Artist Spotlight ~ Talkradio

Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our readers to some deserving up and coming artists/bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons. We think they kick ass, and we hope you do too! Today we’d like to shine the spotlight on Talkradio.

Alex Papas got his start playing a musical instrument a lot earlier than anyone would expect. It began in 1977, at the age of three. His father was a musician back then, and during one of his soundchecks, seated Alex behind a drum kit. To everyone’s surprise, they found out that he could hold a beat. As a result, his parents bought him a child size drum kit which he belted for years, until he finally began getting lessons in his early teens. He also started performing in professional theatre at the age of 12, which eventually lead to some roles on the small screen. In the early 90’s he trained as a vocalist for two years during which he became one of the founding members of the Melbourne progressive rock group, Mindscape. It was during this period that he was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome, although that didn’t stop him from continuing his love for music. Following the Mindscape project, he moved into the cover band scene, working with the band “Loud” for a number of years. This lead to the beginning of an acoustic cover duo in 1998 which began with the name “JAC” and would eventually be called “2am”. At the same time he began a new original project called “Talkradio” with the guitarist from that duo.

Talkradio” began as a duo in 1998. After a few years it eventually became a solo project and remains so until this day. As a result, Alex put in the effort to learn multiple instruments. This means that, these days, he not only writes both the music and lyrics for his songs, he also plays the drums, guitar, keyboard/piano and any other percussion required on his recordings. He’s even learnt the harmonica (ok, that one hasn’t made it onto recordings yet). Both original projects that Alex has been involved in have also gained him radio airplay. An all-round live performer now for a good 30 years, he has also been called upon by many Melbourne acts for session and fill-in work and still regularly performs live with his acoustic cover duo.

We sat down with Alex Papas for a short but fun Q&A session.

Every superhero or villain has an origin and a band is no different minus the radioactive spiders and secret government experiments. What is the origin of Talkradio?

Alex Papas/Talkradio: I’ve been told I’ve always been musical. I used to drum in time to songs from the age of 3. Even so, music wasn’t my first artistic pursuit. I started as an actor at the age of 12. I did quite a bit of theatre, TV and even a film over a period of 5 years. When I finished high school and it was time to go to uni, my parents stopped supporting my acting ambitions. They actively blocked my attempts, which was simple for them really. All they had to do was stop driving me around to where I needed to go. By the time I got my license and was able to get around myself, my acting agency had been sold, I was no longer on their books and my actors equity membership had expired. At this stage, I had no drum kit at home either and was relegated to practicing on various pieces of furniture in front of the stereo. At some point my cousin, who happened to be a great drummer, invited me to watch his band at a rehearsal studio. It turned out they had no singer and insisted I get on the microphone to give them a guide. It took a lot of convincing. They kept asking me back every weekend. I would say that was the lightbulb moment. Not long after that, I joined a band and signed up for singing lessons.

Band names can have a meaning or it can be a name pulled out of a hat. What’s the story behind Talkradio?

Alex Papas/Talkradio: I was a big Radiohead fan when I started this. I still am. At one point, someone I worked with mentioned how they still listened to ABC talk radio on the way to work and I thought it would be funny if someone was referring to a band every time they said “talk radio.” I decided to make it one word, to mimic “Radiohead.”

What are you currently working on?

Alex Papas/Talkradio: I’ve actually begun work on my next recording. I’m hoping to be back in the studio in 2025 (if finances allow it!)

What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

Alex Papas/Talkradio: Looney Tunes. I still have 5 box sets. They are a guaranteed laugh for me. Whether it’s Bugs, Daffy, Sylvester, the Road Runner, even the creative one off shorts they would do, like The Three Little Bops (the three little pigs in the jazz band who wouldn’t let the wolf jam with them because he sucked). I think those writers were geniuses. The reasons they made me laugh as a child differ from the reasons I laugh as an adult. Brilliant.

What are your 5 favorite movies?

Alex Papas/Talkradio: I’ll give you 10, in no particular order (I could easily have done 20).

Pulp Fiction

Fight Club

Amadeus

Memento

The Matrix

12 Monkeys

Snatch

Aliens

Back to the Future

Raiders of the Lost Ark