because if fans have a cool experience then they can @reply you and you can see their experience. Basically fans can talk to you directly and let you know when something was cool, whereas they would never have your phone number so it’s a good way to communicate.
CONFRONT: Do you guys read your replies regularly?
JASON: Yeah definitely!
CONFRONT: Cool! What’s next after Warped?
JASON: In September we are going to Australia for two weeks for a festival called Soundwave Revolution. Soundwave is in February, but Soundwave Revolution is in a month or so, two months. It’s like Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, and all these massive bands. *gets distracted by another band member* Hey Greg! Greg, what was that city we played where it rained? BOSTON! It was Boston! Anyway, so after Australia, we get home and go out on another tour that hasn’t been announced yet, and that goes through the end of the year. No one really tours through Christmas and the New Year, but in the New Year we hit the road again!
CONFRONT: Sounds good! Thanks so much!
JASON: Of course, thank you!
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