Human Radio Press Kit
HUMAN RADIO. The name itself suggests several things: the marriage of humanity and technology in the guise of new expression...or the diversity of ideas spanning the radio spectrum...or a voice singing out from a box full of wires. Anyway you look at it, it describes to a tee one of the hottest young bands to sprout from the fertile delta soil of Memphis since the heyday of Sun and Stax Records.
It all started with a promise made between two high school seniors where ROSS RICE (keyboards, lead vocals, and principle songwriter) met KYE KENNEDY (guitar, vocals) and realized a mutual love for the music of the Beatles, Frank Zappa, John Coltrane and Stevie Wonder. Upon graduation they made a pact that somehow, someday they would team up and form the band of their dreams.
They then took their divergent paths: Ross studied classical composition, graduated from Memphis State and performed with a variety of groups with such notables as Duck Dunn, Ron Wood, Steve Cropper, Charlie Rich and Luther Ingram. Kye circled the globe with several groups before settling down in Memphis, where he became a superb guitar and tube amp technician by day and musician by night (including appearances with Busta Jones and Iggy Pop).
Eventually the time was right: in the spring of 1988 they dropped everything to form HUMAN RADIO. They approached the best musicians available, starting with the dynamic rhythm section of STEVE EBE (drums, vocals) and STEVE ARNOLD (bass guitar, vocals). Steve Ebe had met Ross at Memphis State where he graduated in percussion and afterwards became one of the most sought after instructors and drummers in the region including performing with Duck Dunn, Charley McClain, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and many others. Steve Arnold had studied at the Bass Institute of Technology under the tutelage of bass greats John Patitucci and Jaco Pastorius (to name a few). Upon graduation he then returned to Memphis and became a notorious session player and performer known for his bustin' funk chops.
The mix was made complete with the addition of the ever psychedelic PETER HYRKA (electric violin, electric mandolin, vocals) who had already made an indelible mark on the Memphis scene running the gamut from Broadway shows to jazz and reggae.
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