On Cat & Mouse, the title track of Radkey's debut EP, Dee Radke drawls: “You better run, he's coming for you. Nowhere to hide, he's going to take your life.” His brothers, Isaiah and Solomon, lay down a driving rhythm straight out of the '80s hardcore playbook. Their brooding take on punk recalls early Black Flag, T.S.O.L and Misfits, bands whose peaks arrived before the brothers were born. They're kids making hardcore for the modern world, but they've got one foot firmly in the past.
“No young people listen to cool music anymore, you know?” Isaiah mused prior to the band's first UK headline show at London's Barfly. “We were home schooled so we grew up with our dad's record collection. We pretty much listened to all the cool music he was into. We took all our influences from music he listened to.”
Throughout 'Cat & Mouse', which will see a limited UK vinyl release on July 15, the spectre of Glenn Danzig is never far from view. Dee's baritone vocals wouldn't be out of place on Samhain's 'Initium', while the soft edge to Solomon's rapid-fire snare immediately recalls the ragged sound of Misfits on 'Walk Among Us' or 'Earth A.D'.
Having enjoyed a fine reception at Download last weekend, the band were able to catch their idol in action on June 17 at the Highbury Garage, and were not disappointed. “It was really cool,” Isaiah said. “Amazing. Perfect. They played everything we wanted to hear.”
Despite their youth, a quick spin of 'Cat & Mouse' confirms that Radkey know their stuff. Every song is executed with precision, and has been crafted carefully. This shouldn't be surprising given how close the brothers are. It's easy to imagine them geeking out over records at home in Missouri, building Radkey piece by piece from snatched melodies, guitar riffs or movie influences.
“We all sleep in the same bedroom by choice because we're all sort of dependent on each other, which is a really good relationship for brothers,” Isaiah said. “Usually brothers in a band don't really get along, but it's the opposite for us. It works in our favour.”
'Cat & Mouse' is a remarkably cohesive burst of noise, from the schlock of the title track, to the furious 'Out Here In My Head', which adds elements of DC hardcore to their palette of west coast sounds. Crucially, the band are also aware of punk's status as music wedded to social commentary. While the EP as a whole doesn't carry a 'message', the band take aim at an issue close to their hearts on closer N.I.G.G.A (Not OK).
“We've known this kid, he was a black kid like us, and he went to a more white school and he would let everyone call him that, like it was no big deal,” Isaiah said. “We just wanted to say that it's not cool at all, that you shouldn't let people do that. Just because there's an 'a' on it, doesn't mean it's different. We wanted there to be at least some message out there telling people that it's not cool.”
Isaiah also takes issue with hip-hop's reliance on racial epithets, particularly due to the wider influence that the megastars of the genre have on popular culture. “It's irritating,” he said. “It's not that hard to write a song without using that. If you're a rapper, you should be a better rapper. That's your profession, rhyming.”
Radkey are a band with lofty ambitions and enough fire to make a difference. The buzz is beginning to build in terms of radio airplay – Radio 1's Zane Lowe is a particular fan – and their live show is becoming a must see. Get out and catch them at a club somewhere, maybe buy some vinyl. They're old school and would like that.
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