# The Radio Dept. > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Radio_Dept. > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Radio_Dept..md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Radio_Dept. > Source revision: 1356158096 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Swedish dream pop band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Radio Dept. | image = RadioDept-Oct2006.jpg | caption = The Radio Dept. performing in 2006 | landscape=yes | years_active = 2001–present | origin = [Lund](/source/Lund), Sweden | genre = {{flatlist| *[Dream pop](/source/Dream_pop) *[shoegaze](/source/shoegaze) *[nu gaze](/source/nu%26nbsp%3Bgaze)}} | label = {{flatlist| *Shelflife *[Labrador](/source/Labrador_Records) *just so!}} | background = group_or_band | website = | current_members = Johan Duncanson
Martin Larsson
Daniel Tjäder | past_members = Elin Almered
Lisa Carlberg
Per Blomgren
Kim Sjölander
Max Weiland
Le Bombe
Rugar| }} '''The Radio Dept.''' is a Swedish [dream pop](/source/dream_pop) band from [Lund](/source/Lund). They have released four studio albums. ==History== In 1995, schoolmates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson started a band which they named after a gas-station-turned-radio-repair-shop called "Radioavdelningen" ([Swedish](/source/Swedish_language) for The Radio Department). However, Almered and Duncanson soon stopped playing music together, putting the outfit on hiatus. Three years later, in 1998, Duncanson started making music again but now with Martin Larsson and they decided to adopt the same name.{{cite web |url=http://www.magicrpm.com/videos/interview/the-radio-dept/entrevue-26-05-2010-premier-episode |title=The Radio Dept. |language=fr |publisher=Magicrpm |date=31 July 2014 |access-date=6 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811055230/http://www.magicrpm.com/videos/interview/the-radio-dept/entrevue-26-05-2010-premier-episode |archive-date=11 August 2014 |url-status=dead }} In 2001, Larsson's then girlfriend Lisa Carlberg joined the group on bass, followed by Per Blomgren on drums and Daniel Tjäder on keyboards.{{cite web|url = http://www.xlrecordings.com/theradiodept/|title = XL: The Radio Dept.|access-date = 16 August 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060428063014/http://www.xlrecordings.com/theradiodept/ |archive-date = 28 April 2006}}{{cite web|url = http://www.labrador.se/artists/radiodept.php3|title = Labrador: The Radio Dept.|access-date = 16 August 2006|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121107095654/http://www.labrador.se/artists/radiodept.php3|archive-date = 7 November 2012}} Later in 2001, the Radio Dept. sent recordings to music magazine ''Sonic'', receiving a positive review and being featured on the free CD sampler that came with the magazine. [Labrador Records](/source/Labrador_Records) heard them on the disc and signed them to their label. The band's debut album ''[Lesser Matters](/source/Lesser_Matters)'' (2003) was well received by the music press, scoring 9 out of 10 in the ''[NME](/source/NME)''. Per Blomgren left the Radio Dept. prior to the release of this album and Lisa Carlberg departed after the release of ''This Past Week EP''. According to their website, the band decided to use digital drum tracks and stated that for their second album they were "taking a new direction ... which wouldn't require a member that played bass guitar."{{cite web|url = http://www.theradiodept.frih.net/Band.htm|title = The Radio Dept. Biography|access-date = 9 February 2007|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070215145227/http://www.theradiodept.frih.net/Band.htm|archive-date = 15 February 2007}} ''NME'' would rank ''Lesser Matters'' ninth on their list of the 50 best albums of 2004.{{cite web|url = http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2004.shtml#topten|title = Metacritic: Best Albums of 2004 |website = [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic) |access-date = 16 August 2006}} The album received an 84/100 (''Universal acclaim'') on [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic) from a total of five reviews.{{cite web|url = http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/radiodept/lessermatters?q=radio%20dept.|title = Metacritic entry| website=[Metacritic](/source/Metacritic) |access-date = 27 October 2006}} The group enjoyed a slightly more widespread recognition after three tracks ("Pulling Our Weight", "I Don't Like It Like This" and "Keen on Boys") were included on the soundtrack for [Sofia Coppola](/source/Sofia_Coppola)'s film ''[Marie Antoinette](/source/Marie_Antoinette_(2006_film))''. Early 2006 saw the release of their second album, ''[Pet Grief](/source/Pet_Grief)''. The distorted buzz that adorned most of their debut was now replaced by synthesizer. The album didn't reach the rest of Europe, including the UK until later in 2006. With little touring support, there was no real buzz behind ''Pet Grief''. Reviews were mixed. ''NME'' rated the album with a 7 out of 10, but other magazines were less positive. However, it did find popularity amongst a growing fan base throughout the world, thanks to the internet. The album is available in the US through [Darla](/source/Darla_Records) and through their US distribution deal with Labrador. At the end of 2006, a new track, "We Made the Team", was released as the 100th release on the Labrador. It was also the final track on the Labrador's labels Compilation of 100 tracks released at the beginning of 2007. The band released a new EP in May 2008 entitled ''Freddie And The Trojan Horse'' on Labrador Records. Another EP, ''David'', was released on 24 June 2009. The song "David" was also made available for download at no cost by Labrador Records. The band released their third album, ''[Clinging to a Scheme](/source/Clinging_to_a_Scheme)'', on 20 April 2010. In January 2011, their first compilation album, ''[Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002–2010](/source/Passive_Aggressive%3A_Singles_2002%E2%80%932010)'', was released. It contained all the A-sides released by the band and many of the B-sides and other rarities. That year they were nominated at the Swedish [Grammis](/source/Grammis) in the categories "Album of the Year" and "Band of the Year".{{cite web|title=The Radio Dept. announce 2011 tour dates|url=https://consequence.net/2010/12/the-radio-dept-announce-2011-tour-dates/|publisher=Consequence of Sound|access-date=7 July 2013|date=22 December 2010}} In 2011, the band began a tour in the United States and Mexico; in 2012 they visited Latin America,[http://ww.automatic.com.pe/espanol/liveacts/live_acts_detalle020712.htm] {{dead link|date=August 2014}} and in 2013 they toured in Turkey and other countries of Asia.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/labradorrecords/posts/10151386109751592 |title=The Radio Dept on tour in Asia at the... - Labrador Records |publisher=Facebook |access-date=6 August 2014}} The group' fourth album, ''[Running Out of Love](/source/Running_Out_of_Love)'', was released on 21 October 2016.{{cite web|author=Matthew Strauss |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/67109-the-radio-dept-return-with-new-album-running-out-of-love/ |title=The Radio Dept. Return With New Album Running Out of Love |language=en |publisher=Pitchfork |date=27 July 2016 |access-date=28 July 2016}} ''Running Out of Love'' was shortlisted by [IMPALA](/source/IMPALA) (The Independent Music Companies Association) for the Album of the Year Award 2016, an award for the best album released on an independent European label.{{cite web | url=http://impalamusic.org/content/25-artists-best-independent-album-year-europe/ | title=25 artists up for best independent album of the year in Europe | publisher=IMPALA | access-date=14 March 2017 | archive-date=15 March 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315085333/http://impalamusic.org/content/25-artists-best-independent-album-year-europe/ | url-status=dead }} In August 2018, the band released the single "Going Down Swinging".{{Cite web|url=https://theradiodept.bandcamp.com/track/going-down-swinging|title=Going Down Swinging, by The Radio Dept.|website=The Radio Dept.|access-date=16 July 2019}} In 2019, Radio Dept. released the LP ''I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band'', which compiled songs from the EPs ''Pulling Our Weight'' and ''This Past Week''. The album was released on their new label, Just So Records.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fensepost.com/main/2019/11/10/radio-dept-dont-need-love-got-my-band-album-review/|title=The Radio Dept. State "I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band"|last=Andy Fenstermaker|date=10 November 2019|website=FensePost|language=en-US|access-date=18 March 2020}} == Contract dispute and transition to independence == Between 2002 and 2016, The Radio Dept. was signed to the Swedish indie label ''[Labrador Records](/source/Labrador_Records)'' under a multi-album contract. In an interview with [Sveriges Radio](/source/Sveriges_Radio), the band revealed that they had not fully understood the terms of the agreement when they signed it, including clauses that gave Labrador ownership of their master recordings and a publishing contract that extended for the duration of their lives plus 70 years.{{cite web |title=Följer pengarna, del 10: The Radio Dept. vs Labrador Records |url=https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/599425 |website=Sveriges Radio |date=11 August 2015 |access-date=1 September 2025}}{{cite web |title=Interview: The Radio Dept. vs Labrador Records (legal battle) |url=https://www.theradiodept.com/news/interview-the-radio-dept-vs-labrador-records-legal-battle/ |website=theradiodept.com |date=1 September 2025 |access-date=1 September 2025}} As tensions grew over royalties, ownership rights, and creative control, the band attempted to fulfill their contractual obligations with the 2011 compilation ''[Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002–2010](/source/Passive_Aggressive%3A_Singles_2002%E2%80%932010)'', which was rejected by the label as counting toward the album quota. The dispute eventually led to a legal case, which the band lost in the lower court of Sweden, but later settled. Under the terms of the settlement, The Radio Dept. regained control of their back catalogue, including master and publishing rights. Following this, the band significantly reduced new output and refrained from major releases until the contractual period concluded. In the years after the dispute, they began releasing music and merchandise through their own imprint, '''Just So! Records''', which serves as their independent label for future releases and reissues. In 2023, the band signed a publishing agreement with Kobalt Music, formally severing their ties with Labrador Records.{{cite web |title=The Radio Dept. sign to Kobalt Music |url=https://www.theradiodept.com/news/the-radio-dept-sign-to-kobalt-music/ |website=theradiodept.com |date=27 October 2023 |access-date=1 September 2025}} ==Musical style== The Radio Dept. are related to such genres as [alternative rock](/source/alternative_rock), [dream pop](/source/dream_pop), [indie pop](/source/indie_pop), [shoegaze](/source/shoegaze) and [twee pop](/source/twee_pop), with reviews comparing them to [Pet Shop Boys](/source/Pet_Shop_Boys), [My Bloody Valentine](/source/My_Bloody_Valentine_(band)) and [Cocteau Twins](/source/Cocteau_Twins).{{cite web|url = http://www.theblackandwhitemag.com/reviews.asp?cid=r|title = The Black and White|access-date = 16 August 2006|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061119200427/http://www.theblackandwhitemag.com/reviews.asp?cid=r|archive-date = 19 November 2006}} [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) said they were "an [indie rock](/source/indie_rock) band who play fuzzed-out, ramshackle pop songs."{{Citation |title=Lesser Matters - The Radio Dept. {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/lesser-matters-mw0000595610 |access-date=2026-05-26 |language=en}} In an interview on their fansite, they cite influences such as [Charles Aznavour](/source/Charles_Aznavour), [Saint Etienne](/source/Saint_Etienne_(band)), [Broadcast](/source/Broadcast_(band)), [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra), [Joy Division](/source/Joy_Division), [Pet Shop Boys](/source/Pet_Shop_Boys), [Chet Baker](/source/Chet_Baker), [Fennesz](/source/Fennesz), [Nick Drake](/source/Nick_Drake), [Kevin Rowland](/source/Kevin_Rowland), [Prefab Sprout](/source/Prefab_Sprout), [Paddy McAloon](/source/Paddy_McAloon), [Junior Boys](/source/Junior_Boys), [Orange Juice](/source/Orange_Juice_(band)), [Kraftwerk](/source/Kraftwerk), [Neu!](/source/Neu!), [Jonathan Richman](/source/Jonathan_Richman), [The Avalanches](/source/The_Avalanches) and [The Pale Fountains](/source/The_Pale_Fountains). ==Band members== ;Current *Johan Duncanson *Martin Larsson, alias Martin Carlberg{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/5413160-Martin-Carlberg|title=Martin Carlberg Discography |website=Discogs|access-date=8 May 2024}} *Daniel Tjäder (touring member) ;Past *Elin Almered (1995) *Lisa Carlberg (2001–2005) *Per Blomgren (2001–2003) *Kim Sjölander *Max Weiland *Le Bombe *Rugar *Anuar Adame ==Discography== {{Main|The Radio Dept. discography}} *''[Lesser Matters](/source/Lesser_Matters)'' (2003) *''[Pet Grief](/source/Pet_Grief)'' (2006) *''[Clinging to a Scheme](/source/Clinging_to_a_Scheme)'' (2010) *''[Running Out of Love](/source/Running_Out_of_Love)'' (2016) ==References== {{Reflist}} {{RadioDept}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Radio Dept., The}} Category:Musical groups established in 1995 Category:Swedish dream pop musical groups Category:Swedish shoegaze musical groups Category:Swedish indie pop groups Category:Swedish synth-pop groups Category:English-language Swedish musical groups Category:Darla Records artists Category:Musical groups from Lund --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Radio Dept.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Radio_Dept.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Radio_Dept.?action=history)). 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