VOODOO RADIO: POP PILLS AND PLENTY OF THRILLS
IT shouldn’t work, but it does.
London-based, Cumbrian father and daughter duo VOODOO RADIO are rightfully gaining a reputation as one of the most exciting, innovative, hard-working acts of 2023 having already secured support slots with The Rezillos, The Skids, Big Country, and 999.
“It’s one of those things on paper we’ve gone completely against the rule book but somehow it works,” explains drummer and singer Paige.
“We started out purely by accident. We’d always written songs together, the plan was to have a full band, but one day Dad saw ‘Slaves’ on ‘Jools Holland,’ rang me and said, “Get two shoe boxes and see if you can keep a rhythm and sing the same time.” I could, and Voodoo Radio was born.”
With a unique rock, pop, and punk sound, underpinned by Paige’s fierce, hypnotic, tribal drumming, bolstered by Dad Tony’s guitar hero shredding, it’s difficult to believe the pair debuted at a London underground station.
“My mum saw on the evening news that TFL (Transport for London) were holding auditions to get a busking licence so that’s what we did,” adds Paige. “About five thousand applied, they auditioned 500, and 50 licences were given out.
“It was hilarious, there was an ‘X Factor’ panel set up on Westminster station right by the barriers and each act got up, most were brilliant, but a lot of people just walked by. But when started, we had a crowd within seconds, and they had to be moved on because we were causing a standstill. We just looked at each other and laughed, it was brilliant!
“We realised that people walked past you in about 30 seconds, so we played the longest versions of the Ramones you’ve ever heard along with our own songs – most of which are on our first album, ‘Pop Pills.’ People loved it, I guess we were quite different to most acts, and we also met our record label doing it.”
For his part Dad Tony cut his musical teeth at an early age and performs with the passion, skill, energy and speed of the guitar slinging hero’s of yesteryear.
“I’ve played since I was a kid, I’m a big fan of Eddie Van Halen, George Harrison and Mick Ronson and I never put my guitar down, I’m forever practicing on my old Gibson Les Paul,” he said.
“I’ve been in bands since I was 14 years old, and my main bands were, ‘Jekyll Hyde’ and ‘Loaded’ back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. We toured a lot in UK, especially Ireland and would do 10 day runs of shows and had the pleasure of supporting bands like Status Quo and Roy Wood from Wizard.”
“Dad was always writing songs and when I was about 11, he got a recording studio software on the computer,” Paige continued, “And at the time I thought it was embarrassing and wasn’t into it at all, he’d have to bribe me to sing bits here and there.
“Why was my dad weird, writing songs, had long hair, dressed differently, when everyone else’s dad wore a gingham shirt, went to the pub, and watched the rugby? But now I realise my dad was the cool one, but when you’re a kid all you want is to ‘fit in’ and be the same as everyone else.
“And it’s not difficult at all working with my dad, even when we disagree, two mins later it’s all forgotten, and we just crack on. My mam jokes and says, we’re the same person! The family probably think we’re mad, I’m sure.”
Debut album ‘Pop Pills,’ released in 2021, consists of eight original songs including, ‘Space Girl,’ ‘Ice Cream Man,’ and live favourite, ‘Pretty Boy.’
Voodoo Radio have also recorded a version of Bow Wow Wow’s groundbreaking 1980 single, ‘C30 C60 C90 Go!’ a song which may as well have been written for them, such is their astonishing interpretation.
“We chose that particular song because we loved the tribal drum beat and it was a challenge for Paige at first something she’d never done before,” explained Tony.
“We both believe hard work pays off and I think it’s proving to be the case. Last year we were struggling to get a gig, but in the last six months we’ve played all over the country with some amazing bands. It’s exciting now to see our fan base grow, and we’re getting people from all over travelling to see us and we’ve got a few big shows and festivals coming too.”
VOODOO RADIO online:
VOODOO RADIO (@voodooradioband) / X (twitter.com)
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