About Us
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Downtown City Radio created a buzz in the West Texas music scene last year with their eclectic mix of home-grown soul and real-American pop punk. Honing their craft at local bars, they cut their teeth on passionate live performances and creating a connection with the people who support them.
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The band started in the summer of 2015 when singer/songwriter Sampson Ma met drummer Brady Sharp and guitarist Dalton Cooper through a mutual friend and began playing his original material. Thrilled by their unique sound, jazz-trained bassist Travis Christopher began playing with the band after seeing them at a show. With the addition of Travis, the band began moving in a more experimental direction, widening their horizons to more genres of music. “I had a lot of these experimental ideas floating around in my head and having a super talented bass player really allowed me a lot of creative freedom,” recalls Sampson, “This really lent itself to creating our band’s unique sound.”
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Excited as they were with the unique sounds they were laying down, the band continued to stay true to their roots and hone their soul punk sound in the local scene. After several months of work, they received an opportunity to open for The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, whose album, Don’t You Fake It, was certified gold by the RIAA. Booking agent Jason Melton said of the band’s performance, “DCR is one of the hardest working bands we have had the privilege of working with...their live show is energetic and they refuse not to take it to the next level.” Following this show, the band released their debut EP, Hazy Nights, to critical acclaim, selling hundreds of copies before the physical release date.
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Riding on the success of the EP, DCR took it to the next level by planning a tour through the southwest in the spring of 2017 to build a strong regional fan base. “It’s not an easy thing, but it’s worth it,” says Brady. “Definitely,” adds Dalton, “You have to have courage to expose yourself to all those people and try and resonate with each and every one of them.”
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Rounding it's second full year, DCR aims toward new horizons. After the departure of drummer, Brady Sharp, and lead guitarist, Dalton Cooper, the band began its new sound with the addition of Caleb Foster on lead guitar and Travis Huffine on the drums. With the final stages of their second studio album coming to a close, DCR finds itself touring out-of-state and increasing their social presence in preparation for the album’s release.
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