ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ~ RADIO FREE UNIVERSE

Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/bands that 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 introduce you to Hamilton, Ontario music masters Radio Free Universe.

Vibrations bind humanity together. An invisible current unites all of us, and sound reverberates at the root of our bond. Radio Free Universe resonates with listeners in a similar manner. Embodying a genre-inclusive approach, the Hamilton, ON quintet—George Panagopoulos [vocals, guitar], Steve Pelletier [bass], Adam Neumann [guitar], Ashton Norman [drums], and Vincent Sciara [keys]—emit an inimitable and irresistible frequency tuned in to rock, alternative, funk, and pop all at once on their 2020 full-length album, LOVE [Jetpack Records].

“Sound is the first thing we experience as human beings. Before we open our eyes in the womb, we hear vibrations” explains George. “It starts the entire universal cycle. When you slow your heart rate down, focus on your breath, and get in touch with everything, it comes from one sound. The sound connects us to all of existence. A song may come to our antenna. Then, we share it with the antennas of listeners. We open the channel up.”

Although originally from Toronto, George lived in Los Angeles for a few years and worked in world-renowned studios while he fronted the underground favorite King Clancy. Known for explosive performances, the critically acclaimed band made waves with LA Weekly praising George for “a set of pipes that’d make Robert Plant jealous.” Eventually, George along with his King Clancy guitarist relocated to Hamilton, “because it’s the kind of town that attracts a lot of great musicians.“ When King Clancy called it quits George knew it was time to form Radio Free Universe.

Years prior to moving to Hamilton, George had envisioned the name and it stuck with him. He recalls, “I woke up one day and I thought, ‘If I make a band, I’m going to call it Radio Free Universe.’ At this point I had no idea what the name meant; it was all intuition. My inner self was telling me something years before I figured it out for myself. What it was saying was ‘make music that speaks the truth. Broadcast the music of the universe and the songs it has to give, not what I think would sound good on alternative radio.’ There was no questioning it.”

Radio Free Universe released their first album Thirteen Day Hangover in 2013 and had recorded four songs for the follow up Casa del Diablo when George met writer and producer Mark McMaster in 2014.

A few years earlier, Mark had purchased a century-old inner-city church and converted it into a premiere recording studio outfitted with top shelf analog gear. The two started writing and recording together and by the end of 2014 they became partners in Downtown Hamilton’s Sanctuary Recording Studio. In 2016 they co-founded Jetpack Records out of the space. Bringing their collective vision to life, the two incorporate a hybrid of the best of both old-school and modern technology and methods, both in the recording studio and on the songs on Radio Free Universe’s album Love.

The album Casa del Diablo was released in 2017 as the two started crafting the songs that would eventually comprise Love. Radio Free Universe paved the way for the record with a pair of singles in 2019. Fusing airy acoustic strumming and a stark vocal, “Even Angels” has clocked over 110K Spotify streams and the soulful strut of “She’s High Again” surpassed 66K Spotify streams in just a few months.

With a string of tours and more music on the horizon, expect the power of the Radio Free Universe broadcast to impact beyond borders. Referring to the news transmission that was established at the beginning of the Cold War to broadcast uncensored information to audiences behind the Iron Curtain, George explains, “in history, ‘Radio Free Europe’ was a way for people to hear truth when they couldn’t access it.” “We want to give everybody genre-free real music. We’re transmitting these pockets of energy and we hope you dig it.”

Here’s a fun little Q&A session that we conducted recently with George Panagopoulos (singer/guitarist/songwriter) and Mark McMaster (producer/songwriter).

All superheroes and villains have an origin and a band is no different, minus the secret government experiments and radioactive spiders. What’s the origin of Radio Free Universe?

George Panagopoulos/Radio Free Universe: It’s a great question because I think I became a singer for the lack of actual superpowers. To me it’s the only time I actually feel so completely connected to some supernatural force that makes me capable of doing things I don’t always understand. The origins of this are nothing overwhelming, just obvious. If I had to pick a superhero to compare it to, it would be one who had to work to earn their power, like batman. Superman was born with it. Batman had to work for it. I spent years learning the art of songwriting. Allowing myself to get out of the way of the things when I needed to. Not trying to control everything all the time. Most of the time I’m just trying to find out where the muse has gone — in myself and others. How to be patient and caring enough to inspire people you’re playing with to be their best and know they are trying to do the same for you.

2. What’s in a band’s name? It can be a cool story or sometimes just a random name picked. What about Radio Free Universe?

George: Radio Free Europe was a news broadcast into countries during the cold war that didn’t have a free press. In other words, they were “broadcasting the truth,” where there was only propaganda. Today there is a great deal of noise out there. Being a musician has become a fashion accessory. People wear it because it feels good on a Saturday. There are 20,000 song releases a day! For many, it’s a recreational thing, but to us, it’s an addiction. A kind of truth we have found that we need to get out there because we have learned to be antennae. I want to be open to what the music wants — not judging, comparing or limiting natural expression.

The most celebrated compositions have this superhuman ability to connect with everyone not because the artist is trying to, but because they are ok with allowing the muse to take over and let the song move through their emotions and speak through them. Trying to be free of the noise is critical. By this, I don’t mean a good song can’t inspire you. Any inspiration is valid. If something tells you to stop writing and listen to some other music, then do it. Don’t think. The single most important thing is never to judge something until you try it. My favorite song on the record’s title was something I’d never write on my own. In this instance, the muse was speaking to Mark (co-producer/co-writer). It was so foreign to my perception until I tried singing it. Just because the melody came to me doesn’t mean I’ll be gifted every nook and cranny of the composition. It’s not mine. It was never mine. I’ve come to realize I’m just an antenna tuning into the universe. So that’s what the name means. The funny thing is that it occurred to me in an instant and took me years to understand.

Some artists know exactly when they knew music was their path. For some, it was when they saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan or heard a classic album that really moved them. Do you remember when you were bitten by the music bug?

George: Well, this all goes back to that first question about being a superhero. I wanted to be a superhero to the point that I would dress up like one. When I was seven, I used to walk around the apartment complex, pretending I was Iron Man, wearing a homemade costume I made out of boxes I collected. It was no accident when I discovered bullies, they kicked the crap out of me, but I didn’t care. I tried martial arts, and that didn’t honestly do anything but make me smell funny and get me into more fights I lost. After several failed attempts, I finally got a taste of my first real-life superhero — someone who commanded my attention for inexplicable reasons. I was maybe eight, I was sitting in the kitchen looking for something to watch on the TV, and I came across an old Elvis movie. I don’t even remember what it was or what he was singing, but I was shocked. My parents introduced me to zero North American culture because they were from Greece. My dad was ancient when he had me, so his Idea of music was byzantine Greek singing on a Sunday morning. My mom, on the other hand, always sang old 50’s Greek songs. I remember she had a perfect singing voice. I found out later she had a shot at doing it but decided against it for whatever reason.

Elvis made me realize that a regular guy with a goofy face and messy hair could have superhuman abilities. So, I started walking around, taping myself singing to the vacuum cleaner or whatever, dreaming. Then there were these old records my parents had that someone gave to them. They never listened to them, but I did. Ironically enough, one of the first songs I sang to was Dream by the Everly Brothers. I played that record to death. Then at age eleven, a classical opera teacher heard me sing in some school play. My parents got to see the performance. I had a few years of practice, I guess. I even got a kiss from the little blond girl I had a crush on. Before I knew it, I was really into Classical music. Fast forward to 15 at this point, bullied for most of my youth. Classical music just wasn’t “cool,” but Life gives you things when you keep going.

A kid in my choir class turned out to be a bass player and had a little brother that drummed. He had another friend who played guitar, and he came right out and asked me if I ever thought of singing in a band. At thirteen, I had already done a few reggae cover gigs for money with a local reggae band, so to be in a real original group. I was all in. He played me everything. Beatles, Stones, U2, Smiths, you name it, and I could sing it all. When we tried writing music together, it was so easy. Cause we didn’t care. Just doing it was amazing.

That was it for me. I was going to be a singer. I continued my classical education, but it was only a matter of time before I was well on my way to being a full-time rock singer.

Mark McMaster: I have early childhood memories of hearing my parents’ music at home and on the road — Paul Simon’s Kodachrome, Gordon Lightfoot’s Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, lots of classic and outlaw country. When I was a little older and developed my own taste, albums by David Bowie, The Who, Triumph, and Split Enz caught my attention and I played them constantly. But the “bitten” experience was listening to Rush’s Moving Pictures in my parents’ living room on their console stereo — loud! I was about thirteen.

We’ve lost quite a few music icons over the last few years. If you could bring back any artist to sit down and chat with, who would it be? I know it’s tough to name just one, so feel free to name two or three.

George: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of my heroes. I’ve been really lucky because you get this gift when you do. You get to see who they are when they are not flexing their superpower, much like their Clark Kent side.

The most influential singer of all time for me has to be Aretha Franklin. I’ve never met her, yet I have drawn an immense amount of energy into my ether by just listening to her sing. I can feel her voice come into my chest and out of my mouth. That’s how sincerely connected to her talent I’ve felt. I would have enjoyed that interaction a great deal.

Second to her would be Amy Winehouse. Here is someone that got railroaded by the sheer size of her talent and her heart. She was so effortlessly good because she could love someone so completely. With that taken from her, she fell apart. I would have liked to have met her. To see her talk about her relationship and the love she had for him.

Finally, of course, I’m going to say, Prince. I’ve heard he was the hardest working musician ever. I love that. Cause I work hard, but then there were his live shows. He was impeccable. He was the best guitar player, the best dancer and the best vocalist. It’s not possible. I want to know how he was able to do it. How hard did the band rehearse? What it was like to be at one of his rehearsals or recording sessions. I’ve gotten to see many musicians, People whom I consider to be the very best at what they do. Prince was the best at all of it.

Mark: I’d choose Frank Zappa. He’s just so brilliant and quirky that I’m sure it would be entertaining and fascinating to chat with him. Other considerations would be Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip and Neil Peart of Rush. They were both great writers and musicians and I was influenced tremendously by both of them.

Did you have a favorite cartoon growing up?

George: Anything and everything involving superheroes. The very best of which was Warner Brothers “Batman The Animated Series.” It was so much darker than other superhero cartoons and so well drawn for the time. I loved it. It was more like a cartoon movie series, and as mentioned earlier somehow, Batman fits my model of the superhero. He was just a regular guy who had to work his ass off to make a difference.

Mark: Merry Melodies and Looney Tunes. Though that may be only how I remember that part of my childhood now since those cartoons grow with you and most don’t.