THIS IS RADIO SILENCE was formed in 2006, initially as the solo project of former Earth Loop Recall frontman/SonVer guitarist Ben McLees.
TIRS's music is generally described as 'electronic rock', though they also lean heavily on a broad range of influences, including dub, psychedelia, industrial, electro, alt-rock, post-punk, experimental, new wave, ambient and IDM.
TIRS were active sporadically between 2010 and 2015, releasing two albums ('Now There's Nothing' in 2010 and 'Soon, Much Of This Will Have Been Destroyed' in 2012) and the critically acclaimed 'The Crux' EP in 2014. Live performances were rare during this period, with a changing line-up which featured various members until TIRS settled on a 5-piece of Ben McLees (Vocals, Guitar), Hunter Barr (Keyboards), Geoff Courts (Bass Guitar), Austin Davey (Guitar) & Dan Vickers (Drums) in 2014.
Following a run of live dates throughout 2015, TIRS entered a four-year hiatus, with the planned single 'Disappointed' shelved at the start of 2016. The hiatus was finally broken by the release of the 'Fallen Men' EP in 2019 with accompanying live shows by the reformed line-up. The 'There Is No Time' EP followed six months later - although this unfortunately coincided with the start of the Covid pandemic, meaning planned live shows in support of the EPs were indefinitely postponed. However, further singles followed during the ongoing pandemic, including a new version & remix of 2012's 'Two For Joy' (originally released on the 'Soon...' album) and the previously unreleased 'The Yellow House'.
In 2021, Ben McLees & Hunter Barr recorded a live session of TIRS remixes & Oblivion Guest tracks in the form of 'The Rhoom Studio Sessions', released on Retina II Records. This release would signal the start of a new phase of TIRS, showcasing a more stripped-down, electro-orientated sound than previous. In 2022, TIRS officially reconvened as a trio of Ben McLees, Hunter Barr & Austin Davey, working on a new live set for later on in the year.
Members
- Hunter Barr
- Ben McLees
- Geoff Courts
- Sam Astley
- Austin Davey