Radkey Detail Self-Recorded LP ‘Bedroom Sand,’ Share “Ready To Burn”

The Radke brothers have mapped out their next record themselves. On July 14, the St. Joseph, Missouri trio release Bedroom Sand, an album recorded entirely under their own control and without a label. Lead single “Ready To Burn” is streaming now.

The path here has been rocky. After forming in 2010 and drawing on their father’s punk and metal collection while homeschooled in a small pink house, Radkey signed deals that crumbled. A contract disappeared when their label was bought out. A publishing agreement ended with a crypto entrepreneur vanishing. One tour agency paid them $250 a night. Rather than chase another broken arrangement, the band took charge. A professor at Syracuse University let them into the school’s recording facility after hours during summer break, and the record was made.

“Ready To Burn” was built for the room where the band has always thrived: the stage. They describe the song as a bouncy, big-chorus nod to being a touring kid, staying up with movies, games, and the things they love. The lyrics name-check the RPG Pillars of Eternity, the Pokémon anime, and Local H’s “Bound for the Floor” — a detail more nerdy than nostalgic, and more specific than most.

Radkey’s live reputation has earned them support slots with Foo Fighters, Jack White, and Rise Against. They just held their fourth RadFest in Kansas City, with Midwest dates now set for summer. Bedroom Sand is self-released, out July 14.