Radar State
photo by Mike Alexander

Get Up Kids & Anniversary members form Radar State (listen to "Spinning Wheel")

The Get Up Kids and The Anniversary have been leaders of Kansas City emo/indie rock for roughly two decades, so it’s very exciting news that singers of those bands have come together to form a new band, Radar State. The band features The Get Up Kids co-frontmen Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic, and The Anniversary frontman Josh Berwanger, and rounding out the lineup is drummer Adam Phillips (The Architects, The Gadjits). Their self-titled debut EP is up for pre-order, and we’ve got the premiere of the track “Spinning Wheel.” Jim Suptic sings this one, and it sounds like classic Get Up Kids. Here’s what Jim tells us:

​”Spinning Wheel” was the first song I brought to the band. I think it’s a good representation of what we are trying to be. It was written very quickly, practiced just a few times, and then recorded. Keeping that sort of spontaneity is really important to us.

This band is about getting back to a time when there was no pressure involved in making music. Just friends, having a beer or two, hanging out in the garage, and making music that is really fun to play. That’s the genesis of this band. We all grew up in the punk scene in Kansas City and wanted to make fast rock n’ roll songs and not give a shit!​

Both The Get Up Kids and The Anniversary have been reunited for a bit now. We just caught TGUK at the inaugural When We Were Young Fest (pics), and The Anniversary are heading on tour in June. Josh Berwanger and Matt Pryor also have very active solo careers.

Listen to “Spinning Wheel” here: