Radio Nationals

Seattle's Radio Nationals draw listeners from across the Pacific Northwest through an eclectic appeal that spans melodic pop hooks, earthy rock textures, and their high-energy stage presence. The quartet—Jared Clifton on vocals and guitar, Sean Earley on guitar, Richard Davidson on bass and vocals, and Rick Cranford on drums—assembled from widely scattered regions of the country, a geographic spread that shapes the range of styles woven into their sound. Clifton, raised in West Virginia, supplies a country thread, Earley injects punk energy, and Cranford with Davidson anchor the foundation in straightforward rock.

The band issued its first recording, the six-song EP Exit 110, on the Roam label in 2002. Critics praised the set for its sturdy songcraft, and local stations placed it in steady rotation, which in turn drove brisk regional sales. That combination of airplay and coverage elevated Radio Nationals among Seattle’s leading homegrown acts and opened doors throughout the Northwest, where they have shared bills with Buffalo Tom and Mike Watt. During one appearance at the Crocodile Cafe, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck surprised them by stepping onstage with a guitar to accompany their cover of the R.E.M. song “Driver 8.”

In 2003, readers of the alternative weekly The Stranger selected Radio Nationals, together with four additional local groups, to participate in the South by Southwest music conference through a contest organized by the paper.