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.
The Hide Away
The Radio Dept. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
to the level of faith
In your self,
its hard to come by but
I've tried to create
some kind of place
To pull me out
Can we be in
My hide away
Will we be in
Somewhere some stay
And waist of horses
He don't stay
It makes me fade
into the grave
I can't depict
'Cos I can't reclaim
I warned them
Where to unpacking
In my life I've tried
To fail with pride
Tried again
never ever again
Can we be in
My hide away
Will we be in
Somewhere some stay
The waist of horses
He don't stay
It makes me fade
into the grave
When all this nonsense
turns nothing calm
My feet are safely
on the ground
The sound of planes
they make me high
Please add some colour
to my sky
The Radio Dept.'s song "The Hide Away" delves into feelings of isolation and searching for a safe haven away from reality. The first verse expresses a sense of disconnect from those who have strong faith in themselves. The singer struggles to relate to this level of confidence as it is hard to come by. The second half of the verse goes on to explain the singer's solution: to create a personal space, or "hide away," that will offer reprieve and allow for some emotional distance.
The chorus repeats the request to join the singer in their hide away, where they hope to find some sense of belonging. The second verse discusses the difficulty in articulating their struggles, possibly due to past experiences of being ignored or dismissed. The line "In my life I've tried to fail with pride" suggests a past history of failure, but with an attempt at doing so on their own terms.
As the song progresses, the bridge offers a moment of escapism, with the sounds of planes bringing excitement and vigor. The final line, "Please add some color to my sky," is a plea for outside influence to help lift the singer out of their current state of mind. Overall, "The Hide Away" is a poignant reminder that even in moments of isolation, there is always the hope of finding a place to belong and the possibility that something outside of oneself may bring joy and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't relate
I don't understand or share the level of faith that you have in yourself
to the level of faith
the amount of trust and confidence that you have
In your self,
in your own abilities and qualities
its hard to come by but
it's difficult to achieve and maintain
I've tried to create
I attempted to form or establish something
some kind of place
a physical or mental space
To pull me out
to extract myself from a situation
to get some space
to create distance or room for myself
Can we be in
Can we exist together in
My hide away
my secret, safe place
Will we be in
Will we exist in
Somewhere some stay
a place where some people remain
And waist of horses
a waste of time and energy
He don't stay
He doesn't remain
It makes me fade
It causes me to disappear or lose strength
into the grave
to the point of death or destruction
I can't depict
I can't describe or represent accurately
'Cos I can't reclaim
because I cannot recover or retrieve
I warned them
I advised or cautioned them
Where to unpacking
where to settle down
In my life I've tried
I've attempted in my life
To fail with pride
to fail in a dignified way
Tried again
attempted once more
never ever again
will not attempt again
When all this nonsense
When all this foolishness
turns nothing calm
doesn't make anything peaceful
My feet are safely
I am standing securely
on the ground
on a solid foundation or reality
The sound of planes
the noise created by airplanes
they make me high
they make me feel elevated or excited
Please add some colour
Please inject some liveliness or vibrancy
to my sky
to my life or existence
Contributed by Samantha H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alanduncanson995
Helt underbar!!!❤❤❤
@JonathanCorbera
This song, no words.
@alanduncanson995
Wonderful !!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
@MultiSweener
Seen them live in the States a few times. This is a wonderful song that has not been offered on any album, even to this day, for a listener's purchase. But I have found that the band's marketing, be it song selection during live play, or the omittance of a desirable track on an album the most mysterious.
@roeizilber
one of their best songs! can't get it anywhere!
@user-cb9ds8fx6d
just like in heaven.love love this song .
@placebo_yue
their best song IMO
@EdMed555
This song is Number One!
@NawafVEVO
Lisa's voice <3
@benlesterofficial
Nawaf Potato It’s actually Kim Sjölander!