DecembeRadio
Encyclopedia
DecembeRadio is an American Christian rock
band originally formed in 2003; presently composed of bassist
and 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 evangelist
Billy Wayne Arrington. After a year of 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
in June 2006. The album was nominated for "Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album" at the 49th Grammy Awards, and won the 2007 Dove Award for "Rock Album of the Year". A follow-up, 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.
" on guitar
at a middle school talent show convinced Bunn to take up guitar, as well. "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. The pair decided to pursue music full time upon graduation from Auburn High School
in Riner, Virginia
.
After a performance opening for evangelist
Billy Wayne Arrington in Dublin, Virginia
, Arrington invited Bunn and Reedy to join his touring band. 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."
Eric Miker started playing guitar at the age of sixteen when his father taught him a few chords
. After two years at West Virginia University
, Miker felt a calling to go into Christian ministry
. 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. 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.
and youth groups
in 2004 with Bunn as the lead singer. However, Bunn contracted a virus that paralyzed three-quarters of his vocal cords, and Reedy took over as lead singer. (Bunn regained most of his voice after therapy.) The band also found time to record two albums that were released independently in early 2005. Noise
was a self-produced album of praise and worship covers on which each band member contributed at least two lead vocals, and Dangerous
contained nine original songs and a cover of "Are You Gonna Go My Way
" by Lenny Kravitz
. Dangerous was 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 Kimberly Perry
, Jump5
and ZOEgirl
. "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. 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.
, in early 2006 with Wilbanks in the producer’s chair. The 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 Billboard Hot Christian Songs
chart on December 30. Tour dates in 2006 were split between residencies at youth camps
, one-off gigs
at churches and schools, and the occasional festival date. In December, the band was nominated for a Grammy Award
for "Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album". 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. 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. 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".
, Superhero
and Bread of Stone. Near the end of the tour, Slanted Records released an expanded edition of DecembeRadio
, which included a new track recorded during the aforementioned recording session. The song, "Find You Waiting", performed similarly to "Drifter", climbing slowly and not reaching its peak position of #5 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs
chart until April 5, 2008.
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, which was titled Satisfied and released on August 26. "It's got a real southern feeling, definitely 'Crowes
-ish' and swampy," said Reedy of the album. Satisfied debuted at its peak positions of number 116 and 3 on the Billboard 200
and Top Christian Albums charts, respectively. Following a two-month break, DecembeRadio embarked on a month-long headlining tour in support of Satisfied with guests Ruth
, Sevenglory
and Billy Wayne. A digital-only 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
".
DecembeRadio began a two-month North American tour in support of Newsboys
in February 2009. 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
. A five-song EP, Southern Attic Sessions, was released on March 15, 2011.
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. In addition, their music has been compared to U2
, Stone Temple Pilots
and King's X
. "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 records. Boone Daughdrill cites "When the Levee Breaks
" as his biggest influence. "When I heard that drum fill come in the intro...oh! I was a little kid and my uncle had all of the 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" or "The House Is Rockin'" by Stevie Ray Vaughan
. "I was really into blues before anything else," said Reedy.
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band originally formed in 2003; presently composed of bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and lead vocalist Josh Reedy, lead guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
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 evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
Billy Wayne Arrington. After a year of gigging
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
, DecembeRadio released two independent albums in early 2005. Following their signing with Slanted Records
Slanted Records
Slanted Records is a Contemporary Christian record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee. As part of the larger Spring Hill Music Group, Slanted Records signs Contemporary Christian artists whose music may be described as progressive pop or modern rock....
and the addition of Daughdrill on drums, the band released DecembeRadio
DecembeRadio (album)
DecembeRadio is the eponymous major label debut album by the band DecembeRadio. Produced by Scotty Wilbanks, the album features a guitar-driven sound that quickly earned it comparisons to The Black Crowes, King's X, Aerosmith and Free. The album was nominated for a "Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album"...
in June 2006. The album was nominated for "Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album" at the 49th Grammy Awards, and won the 2007 Dove Award for "Rock Album of the Year". A follow-up, Satisfied, was released in August 2008.
Musically, DecembeRadio is heavily influenced by hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
from the 1970s, owing to early exposure to family members' record collections. Their sound has been compared to that of Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
and Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, among others.
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. GoodeJohnny B. Goode
"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by American musician Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song is one of Chuck Berry's...
" on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at a middle school talent show convinced Bunn to take up guitar, as well. "Our first year of high school, we started a Top 40 band. We played Hootie & the Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band that enjoyed popularity in the second half of the 1990s. They were originally formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, and Mark Bryan. The band has recorded five studio albums to date, and has...
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. The pair decided to pursue music full time upon graduation from Auburn High School
Auburn High School (Riner, Virginia)
Located on State Route 8 in Riner, Virginia, Auburn High School serves the communities of Riner and Pilot as well as a large area of southern Montgomery County. Auburn started out as a one-room schoolhouse located in a log cabin.-Extra curricular activities:...
in Riner, Virginia
Riner, Virginia
Riner is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 859....
.
After a performance opening for evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
Billy Wayne Arrington in Dublin, Virginia
Dublin, Virginia
Dublin is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,534 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Arrington invited Bunn and Reedy to join his touring band. 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."
Eric Miker started playing guitar at the age of sixteen when his father taught him a few chords
Guitar chord
In music, a guitar chord is a chord, or collection of tones usually sounded together at once, played on a guitar. It can be composed of notes played on adjacent or separate strings or all the strings together...
. After two years at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, Miker felt a calling to go into Christian ministry
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
. He met Bunn and Reedy at a youth event in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, where he impressed the pair with the "Sweet Child o' Mine
Sweet Child O' Mine
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is the third single by American rock band Guns N' Roses, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S...
" 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. 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.
2004–2005
DecembeRadio played scattered dates for churchesChurch Body
A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
and youth groups
Youth ministry
Youth ministry, also commonly referred to as Youth group, is an age-specific religious ministry and is the way in which a faith group, or other religious organization involves and engages with the young people who attend its place of worship, or live in its community...
in 2004 with Bunn as the lead singer. However, Bunn contracted a virus that paralyzed three-quarters of his vocal cords, and Reedy took over as lead singer. (Bunn regained most of his voice after therapy.) The band also found time to record two albums that were released independently in early 2005. Noise
Noise (DecembeRadio album)
Noise is a praise and worship album by the band DecembeRadio, released independently in 2005.-Track listing:# "Everybody Praise The Lord" – 3:49# "The Noise We Make" – 3:35...
was a self-produced album of praise and worship covers on which each band member contributed at least two lead vocals, and Dangerous
Dangerous (DecembeRadio album)
Dangerous is the debut album by the band DecembeRadio, released independently in 2005. It contains three songs that would later appear in rewritten form on the band's self-titled major label debut.-Track listing:...
contained nine original songs and a cover of "Are You Gonna Go My Way
Are You Gonna Go My Way (song)
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is the first single to be released by Lenny Kravitz from the album of the same name. It was released in March 1993. It was written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross...
" by Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
. Dangerous was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
with Scotty Wilbanks, whom the band met through Arrington.
Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
native Boone Daughdrill joined the band in late 2005; he had previously toured with Kimberly Perry
The Band Perry
The Band Perry, an American country music group, is composed of siblings Kimberly Perry , Reid Perry and Neil Perry...
, Jump5
Jump5
- History :Siblings Brandon and Brittany Hargest had competed on the same dance team as Lesley Moore, and were familiar with Chris Fedun and Libby Hodges through the competitive dance circuit. The mother of Hodges held an open casting call to find additional members to form a new pop group with her...
and ZOEgirl
ZOEgirl
ZOEgirl was a Christian pop rock band. It was formed of singers Chrissy Conway-Katina, Alisa Childers and Kristin Swinford-Schweain. In 2002, ZOEgirl received a GMA Dove Award for New Artist of the Year. Before disbanding, the band released three more studio albums, as well as a remix album and a...
. "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. Wilbanks also arranged a showcase performance for DecembeRadio in front of record company executives, leading to the band’s signing with Slanted Records
Slanted Records
Slanted Records is a Contemporary Christian record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee. As part of the larger Spring Hill Music Group, Slanted Records signs Contemporary Christian artists whose music may be described as progressive pop or modern rock....
in December 2005.
DecembeRadio
The band’s first album for Slanted was recorded at Southern Tracks Recording in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, in early 2006 with Wilbanks in the producer’s chair. The self-titled album
DecembeRadio (album)
DecembeRadio is the eponymous major label debut album by the band DecembeRadio. Produced by Scotty Wilbanks, the album features a guitar-driven sound that quickly earned it comparisons to The Black Crowes, King's X, Aerosmith and Free. The album was nominated for a "Best Rock or Rap Gospel 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 Billboard Hot Christian Songs
Hot Christian Songs
Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States....
chart on December 30. Tour dates in 2006 were split between residencies at youth camps
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
, one-off gigs
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
at churches and schools, and the occasional festival date. In December, the band was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for "Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album". 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. The band lost to Jonny Lang
Jonny Lang
Jonny Lang is a Grammy award-winning American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter and recording artist. Lang's music is notable for both his unusual voice, which has been compared to that of a forty-year-old blues veteran, and for his guitar solos...
at the awards ceremony a few months later.
Superchick
Superchick, originally known as Superchic[k], is an American Christian alternative pop/rock band. Their music incorporates various styles such as pop, punk, rock, rap, and R&B. Their sound has been compared to mainstream artists No Doubt and Avril Lavigne with a heavier sound...
’s Generation Rising Tour for a string of dates in April and May. 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, again at Southern Tracks Recording. The band took a break in October and November to headline their own Drifter Tour, which also featured NeverthelessNevertheless (band)
Nevertheless, often abbreviated as NTL, was a Christian power-pop band from Chattanooga, Tennessee. They disbanded at the end of 2009. Their song "Live Like We're Alive" reached the top 5 of the R&R Christian Rock Chart., Their song "The Real," was played on Contemporary Christian Music radio...
, Superhero
Superhero (band)
Superhero is a British Christian rock band. They come from Glasgow in Scotland . The band tour extensively throughout the UK, Europe and the United States...
and Bread of Stone. Near the end of the tour, Slanted Records released an expanded edition of DecembeRadio
DecembeRadio (album)
DecembeRadio is the eponymous major label debut album by the band DecembeRadio. Produced by Scotty Wilbanks, the album features a guitar-driven sound that quickly earned it comparisons to The Black Crowes, King's X, Aerosmith and Free. The album was nominated for a "Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album"...
, which included a new track recorded during the aforementioned recording session. The song, "Find You Waiting", performed similarly to "Drifter", climbing slowly and not reaching its peak position of #5 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs
Hot Christian Songs
Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States....
chart until April 5, 2008.
Third Day
Third Day is a Grammy award-winning Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee and former member Billy Wilkins. The other band members are bassist Tai Anderson and drummer David Carr...
in March and April. Soon after the tour ended, DecembeRadio finished recording the album, which was titled Satisfied and released on August 26. "It's got a real southern feeling, definitely 'Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
-ish' and swampy," said Reedy of the album. Satisfied debuted at its peak positions of number 116 and 3 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and Top Christian Albums charts, respectively. Following a two-month break, DecembeRadio embarked on a month-long headlining tour in support of Satisfied with guests Ruth
Ruth (band)
Ruth is a four piece Christian indie band from Battle Ground, Washington. Ruth's debut album, Secondhand Dreaming, was released June 26, 2007.-Formation:...
, Sevenglory
Sevenglory
Sevenglory is an American christian rock band from Indiana. They were formed in 2001, and are currently signed to 7Spin Music. The band is currently composed of Gabe Johannes , Caleb Johannes and Kurt Felsman .-History:...
and Billy Wayne. A digital-only EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled Comfort & Joy was released on November 25, 2008. The EP contains covers of three Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
songs: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen is an English traditional Christmas carol. The melody is in Aeolian mode. It was published by William B...
", Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's arrangement of "Run Run Rudolph" and an instrumental version of "Away in a Manger
Away in a Manger
"Away in a Manger" is a Christmas carol first published in 1885 in Philadelphia and used widely throughout the English-speaking world. In Britain it is one of the most popular carols, a 1996 Gallup Poll ranking it joint second.-History of the lyrics:...
".
DecembeRadio began a two-month North American tour in support of Newsboys
Newsboys
Newsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...
in February 2009. 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
The Band Perry
The Band Perry, an American country music group, is composed of siblings Kimberly Perry , Reid Perry and Neil Perry...
. A five-song EP, Southern Attic Sessions, was released on March 15, 2011.
Musical style and influences
DecembeRadio's music is strongly influenced by hard rockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
from the 1970s, be it directly through artists like Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, or through later interpreters such as The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
and Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
. The band's label, Slanted Records
Slanted Records
Slanted Records is a Contemporary Christian record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee. As part of the larger Spring Hill Music Group, Slanted Records signs Contemporary Christian artists whose music may be described as progressive pop or modern rock....
, also notes the influence of Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
, Audioslave
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
and other contemporary rock bands. In addition, their music has been compared to U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
and King's X
King's X
King's X is an American hard rock band that combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. The band's lyrics are largely based on the members' struggles with religion and self-acceptance...
. "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 records. Boone Daughdrill cites "When the Levee Breaks
When the Levee Breaks
"When the Levee Breaks" is a blues song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929. The song is in reaction to the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927....
" as his biggest influence. "When I heard that drum fill come in the intro...oh! I was a little kid and my uncle had all of the Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
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."
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
, respectively, with their interest in taking up guitar. Bassist Reedy started out on guitar, as well, stating that his inspiration was either "Crossfire" or "The House Is Rockin'" by Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
. "I was really into blues before anything else," said Reedy.
Current members
- Brian Bunn – lead guitar, vocals (2003–present)
- Eric Miker – guitar, vocals (2003–present)
- Josh Reedy – lead vocals, bass (2003–present)
Discography
- DangerousDangerous (DecembeRadio album)Dangerous is the debut album by the band DecembeRadio, released independently in 2005. It contains three songs that would later appear in rewritten form on the band's self-titled major label debut.-Track listing:...
(January 2005, independent) - NoiseNoise (DecembeRadio album)Noise is a praise and worship album by the band DecembeRadio, released independently in 2005.-Track listing:# "Everybody Praise The Lord" – 3:49# "The Noise We Make" – 3:35...
(January 2005, independent) - DecembeRadioDecembeRadio (album)DecembeRadio is the eponymous major label debut album by the band DecembeRadio. Produced by Scotty Wilbanks, the album features a guitar-driven sound that quickly earned it comparisons to The Black Crowes, King's X, Aerosmith and Free. The album was nominated for a "Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album"...
(June 2006, Slanted) - Satisfied (August 2008, Slanted)
- Live (March 2010, Slanted)
GMA Dove Awards
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Dove Awards of 2007 The 38th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 25, 2007 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2006. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Brian Littrell, Natalie Grant, and Donnie McClurkin... |
New Artist of the Year | |
| Song of the Year ("Drifter") | ||
| Rock Recorded Song of the Year ("Dangerous") | ||
| Rock Album of the Year (DecembeRadio DecembeRadio (album) DecembeRadio is the eponymous major label debut album by the band DecembeRadio. Produced by Scotty Wilbanks, the album features a guitar-driven sound that quickly earned it comparisons to The Black Crowes, King's X, Aerosmith and Free. The album was nominated for a "Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album"... ) |
||
| 2009 Dove Awards of 2009 The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 23, 2009 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2008. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Rebecca St... |
Rock Recorded Song of the Year ("Better Man") | |
| Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Find You Waiting") | ||
| Rock Album of the Year (Satisfied) | ||
| 2009 Dove Awards of 2009 The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 23, 2009 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2008. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Rebecca St... |
Rock Album of the Year (Live) | |