Shotgun Radio

Shotgun Radio is a talented break beating, hard-driven, electronically molded duo that consists of Marcel “Svensax” Saxlund and Greco Rossetti. Together, they produce high-energy beats laced with hip-hop undertones and punchy, creative lyrics. Their shows resemble one big party that is vivid with color and laced with honest to goodness fun. But they aren’t DJ’s. They’re businessmen. Marcel worked on Wall Street in New York for three years, dressed in a suit, and lived the high-octane life of big city demands. But he was missing something – and that was music. Marcel moved to Hollywood in order to assist an independent record label with their business affairs. Upon arriving, he stepped foot into the studio, and met Greco, who was the label’s in-house producer at the time. Together, they collaborated by throwing ideas back and forth to each other. Initially thinking that he would use his business background as a manager for Greco’s solo electronic project, Marcel chimed in with lyrics and the two formed a band. The two clicked. The musical chemistry was right and Shotgun Radio was born. Originally slated for the title of a song, the name Shotgun Radio was derived by an idea that Greco had developed for something that was “high energy and aggressive”. The title came out of nowhere, and the duo quickly decided that Shotgun Radio was better suited as their band name. Not a whole lot of explanation behind it, but the name stuck and it describes the outfit well. The majority of the words behind the beats were developed with deeper meaning, tinkering a bit on the dark side, and expressed within their first three records - The Deserted Circus, Wrecked Remixes and Rarities, and Extermination of Undesirables. The originating tones and themes were certainly more aggressive, just as their band name suggests. They have tapped into subject material as morbid as death, and after the lyrics get mixed with a certain vibe created by Greco, a song is produced and ready to go. Automatically cataloged under the “electronic” genre, Shotgun Radio confesses that they have a difficult time viewing themselves as members of this type of music. They are influenced by so many artists and admit that they aren’t too familiar with this music world. Although Greco is more into dance and rave music, and blessed with the knack of creating electronic beats, Marcel was more interested with vocals – Motown, R & B, hip-hop and the like. Marcel has always liked lyric-based artists and has written verses and rhymes for a long time. His words and Greco’s beats coincide and compliment each other well. Over the course of their career, this unity of skills have strengthened and the two have created more of a cohesive sound, one that is sprinkled with melodies and decorated with more vocals. Their new album, Vacant Nation, which contains the band’s latest single “Drive,” is definitely incorporating the ingredients of this new approach. Their sound is obviously evolving and Shotgun Radio continues to create to their liking, regardless of how others might categorize their music. Their fan base should stay supportive throughout their career. The natural progression of their sound shouldn’t alienate their supporters, and Shotgun Radio’s decision to stay independent allows them to be as creative as they choose to be. The response to their latest single, “Drive,” has been extremely positive and that goes to show how much their fans respect their sound and project. The band’s music remains danceable, which promotes a fun atmosphere that allows them to stand out in a varied musical lineup. The band live is composed of just the two of them, with Marcel behind the microphone and Greco behind the laptop. Their sets are very structured and pre-planned. They have played at most of Los Angeles’s popular venues, such as the King King, the Viper Room and the Derby. Outside of Los Angeles, Shotgun Radio has played shows in Fresno and Miami, with positive reactions and feedback. They are hoping to schedule a tour soon outside of the Los Angeles area. But none of this would have been possible without the business backgrounds and mindsets that these two men possess. Everything is done independently, as far as booking shows, and maintaining their websites. They approach this project as a business, with responsibility and tact, staying humble to their roots and keeping true to themselves and their fans. They realize that the music industry is all about self-promotion, mixed with art creativity. There is no mystery to Shotgun Radio and what you see is what you get. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.