“Nothing is Off Limits” - an Interview with Radio Vision
Kenzie Gay - @kenzwrites
I think if you’ve been reading my work for awhile, you should know that I am absolutely head over heels in love with rock music. My wardrobe is 85% band tee shirts (that I CAN name three songs from), I spent half of my senior year of high school conducting an independent study on the evolution of such music between the years of 1940 and 2022, and my bedroom walls are covered in vintage posters and pictures of the greats. Hell, this very magazine is named after a song by one of my favorite psychedelic rock groups of all time (Love Street, The Doors, via 1968).
That moves me onto my next point: psychedelic rock. The Doors, Grateful Dead, Iron Butterfly and Jefferson Airplane are just a few groups that blazed the trail of psych rock, contributing to a gargantuan movement both in music and pop culture within the 1960s and 1970s. With rock taking a backseat in mainstream music in the early 2000s, it appeared that the same destiny was in store for psych rock but as luck would have it, both genres are making a vivid comeback through artists like Greta Van Fleet, Crumb, Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and even the newly formed Mirador. In my home scene specifically there have been more elements of psychedelia popping up amongst local rock and pop acts, Radio Vision being the most on-the-nose name that comes to mind.
Radio Vision is a psychedelic rock group hailing out of Petoskey, Michigan, an area known for its natural beauty, rich history, and, of course, the Petoskey Stone. The group, which first started as a solo project by frontman Ben Stephenson, has been instilling psychedelic rock back into the Michigan scene as the genre gradually makes a triumphant return. Now with a full band, Radio vision is still composed of Ben (vox, lead guitar) along with rhythm guitarist Haji Habiju, bassist Dan Johnson, drummer Stirling Larson, and multi instrumentalist (percussion, trombone) Tom Jakubiak. As a fellow Michigander and a lover of psych rock, I jumped on the sick opportunity to interview Radio Vision for our readers.
Radio Vision: An Interview
How do you approach blending traditional psychedelic elements with modern influences?
“The project started as a nothing off-limits attempt to find a middle ground between a wide range of influences: from the delta blues, to psych rock of the 60s all the way up through the punk movement of the 70s/80, while of course remaining conscious of modern examples of each. but we approach it in a way that leans more into the classic bluesy guitar driven psychedelic rock, rather than a more electronic sound.”
Are there any specific philosophical or spiritual philosophies that influence your music?
"We are a band of multiple faiths, so our individual beliefs surely influence everything we do, including music, but there’s no conscious undertone to it (Unless you play our songs backwards) (jk…)”
How do you translate the concept of a "psychedelic experience" into your music and lyrics?
"We love and hate the psychedelic rock label, because it’s shared with some of the most lasting examples of rock music from the 1960s and 70s. But it also has the associated drug use connotation, And we don’t like that. Psychedelia is something that we think it’s better associated with a style of art, and musically: an aggressive but groovy style of blues driven melodic rock and roll. Because of the culture surrounding the music and how the audience that consumed such music were viewed in the cultural lens, it has that stigma. But, now those people are our grandparents and they still love this kind of music. So we all win.“
How important are the visual elements (like album artwork and stage design) to your overall artistic vision?
“I’d say they’re all equally important, the music comes first. But it’s nice to have a cohesive image to go with it. Especially in a live setting, everything you can add builds on the experience for the viewer/listener.”
Are there any specific albums, artists, or events that have significantly impacted your sound or approach?
"Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Jack White, The Doors, The Yard Birds, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, to name a few.”
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
"We’re just happy if they like it honestly, tell your friends and bring them to a show!”
Being from Northern Michigan, do you think that had any influence on your sound/style? Why or why not?
"The music scene around here has always had a blues leaning, so that’s definitely had its impact. recently though there has been a boom of psych rock bands popping up all around Michigan! It’s very exciting!”
How do you create a psychedelic experience for your audience during live shows?
"We often listen with our eyes first so as we begin to play live more it’s definitely very important to incorporate various visual elements into our live shows to create a fun experience. Whether that be through lights, projectors, bubble machines, anything really.”
How do you see your music evolving in the coming years? Are there any new directions or experiments you're excited about?
"We hope to just be around doing our thing, we’d like to add a larger horn section and collaborate with other artists. Ideally a revolving cast of various musicians to create one of a kind live shows and recordings.”
What are your thoughts on the future of psychedelic rock as a genre?
"I think that there’s a cross genre, cross generational appeal to it. The fact that a lot of young people are digging it is a good sign too. So that’s cool.”
How do you stay grounded and connected with your core artistic vision amidst the pressures of the music industry?
"The impetus for this band started as Ben’s solo project so the artistic vision and songwriting began there, however, since bringing on the live band we handle all creative and business decisions as a group.”
Can you walk us through your creative process when composing a new track? Do you have any rituals or specific routines?
"There’s no one way to get there I think. Sometimes it is a riff or melody, whatever fragment you get, maybe put on a looper until more of the idea unfolds. then bring it to practice, show it to the guys and see what happens, in the best case scenario. But you never know when the idea will happen to spark that eventual song. Sometimes you’re in traffic and Sometimes it’s literally something you hear in a dream and wake up to figure out how to play while it’s still fresh. it’s fun to see the idea evolve as you figure it out more too, because it will change when you play it with a group, and then it often changes again in the recording process. And sometimes even again after that!”
How do you define success in your career, both personally and professionally?
"The ability to make art for a living and enjoying ourselves!”
