Clear Static

Growing up near Hollywood, the guys of Clear Static initially came together when most of the quintet's members were barely in their teens. Pre-adolescents Tom Pederson (vocals) and Michael David (guitar/synth) became friends at a neighborhood party and soon began writing songs together. In time, they decided to expand their burgeoning band to included Pederson's older brother Rich (bass) and grade-school friends Danny Kincaid (guitar) and Jacob Shearer (drums). Like many young musicians, several of Clear Static's members started whetting their musical palates in the realms of punk — but in their desire to be more capable musicians, the guys were soon drawn to '80s bands like the Fixx, Naked Eyes, and Roxy Music. This type of music ultimately inspired Clear Static's maturation into a stylish band that boasted a high-fashion attitude and retro-rock sound with a modern twist.

Clear Static started gigging around town when most of the bandmembers were around 13, promoting themselves with self-designed, Photoshop-executed posters contrary to the usual handwritten fliers of their peers. At first, their youth limited the group to playing solely all-ages venues. However, as their popularity grew with every demo sold, clubs like the Viper Room, the Key Club, and the Troubadour took an interest in booking them as well. Clear Static were even asked by one of their idols, Duran Duran, to open various U.K. and U.S. dates for them in early 2005. That same year, the group began recording its self-titled debut, which was released in May 2006 on Maverick.