Near Hollywood, Clear Static coalesced as a quintet while most members were still barely teenagers. Tom Pederson, handling vocals, and Michael David, on guitar and synth, first crossed paths as pre-adolescents at a neighborhood gathering and immediately started composing material. They later enlarged the lineup by recruiting Pederson’s older brother Rich on bass along with longtime grade-school acquaintances Danny Kincaid on guitar and Jacob Shearer on drums. Although several members had initially explored punk, their drive to develop greater instrumental skill soon pulled them toward 1980s acts such as the Fixx, Naked Eyes, and Roxy Music. Those influences shaped the band’s evolution into a stylish outfit known for its high-fashion stance and a retro-rock aesthetic updated with contemporary edges.
The group began performing locally around age thirteen, circulating self-designed posters created in Photoshop rather than the handwritten notices common among their peers. Youth restricted early shows to all-ages rooms, yet rising demand generated by each sold demo prompted bookings at clubs including the Viper Room, the Key Club, and the Troubadour. In early 2005, Duran Duran selected Clear Static to support selected U.K. and U.S. dates. That year the band also tracked its self-titled debut album, issued by Maverick in May 2006.
