Sub-Radio
was formed in 2009 by a group of high schoolers in Sterling, Virginia, but did not start releasing music until 2016, after they had graduated college. Their career was interrupted by the Covid-19 Pandemic, but founder (and guitarist) Matt Prodanovich realized that they could use the increase in live streaming to their advantage. They started streaming on Reddit, their streams caught on in popularity (an estimated 7 million unique viewers, leading to a 250% increase in the number of monthly listeners on Spotify and Apple Music), and their career was back on track.
They are (founding members in bold, current members in italics):
- Adam Bradley (vocals, 2016-present)
- Kyle Cochran (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, 2019-present), bass (2022-present)
- John Fengya (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals, 2016-present)
- Michael Pereira (drums, 2016-present)
- Matt Prodanovich (guitar, backing vocals, 2016-present)
Former members include (founding members in bold):
- Mike Chinen (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, 2016-2018)
- Barry Siford (bass, 2016-2022)
Discography:
- Same Train // Different Station (2016)
- Headfirst EP (2018)
- Dog Years EP (2019)
- Thoughts Lights Colors Sounds EP (2020)
- Past Selves EP (2023)
These Make Me Feel Like 1990something
- A Cappella: Their song Flashback has instrumentals, but it also has a number of the band using claps, finger snaps, and footstomps to create a beat.
- Anti-Love Song: Disco is about two strangers who share a dance in a club, and the singer tells his dance partner (who has a boyfriend) that they aren't actually in love, just caught up in the moment.
- Caroline is one of these as well. It's about two people (slightly older woman, slightly younger man) who just can't "grow out of each other" even though they probably should.
- Caroline
- Artists Are Attractive: Every one of them has quite a few someones very interested in him.
- Big Brother Attraction: The second part of their Dear Mario, Count Me In parody flirts with this trope. So much so that several commenters pointed out that Mario and Luigi are brothers.
- Big Fun: Downplayed. Barry and Kyle aren't all that big, but they make up for it with sheer fun in how they interact with the others. Best seen here when they talk about life on tour.
- Camp Gay: Downplayed by Adam. He is bisexual rather than gay and he doesn't have the mannerisms (though he'll sometimes affect them for a song like Stacy's Dad), but he definitely has the fashion sense.
- Disco Dan: Averted in Disco. They dress in appropriate clothes, but they look fantastic.
- Dumb and Drummer: Averted by Michael. While he is described as being a Golden Retriever in human form, he also has a college degree in physics. Once described by Barry as "literally the smartest guy [he's] ever met"* .
- Garage Band: How they started. They still have a bit of that vibe because they shoot a number of their viral videos in Matt's basement (which started because of Covid).
- Homoerotic Subtext: King of My Heart is sung to a man, but the lyrics do not indicate that the narrator is supposed to be a woman. The video has the guys in the band get very deliberately (if obviously playfully) close to one another at points.
- The music video for What Are We strongly leans into it. It features a woman trying to get with a member of the band (first Adam, then Mike, and finally Michael), only to have him be more interested in a random stranger who just happens to be musically inclined (Matt, Barry, and John respectively). The Michael/John segment takes it the furthest, as the two meet when both reach for a Musicians Wanted sign... while in the bathroom, using adjacent urinals. Does This Remind You of Anything?
- The music video for What Are We
- Line-of-Sight Name: The band chose their name by pointing randomly at a Best Buy ad with their eyes closed* .
- Lyrical Dissonance: Instincts. An upbeat song about a queer man who tries to present as being cis-het to avoid being bashed.
- Mouthing the Profanity: In the music video for Better Than That, Barry looks up and mouths "what the fuck" when the group sees the janitor dancing.
- One Head Taller: Platonic example. John isn't that much taller than Michael (unless Michael's hair is factored in), but there is a noticeable difference between him and the rest. Especially Adam.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted by founders Michael Pereira and Mike Chinen. Michael is still credited as Michael, but sometimes goes by Mike when talking to the fans now that Mike has stepped away from the band.
- Precision F-Strike: Their lyrics are pretty clean, but they occasionally get harder. For example, Talk About L.A.Adam: And when I get lost in a dream and I know I can't sleep/ God dammit I miss you tonight.
- Self-Empowerment Anthem: Steady, which is about holding on when you want to let go. Adam wrote it at a low point in his life, when he was dealing with body image issues and self-harm.
- Cool is another, sung from the perspective of an admiring and supportive ex towards a trans partner.
- Cool
- Shirtless Scene: Much of the band goes shirtless in the music video for Better Than That.
- Sixth Ranger: Kyle met the others when they were in college. However, it turns out that he went to high school in Sterling as well.
- Sleepyhead: Matt is said to be sleepy, and John is called out as even worse.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: John always wears glasses, but a number of the others occasionally do as well.
- Song Parody: Stacy's Dad is their most well-known, but they have also put together Dear Mario, Count Me In, Mr. Darkside and I Don't Wanna Dance With Nobody, amongst others.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Averted. Their music videos make sure to feature every member, and they have multiple camera for their live streams so that everybody gets moments in the limelight.
- The '90s: Their song 1990something makes a number of references to 90's musical acts.
- The Smart Guy: Averted as there is no one smart guy. They are all college graduates, some in STEM fields (Michael in physics, John in chemistry, Barry in biology).
- True Companions: They have been friends since middle school, and the sheer level of joy they take in playing with each other is visible. They are also openly appreciative of the work the others do so the band can keep going.
- Visual Innuendo: In the second part of their Dear Mario, Count Me In parody video, both Mario and Luigi hold plungers over their groins with the handles pointing upwards, while Luigi stares longingly at Mario's face.note
