In 1995, The Radio Dept. was formed by Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson (who were old school friends). The name was taken from a gas station/radio repair shop in Lund, Sweden, which had a large sign with the name Radioavdelningen, ("The Radio Department" in Swedish) hanging outside their shop.
Since 1995 members have been coming and going and at some points there has never really been a Radio Department at all.
Martin Carlberg and Johan Duncanson started playing together in 1998 and decided to use the name The Radio Dept. Since then the band has done lots of gigs and lots of recordings. The Radio Dept. recorded 4-tracks in friends' living rooms or at home, in smelly warehouse, in demo studios with blinking fluorescent lightning and at schools.
In the autumn of 2001 Lisa Carlberg and Per Blomgren (Bass & drums respectively), joined the band and they started rehearsing in the way bands so often do. Soon afterwards they were all joined by Daniel Tjader on the keyboards. Their recordings were sent to the music magazine Sonic and got a nice review. They were also on the free CD sampler that comes with the magazine. That's where Labrador Records discovered and learned to love the band. Now they're a part of Swedish indie label, Comings and goings
Original band member, Elin Almered, left the band before the recording of The Radio Dept.'s debut (lesser matters), but still made an appearance singing vocals for "Strange Things Will Happen".
Per Blomgren, Drummer, left the band before the release of Lesser Matters. The band opted instead for digital assistance with regards to drums & percussions for their songs.
Lisa Carlberg, bassist, departed from the Radio Dept soon after the release of "This past week EP". The band no longer felt the need for a member that solely specialized in bass. The band was taking a new direction and preparing for their second album, "Pet Grief", which wouldn't require a member that played bass guitar.
The current line up of the band is:
Johan Duncanson (Guitar & Vocals), Martin Carlberg(Guitar) and Daniel Tjäder (Keyboards & Synth) (2006).
More details can be found on the radio dept. website: theradiodept.com.
Record Labels.
Slottet:
Created in 2001, this is the Radio Dept's original label. Created & managed by the band themselves. They published and distributed their own recordings in order to spread their music to the world.
The "Against The Tide EP" & coveted "Annie Laurie EP" were both released on this label in 2002.
At sporadic moments over the years, whenever the band have wanted to release something quickly or for free, they'd do so through the Slottet label (e.g. bachelor Kisses in 2008).
Labrador :
After the success of the self released records and some glittering reviews in local publications, several major labels came calling. The Radio Dept. rejected most of these offers and instead signed with Labrador records. Although the band don't consider themselves connected ideologically or musically with Labrador and the other bands on the label, they have much respect for the label which has officially become the home of The Radio Dept.
Shelflife records:
Shelflife are an american indie label that operate on a similar philosophy to that of Sarah Records. They select highly innovative, creative & melodic bands and offer them transatlantic distribution. Several labrador bands had achieved success through shelflife, so it seemed an obvious choice to use them again for the distribution of 'Lesser Matters'. No futher Radio Dept records were released through shelflife.
Rex records:
Rex records was an London based experimental indie label started by an ex-XL employee. The aim was to release demos and promote leftfield indie music. Only two Radio Dept. records were released on Rex, Why Won't You Talk About It and the rare Liebling 7".
XL Recordings:
During 2004/05, XL funded, distributed and promoted The Radio Dept.
During this short partnership 4 records were released. Lesser Matters, Where Damage Isn't Already Done, Why Won't You Talk About It? and Ewan. A short european tour was organised for the band as well as lots of press and an appearance on an XL compilation with the likes of Ratatat & MIA.
Track & Field Records:
Track & Field are another London based record label that took a chance on The Radio Dept.
In 2006 Track & Field were employed to distribute Pet Grief in the UK. They also promoted the band and planned for an extensive UK tour. This plan was abandoned and a series of special one-off London shows were organised to supplant the tour.
Pony Canyon:
After years as an experienced distributor of DVD's & kids toys, Pony Canyon, tried their hand at promoting & distributing indie records. So far they've only distributed a special edition of Pet Grief in Japan.
Soundtrack
Three tracks by the Radio Dept. have been featured on the Sophia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette (2006). They are: Pulling our Weight, Keen on Boys, I Don't Like It Like This.
Tell
The Radio Dept. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of course you have it still but based on a lie that you always will
Repeat till it clings true, I've been lied to by the likes of you
From that point of view I get the privilege to enlighten you
On what I'm doing to help her, she needs some shelter
And if you've felt her loyalty what can you do?
I don't have a clue of what you are about to do
Would you fool me too? I've been lied to by the likes of you
From that point of view I get the privilege to enlighten you
On what I'm doing to help her, she needs some shelter
And if you've felt her loyalty what can you do?
I'm trying to help her, she needs some shelter
And if you've felt her loyalty what can you do?
The Radio Dept.'s song "Tell" is a reflection on betrayal and the desire to seek justice. The opening lines, "Betrayal is always sad, needless to say what you could have had / Of course you have it still but based on a lie that you always will", express the sorrow of realizing that one has been deceived. The repetition of "I've been lied to by the likes of you" emphasizes the magnitude of the hurt and the feeling of being duped. The singer then asserts their power to "enlighten" the person who betrayed them about the help they're giving to someone in need of "shelter". The chorus raises the question of what the betrayer can do in the face of the loyalty felt by the person being helped.
The lyrics of "Tell" capture the complex emotions and intersections of power, vulnerability, and justice that can arise in instances of betrayal. The song doesn't outright call for revenge, but instead hints at the power of revealing the truth and the potential for that to make some kind of difference. It acknowledges the ambiguity and uncertainty of the situation and the difficulty of knowing how to act in the face of deceit. Overall, the song takes a nuanced look at betrayal and the desire to make things right in a situation with no clear answers.
Line by Line Meaning
Betrayal is always sad, needless to say what you could have had
It's always sad when someone betrays you, and it's hard not to think about what could have been if they didn't.
Of course you have it still but based on a lie that you always will
Even though you still have what you thought you had, it's all based on a lie that will never go away.
Repeat till it clings true, I've been lied to by the likes of you
I keep repeating the truth until it finally sticks because I've been lied to by people like you before.
From that point of view I get the privilege to enlighten you
Having been lied to gives me the opportunity to enlighten you about what's really going on.
On what I'm doing to help her, she needs some shelter
I'm doing what I can to help protect her because she needs a safe place to go.
And if you've felt her loyalty what can you do?
If you've experienced her loyalty, it's hard to not want to help her too.
Will you keep this up as long as you can if I don't make it stop?
If I don't intervene, will you keep betraying her for as long as you can?
I don't have a clue of what you are about to do
I don't know what you're planning to do next.
Would you fool me too? I've been lied to by the likes of you
Are you going to try to deceive me like others have in the past? I won't fall for it again.
I'm trying to help her, she needs some shelter
I'm actively trying to provide a safe place for her to go.
And if you've felt her loyalty what can you do?
If you've also experienced her loyalty, what are you going to do to help her?
Contributed by Jack H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.