The Tragic Radicals

Tragically Radical
And then, there were two….How many bios does one band need? If you ask the two remaining members of The Tragic Radicals, apparently several. A four year revolving door of band members has brought guitarist, Aj Caves, and former TR bassist, turned drummer extraordinaire, Tyler Chittick, to one conclusion; less really is more.
Rewind to the chilly month of January, 2016 in Fullerton, CA: The rock band soon to be known as The Tragic Radicals was born. Since the recent disbanding of her all-girl rock group, The Slivers, Aj, bored and bandless, turned to Craigslist, to scout out musicians for her next (and hopefully more successful) band. With a little diligence, it wasn’t too long before drummer, Nathan, bassist, Tyler, and singer, Cassidy, were assembled, auditioning in Aj’s living room. The band began rehearsing there weekly, and the four-piece picked up and put their scent on, roughly, a dozen of Aj’s existing songs, came up with a suitable moniker, and were hitting stages within a couple of months. Over the next few years, the group played steady gigs, recorded two EPs (one unreleased), and also underwent numerous personnel changes.
Fast forward to late August, 2019: Two singers, four drummers, and nearly one hundred shows later, The Radicals found themselves tragically (or not so tragically) half the band they used to be. Having recently become a three-piece after letting go of their second (and last) singer in June 2019, the band was surprised to see their summer filling up very fast. The new formation of TR soon was gaining momentum as an instrumental act, and was booked solid through the end of August. Promoters were all over them. They were playing venues anywhere from the Sunset Strip to Long Beach, to Orange County, an exciting and unexpected turn of events for a band who was fully anticipating a struggle booking gigs without a vocalist. In a matter of six weeks, with nearly a dozen shows down, the band was nearing the end of their stretch, with only two left on the calendar, both of which at The World Famous Doll Hut in Anaheim, CA. The first of the two shows was one they’d been preparing for. A Saturday night prime slot with a stacked bill, this was an excellent opportunity for The Tragic Radicals to earn some decent exposure, as it promised a great turnout. They did not predict the departure of their drummer on the day of the gig.
Though blindsided and disappointed, indeed, the show must go on. No stranger to flakey musicians, the feeling of déjà vu was setting in for the two longest running members of The Tragic Radicals as they had hours to prepare for their performance as a duo. This was not the first time Aj and Tyler had been forced to curb their act on short notice. If one thing has remained constant in TR, it’s etiquette, and there would be no backing out of shows due to the lack of professionalism from other members. Put on the spot, the two would naturally resort to just guitar and bass, jokingly dubbing these modified performances as their ‘Almost Acoustic Christmas’ shows; for whatever reason, this seemed to happen every December, coincidentally. Even though this was far from their first rodeo, it was clear they began to silently doubt their abilities matching the caliber of the lineup that night, fearing the intensity of their sound would suffer without drums. Consultation between the two was unnecessary as Tyler posed the idea of ditching the bass, and instead doing drums and guitar, and without debate, the musical arrangement was settled.
With a packed house, surrounded by many semi-famous musicians, the nervous pair took the stage at The Doll Hut that night, hoping to make it through their set semi-painlessly. The crowd’s growing audible response as each new song was playedLittle did it would prove to be the most successful incarnation of The Tragic Radicals yet. In the months following their impressive, pivotal August performance, The Tragic Radicals would have a new look, a new sound, and a new following. Not to mention, new opportunities. In a very short amount of time, they found their calendar packed once again, filled with not only gigs, but appearances on podcasts like Taxi TV, The Flabby Hoffman Radio Show, Die Laughing Records Radio Podcast, and C4OC’s House of Metal Radio Show. Somehow, they’d managed to achieve more in a matter of weeks than they had as a full band in almost four years-time. It was an exciting time for TR, and finally they began reaping the benefits after years of hard work.
And so it goes, with success comes some criticism. Now and again, skeptics who can’t seem to wrap their heads around how a two-piece, instrumental band, with no vocals or bass will argue that TR cannot compete with the live sound capabilities of a traditional four or five-piece rock band. Aware of the criticism, the pair has had much to prove when it comes to their live act. Eliminating the vocals and bass does present some challenges, but the two-piece is adapting quite well, crafting clever songs with shortened or modified arrangements to make up for the sounds of absent band members. For years Tyler and Aj were frustrated with TR’s inability to expand their song catalog. Due to the constant rotation of members, it was nearly impossible to write new material at the desired pace. Relieved of aforementioned obstacles, The Tragic Radicals are rapidly writing new songs, and are preparing to record and release new music by January 2020. The creative process requires a slightly different approach now, but Aj’s melodic riffs and ability uniquely arrange songs to replace lyrics is a major asset to the band. Playing through both guitar and bass amps on stage, she maintains her distinct guitar tone while incorporating low end to fill the void of Tyler’s missing bass. Perfectly accompaniment, Tyler lends emphasis to accents and dynamics, drumming as though he was playing bass. An incredibly versatile musician, capable of mastering numerous instruments, his skills and flexibility allow him to keep up with Aj’s frequent song reworking and tendency to experiment with time changes. The two manage to captivate audiences with, not only their blatant chemistry, but their genuine, intense stage presence, and roll with the punches charm.