Düsseldorf based, The Radio Field was originally the bedroom project of Lars Schmidt: in late 2020, during the second lockdown, Lars (from the band Subterfuge) picked up his guitar out of boredom and within a couple of days a handful of songs came out. He mail-ordered a Rickenbacker 12-string, got the AC30 home from the practice room and started recording those songs. The first release under The Radio Field name was Simple EP, out on Less Records in cooperation with Subjangle Records in the fall 2022, and Lars was asked by good friends to form a real band out of it. Now, with Mark Specht (Drums, founding member of Subterfuge), Christoph Scheider (Bass, former member of Klee, Clayton Farlow, Soap, Soccer) and Philipp Breuer (Lead Guitar, of Pale fame) -people sharing similar tastes and a musical vision- an album full of songs was arranged in no time and recordings were started already at the second rehearsal. What started as the jangly back-to-the-roots lockdown home recording project of Lars Schmidt is now a proper band and the debut album, Don’ts and Dos will be out on August 25th, again on Subjangle and Less Records, accompanied by a national tour.

What They Say: “On Other One The Radio Field show their softer side, not too remote from Dreampop with a jangly twist. That all without denying their roots in 90s indie pop. Again the band invited friends to collaborate, here Federica (Tassano) from the NYC based Phantom Handshakes adds vocals beamed in from out of the stratosphere – angelic“.

Lars’ Mixtape:

Pop Filter – Big Yellow Van

Digging good music is a task that requires some time. Time I did not have when raising a number of kids and trying to earn a living. When back in the game, beamed into a digital world, one of the first things I discovered was the Spanish Bobo Integral label. Top of their roster this Australian band named Pop Filter that formed from the ashes of The Ocean Party of which I had never heard before either (even though spending a full year of my life over there). I fell in love instantly. All the ingredients of good indie pop music are there in their music: the melodies, the skilled arrangements with lots of guitars and the slackness that makes it all sound so effortless.

  

Mount Misery – The Dreaming Days Are Over

This to me is contemporary jangle pop in perfection and the entire album is like that.

Strange Magic – Bummerthyme

Hyperactive one-man band from (I think) Nevada (or is it New Mexico?, n.d.r.) whom I discovered via one of the radio shows I follow on Mixcloud. Throughout 2022 Javier (his real name) released a new song every week, no idea how anyone else but Robert Smith in the early 80s can deliver like that and in this quality. The Radio Field have covered his song “Congratulations” from the debut album “Melatonin Doomsday Blues”.

Leon In The Wild – D.C.

Songwriter from California with only five great pop songs out that magically sound as if he never did anything else in his life before. Looking forward to an album one day, Leon!

The Shop Window – Evacuate

The Shoppies symbolize the power of the internet to me. We got to know each other via social media, exchanged messages, music, then had video conferences to support each other with our daily challenges and finally met for beers when I was travelling in UK last year. Evacuate was their first single that got me fully hooked. Has anyone ever heard more shimmering jangly guitars in only one song?

Sharon Stoned – Special Plan

Sharon Stoned are heroes of the German indie scene from the 90s. Special Plan is a song from a recent reissue / best of LP and it features Evan Dando on vocals.

The Telephone Numbers – You’re Nowhere

US Band on the other top Spanish label Meritorio Records. Very California, very cool album that was sold out before it was released – not good if you are a picky record collector.

Subterfuge – Licentiousness

Since my school days I am making music in this other (my main) band, all with the same people ever since. We had a longer break for a while (see above) before recording new stuff again. This is the opener from the album that came out last year and it features New Found Land, a Swedish artist that lives in Berlin. When her voice track came back by email it felt like we had asked Kate Bush to contribute to our song and we all got very very excited.

Don’ts And Dos will be out on August 25th on Subjangle Records and Less records. Look HERE for more information on The Radio Field.