Radiator King – real name Adam Silvestri is a super fast rising musician from Brooklyn. Recently he released his critically acclaimed new single ‘The Guns You Pawned‘, and his latest LP ‘A Hollow Triumph After All‘ is out now.
Here we speak exclusively to Radiator King about his unique stage name, musical icons, tour plans, new music, and much, much more;
How did you decide on the stage name Radiator King?
Unfortunately there is no great story of how I came up with the name, I just came up with it like you would any other band name. The reason I decided upon a stage name rather than my own name was because what I was setting out to do did not focus around me. At its core I was trying to – and still am – write meaningful songs and create an atmosphere where I can collaborate with others as if we were a band that has been playing together for many years. It’s a magical thing to create music with people with whom you have a strong connection; people who you consider to be your brothers or sisters. I’m not going to lie, I get a bit jealous when I see bands that have playing with the same crew for 10+ years, I wish I had that. In the back of my mind, I am always trying to recreate that experience of being in my basement with my best friends, making music every free second. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Growing up who inspired your love of music?
My brother is definitely responsible for turning me on to all kinds of amazing music at a young age. When I was in maybe 6th grade he used to take me to see so many amazing hardcore and punk shows around the Boston area, many of which were in VFW halls or community type spaces. Very early in my life he turned me onto bands like Fugazi, Bane, Converge, Hot Water Music, Ten Yard Fight…stuff like this and it had a huge impact on me. Going to these shows I observed how there was a moral component that was interwoven with the music. There was a sense of community and a sense of brotherhood, that spoke to me and it has stuck with me until today.
Who are your top musical icons?
Wow, there are many. I’d say up there at the very top would be Bob Dylan. Right below him I’d say Joe Strummer. These guys were fearless in their craft and they tapped into something that was so uniquely them.
If you could collaborate with anyone who would you choose?
I’d say Tom Waits. He amazes me. As far as song writing and production goes, that guy holds all the answers.
Looking back on your life, what would you say was the defining moment that made you want to pursue music professionally?
Probably when I wrote my first song. I was young, maybe 11 or 12. I can remember it vividly; my dad was mowing the front lawn and I was in my room practicing guitar, trying to figure out a Hendrix song that was way above my capabilities. As I stumbled over the riff again and again I noticed one time through that I played something that sounded very good to me. It was not the Hendrix riff, but something else, something that came from me. I played it again and again and I liked it! Then I kept going with it and in 10 minutes I had my first song, not a very good one but a song nonetheless. It was a pretty heavy moment for me, it was the first time that I had created a piece all my own, music that had never been created before. I felt I had unlocked something really important. Prior to that moment I had never really thought about where songs came from. The idea that I could pull an idea from mid air and make it into a song was a monumental realization. From that moment on I was hooked.
What inspired your new single ‘The Guns You Pawned’?
Funny story. I was actually working as a driver for a woman who bought diamonds at pawn shops. Together we traveled all over the country and I found myself in hundreds of different pawn shops from coast to coast. I found the whole system of pawning belongings to be quite interesting and thought it would make for a provoking metaphor to use in a song.
Can we expect to see you on tour again soon?
Absolutely! I hit the road at the end of November for about 2 weeks and will most likely go out on tour again in the spring time. You can check up over at radiatorkingmusic.com to find out when we will be coming to a city near you!
What do you hope to achieve over the next ten years?
I try not to plan that far ahead, it can get overwhelming. I can tell you that I absolutely plan to keep on writing new music and putting out albums and hopefully I get better at my craft. I also hope that I am able to bring my music to a wider audience and that my songs reach more folks who can find use for them in some way.
Make sure you follow Radiator King on Twitter @radiatorking7 to keep up to date with all his latest music and tour news!
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