State Radio

State Radio
State Radio performing live at Terminal 5 in New York City on November 23, 2007
Background information
Origin	Sherborn, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock, reggae rock
Years active	2002–2013
Labels	Fenway, Nettwerk, Ruff Shod
Associated acts	Dispatch, Dukes of Funk, chuckfayamerica, Chadwick Stokes
Website	stateradio.com
Members	Chad Stokes Urmston
Past members	Chuck Fay Mike Najarian Brian Sayers Pete Halby Matt Shardlow Nikki Glaspie

State Radio is a Boston-based rock trio comprising singer and primary songwriter Chad Stokes Urmston (also a member of Dispatch), bassist Chuck Fay, and, formerly, drummer Michael Najarian. The band's songs focus on social and political issues and have been musically described as a combination of reggae, punk and rock.

Chad Urmston, whose previous band Dispatch disbanded in 2002, formed State Radio later the same year in Sherborn, Massachusetts with second guitarist Pete Halby, bassist Chuck Fay, and drummer Mike Greenfield. The band, originally known as Flag of the Shiners, released an eponymous debut EP on Fenway Recordings in late 2002. The EP was later re-released under the band's current name, however the title remained the same.

State Radio went on a temporary hiatus throughout 2003 as Urmston recovered from throat surgery. They returned to touring and recording in 2004 as a slimmed-down trio with new drummer Brian Sayers. The band released a second EP entitled Simmer Kane in March 2004. This EP was a departure in style from the debut EP Flag of the Shiners as it featured acoustic guitar and Erin Lashnits Coughlin ("Ras LC") on vocals. In December 2005, State Radio released its first LP, Us Against the Crown. After touring for a few months in support of this album, drummer Michael Najarian was brought in to replace Brian Sayers, playing his first show at Emo's in Austin, Texas. With this lineup, the band recorded and released their second album Year of the Crow in September 2007.

State Radio opened for Dave Matthews Band on May 30th and 31st, 2008 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and on June 3rd and 4th, 2008 in Camden, New Jersey. In August of that year, State Radio played at a concert near the 2008 Democratic National Convention alongside Rage Against the Machine and other politically active bands as an act of protest against the Iraq War.