Gunship Radio

About halfway through my interview with the genre bending alternative Rock & Roll band Gunship Radio in their practice space two guys wearing the band’s t-shirts just sort of randomly walked in and took a seat, saying nothing. The band swears that this wasn’t a weird attempt at advertisement or ego on their part and that it simply was strange timing. I believe them, of course, however had this indeed been part of their agenda I would still have to let it slide because they deserve to able to pat themselves on the back as much as they want; they are some of the most talented musicians I’ve ever seen in Kalamazoo. They themselves are completely humble and perhaps even a bit oblivious to this, but this four-piece is one of the top local bands in the area and they’re just getting started.

Also they have an impossibly cool band name and don’t try to pretend they don’t.

Though they’ve been making a name for themselves during the last twenty-two months or so they actually formed in 2003 with almost all different members. Originally they were “Peasant Kings” until bassist Geoff Brown joined and they change to their more familiar moniker. Soon afterward drummer Danny Whitaker joined as well but by 2007 the group wasn’t able to hold things together and they broke-up. Things changed in 2010 when guitarist and singer Tyler Berkey began jamming with Geoff and Danny and the trio decided to form a new band. Ultimately they stuck with the name “Gunship Radio” (Can you blame them?). Rounding out the sound is Sean Cyphers who shares guitar and vocals duty. The boys are all multi-instrumentalists which comes in handy during the song writing process.

They have many influences, including Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin, and Kings of Leon and they play a number of covers in their act which in turns helps them as musicians. “It’s like going to school for music,” Whitaker says on the subject. However they are in a constant state of writing music ever improving on what they’ve done ad building a solid repertoire of original music. “You have to be ready to change,” notes Geoff.

As of this writing Gunship Radio has only released one single, titled “A Foreign Place”, just last year. However this will change come October 14th at Harvey's on the Mall when they release their first, long awaited, EP at their CD Release Party at Harvey's on the Mall. As they’re ever growing, ever evolving, it’s likely this will be the first of many. “Prepare for new songs” Brown mentions. They’ll be spending the fall promoting the new CD but they’ll be having another big show December 2nd at Planet Rock in Battle Creek.

Undeniably talented this foursome, like any good band, is out to have a good time and is eager for you to come and join them. When asked what they would say to potential new fans Brown stated “Do you like Rock and Roll? We have fun. If you come out to our show you’ll have fun.” Having been to such a show myself I find his words impossible to deny. - Jason S. Leverett, Kzoo Music Scene

Driven by an experienced rhythm section and firing with a scattershot approach aimed by two young guitarists, Gunship Radio wage war on genre definition. Longtime followers of the local scene might recognize the name, as Gunship Radio’s first lineup started back in 2003 (and went on hiatus in 2007), but drummer Danny Whitaker and bassist Geoff Brown brought the band back with new guitarists/vocalists Tyler Berkley and Sean Cyphers. The band’s varied sound lands somewhere near alternative rock, in a horseshoe and hand-grenade way. Berkley and Cyphers’ different voices give each track an almost completely different feel, with ska-like tempos bumping up against progressive rock diversions, or breaking out into outright ripping solos (“Use Your Head, Kiddo”). Listen now at gunshipradio.net.
- Eric Mitts, Recoil Magazine