43
Unique sound creates buzz for Radiation City
By John Benson
When Cameron Spies (guitar, vocals, electronics) and Lizzy Ellison (vocals, keyboards) formed Radiation City roughly 18 months ago, the couple — boyfriend, girlfriend — didn’t expect much.
Then something happened, a fusion or reaction between the two producing a unique sound and style that can be found on the act’s debut effort, “The Hands That Take You.”
“We just started writing songs but didn’t think it would be that serious of a project because we had two other bands that we were kind of pushing hard at the time,” said Spies, calling from outside of Boise, Idaho. “It was kind of a guilty pleasure; it was music we just wanted to make individually and then together. It seemed like it made sense.”
The buzz band in their hometown of Portland, Ore., Radiation City has attracted attention with its lead single, “The Color of Industry,” which Spies describes as being chameleon-like yet epitomizing the core of the band’s sound.
“There’s definitely an homage to ’50s and ’60s pop standards, soul and ’60s bossa nova, but there’s a modern influence that we all sort of inherently carry because this is the era we grew up in,” Spies said. “Our previous projects were more electronic, dance pop music and even bordering in hip-hop. So we bring that in a subtle way into this project. It’s definitely pop music, but it’s kind of bizarre pop at times — maybe even experimental pop might be more accurate.”
Similar to quiet metal or electro-country, experimental pop seems like an oxymoron. What exactly is this genre that Radiation City radiates to audiences?
“There are just a few songs that have weird key changes and time changes, but the aspects that make it pop are like catchy hooks and sort of verse-chorus structures that sonically pay homage to ’50s and ’60s pop,” Spies said. “Like the guitar sounds and keyboard sounds. We derive a lot of textures from the girl-groups era of pop music, like The Ronettes.”
The outfit is undertaking its first Midwest tour, which brings the band to Youngstown for its Ohio debut Sunday at Cedars. There’s also talk of the outfit releasing a 7-inch with Youngstown label Wild Kindness Records.
Spies said the band has garnered comparisons to everyone from Grizzly Bear and The Raveonettes to Portishead and even, um, Billie Holiday. Though audiences have been complimentary so far, Spies knows it’s still somewhat early in the game.
“We hope everyone enjoys our music, but that’s sort of like a super lofty dream,” Spies said. “We have had super young kids really like our stuff and older couples like our stuff. No one said they hate us yet, but that’s dangerous. Things can come crashing down emotionally around us, so we’re preparing for that.”
Well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen at the band’s Youngstown gig.
“Yeah,” Spies said, “Let’s hope.”