DiRTY RADiO

The Vancouver-based trio – Shaddy on the mic, Tonez on keys, and Waspy on drums – is more than a band; this is a creative collective comprised of in-demand producers, talented multi-instrumentalists, and savvy businessmen. Under the DiRTY RADiO banner, however, they deliver their innovative brand of electro-pop that fuses elements of R&B, EDM, and hip-hop into a unique sonic signature that’s all their own.

Their musical hybridity is a product of their unique individual backgrounds. Shaddy boasts a background in jazz, soul, and R&B and penchant for hooky, seductive vocal lines while Waspy spent his formative years drumming in punk rock bands.

The seeds that would sprout DiRTY RADiO were sown when the former started singing over beats that the latter had produced, though sensing that an ambiguous something was missing, Waspy invited Tonez into the fold, with a classical music background. Together, they started to experiment with remixes of popular tracks to find their musical footing.

“We were just having fun making music together,” shares Tonez. “But after a year of experimenting with sounds and remixes, we decided to focus and start delivering a vision we could rally around.”

Since, DiRTY RADiO has been impressively prolific, with a slew of singles and remixes, an EP, and a pair of much-hyped LPs to their credit – and there’s plenty more to come. “We want to continue pushing our musical boundaries while keeping people engaged – that’s the ultimate goal,” Shaddy reveals, and to do so, the group plans to steadily drop new tracks and remixes throughout the rest of the year and well into 2015.

Experimentation and innovation have been at the core of their creative output since the beginning. For 2012’s Cassette, DiRTY RADiO was working to incorporate live instrumentation into their lush, atmospheric arrangements – “looking to find a perfect hybrid of electronic and organic,” Waspy offers. “Still pop, but with an alternative edge to what’s out there.”

Since, as exemplified on 2013’s Lick EP, they’ve been defying sonic convention with more synthetic sounds. “We never have expectations,” Waspy adds. “We always just go at it and try to make the freshest stuff we can.” And as their growing legion of fans can attest, they’ve been succeeding.

DiRTY RADiO is equally as captivating on stage as on record, injecting energy and urgency into their material and always performing it live. The product is a dizzying, dynamic dance party that takes no prisoners. The depth of their stylistic diversity has allowed them to share the stage with a wide array of artists – from Keys N Krates, K-OS, and K-Naan to Marianas Trench, Lights, and Dragonette. The goal? “We want people to see something they’re going to want to talk and tell their friends about,” the band says. They’ve also had songs chart on radio and Billboard, and others have been synced in popular programs on ABC, MTV, CTV, and more.

The reality is that DiRTY RADiO’s infectious, inventive broadcast is reaching every arm of the music industry. Needless to say, you’ve found the soundtrack to your life; or rather, it’s found you.