The Most Dangerous Race

stop: Introduction
Matt Walker is a songwriter, but you probably know him as a drummer. Over the course of several tours and recording projects with the likes of Filter, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Morrissey (just to name a few), he furiously worked on his own music, writing in hotel rooms, on airplanes, behind stages, even on ferries. After amassing what he thought was a rather impressive collection of nearly finished songs, the idea that he might need a singer came to mind.

rewind: Fate
JT McCluskey is a singer Matt has known for many years. They had worked in close circles, but it wasn't until 2004 that they worked together. JT was recording an album with his then band, Exit the King (Epic), and he asked Matt to track some drums. Call it what you want, kismet, synchronicity; what they realized was that they had a strong musical compatibility, and shared an unusually disciplined work ethic. So when Matt decided he needed a singer, he decided on JT.

play: Demos
In 2005, the two hit the studio and could not ignore that a powerful, creative chemistry was developing. JT's vocals brought a visceral, raw energy to the songs, as well as a new melodic dimension. They began to collaborate on more material and drew on a wide range of influences, from the austere early electronic soundscapes of neu! to the dramatic power of 70's glam, to the sonic experimentations of the Iggy/Bowie Berlin recordings. They reveled in twisting the whole mix into an unpredictable futuristic vision of melodic rock. And as is the tao of such things, they made it real by giving it a name: The Most Dangerous Race (theMDR).

pause: Convergence
In early 2006, Matt took the opportunity to go on tour with Morrissey, which kept him on the road for the better part of the year. Not wanting to put theMDR on hold, he and JT embraced a virtual work style, using the internet to communicate ideas and write songs. Progress was made, but an internet connection is no match for a band, and so a band is what they put in place. With Larry Schroeder on bass and Brendan Byrnes on guitar, they got together during Matt's breaks and fleshed out new material. And they realized that in the context of an actual band playing and exchanging ideas, the potential of the songs was truly realized. It was then clear that the group needed to try the material out live. So theMDR played its first live show in March 2007 in Chicago.

play: Live
With just a few scattered but intense rehearsals, theMDR put together a live set that capitalized not only on the strength of the songs, but the agility of the musicians now sharing the stage. The songs proved to be a great platform for the members to interact in the moment, and quickly create a new dialog harmonically and texturally. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Matt and JT had each played hundreds of shows with other bands, but this was definitely different.

fast forward: theMDR
As nearly finished songs became completed songs, theMDR decided to sink their flag in the ever shifting sands of cyberspace and started self-releasing them. In 2007 they released the first two of four 6-track EPs, "Inventing Shadows" and "Metallic Tongue." They played more shows. They shot a video. They went back in the studio and worked on new songs. This year, the second two EPs, "ARC" and "Future God," will be released. And there will definitely be more shows...