Red

Radiocraft emerged on the Detroit music scene in 2002 with the release of their debut, IN STEREO. Recorded by award-winning producer, Dave Feeny (Blanche), IN STEREO was hailed by fans and critics alike as a rare find among indie offerings. The record includes twelve tracks of alt/country inspired rock that Brian McCollum of The Detroit Free Press called, 'a pleasant surprise... seemingly out of nowhere.' But the surprises weren't over yet. Shortly thereafter, Jim Beam Bourbon awarded the band $2000 as part of their 'Benefiting Emerging Artists in Music' campaign. The program's advisory board was co-chaired by alt/rock icons Matthew Sweet and Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens, who said, 'It is great to see deserving bands like Radiocraft take a step towards reaching their goals, while still maintaining complete independence.' The band's steady progress is due to a firm, and rather familial foundation. Originating in Romeo, Michigan, Radiocraft formed around the nucleus of seasoned guitarist/songwriter Kevin Breslin and singer/ songwriter Suzie Ferro. When the pair realized their collaboration was producing fruit, the team co-opted Ferro's brothers, Ronnie and Danny Alcini (guitar & drums respectively) and bassist, Ken Williams. The chemistry of that line-up, would go a long way in ensuring the success of IN STEREO, and their efforts would later be rewarded with several Detroit Music Award Nominations for 2002 and again, in 2003. But the challenge now would be to do it one better. In 2004, Radiocraft enlisted the aid of rock veteran, songwriter and producer Michael Lutz (Brownsville Station, Ted Nugent Band) to turn up the gain on their sophomore release. They shed the strings and piano that softened their debut while emphasizing their signature strengths, particularly Ferro's powerful voice. The end result is RED, ten tracks of high-performance rock that salutes old-school traditions while maintaining new-school production values. 'We're still inspired by some of the alt/country writers,' said Suzie Ferro in a recent telephone interview. 'But we're also about all the great rock bands we listened to growing up. We've made a conscious effort on this record to toughen things up a bit. Rock a little harder.' That effort is immediately evident in the chugging, overdriven guitar that opens the new record. But such nods to the rock gods quickly give way to the soaring, infectious refrains for which Radiocraft has become known. Songs like 'Red', 'Bakersfield' and 'Change The World' are sure to please returning fans while rockers like 'The Wheel', 'Cinderella' and the hypnotic parting power-ballad, 'Still Lying Water', promise to attract listeners who like it a little harder. Whatever your taste in all things that rock, 'the RED that runs through you' in 2005 will be RADIOCRAFT.