We like to think of ourselves as ‘people people’ at Amazing Radio – that’s why we wanted to tell you about who we are and how we operate. This is a democracy after all!

For the next of our Behind the scenes at Amazing Towers posts, we spoke to Operations Manager and all round hero Kevin ‘K-Train’ Read.

Hello! Who are you?

Hello, I’m Kevin Read.

If this were a dating ad I’d also write GSOH NS M. I’m an Aries. I play drums and guitar (not at the same time) and I’m fond of computers, music, movies and traveling.

(Since I’m married I should explain that this isn’t a dating ad. I have a wonderful wife called Karen who has put up with me for 10 years. She’s awesome and rocks way harder than me!)

What’s your ‘title’ and what do you do?
I’m Operations Manager for Amazing. This means I manage the operation, the team, the building and a lot more besides.

The K Train on his travels

What’s the best thing about your job?
I work with great people who are passionate about what they do. It just so happens that what they do is so unbelievably cool that it makes my day.

What’s the best thing about Amazing Radio?
The music. There’d be little point if it wasn’t great, but it’s amazing. I’m constantly surprised by what people can do with varying budgets and boundless talent. Just because you haven’t heard of the band, doesn’t mean they don’t make great music. I think that if more people discovered what they loved rather than wait to be fed it then the world would be a better, more musically diverse place. As it is, people still need help (even Columbus needed a chart and a compass). That’s where Amazing Radio fits in – it helps people discover music they’re about to love.

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
I see myself at awards ceremonies, making speeches for people who are too busy doing ground breaking work to attend.

Cheers Kevin! Keep an eye on our blog for future updates from more of the Amazing gang. You can also hear Kevin guest star on The Afternoon Show every Wednesday from 3pm.

We like to think of ourselves as ‘people people’ at Amazing Radio – that’s why we wanted to tell you about who we are and how we operate. This is a democracy after all!

For the first of our Behind the scenes at Amazing Towers posts, we spoke to amazingtunes.com sound master and scout Sam Grant.

Hello, who are you?

Hi, I’m Sam.

What’s your title and what do you do?

I work as A&R for amazingtunes.com and as a sound engineer at Blank Studios, where we run our live sessions from. I communicate with bands and artists on the site. I also produce artists’ recordings and overlook the sessions with my Blank Studios colleague and one of our fellow amazingtunes.com A&R guys, Chris.

Sam Grant getting musical

What’s the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is that I get to play with microphones and recording equipment in the search of the elusive perfect snare or guitar tone, and at the end of the month I can still feed myself.

What’s the best thing about Amazing Radio?

The best thing about Amazing Radio is the quality of music. For a station only playing new and emerging acts, the music here is absolutely brilliant. The talent on display is second to none and what goes out on air is totally refreshing, especially when put against all the other stations that are playing the same prescribed tracks.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

Running my own cabinet making studio somewhere in the sticks of Northumberland, with a Neve console under a dust sheet in the corner, and a cat.

Thanks Sam! Keep an eye on our blog for future updates from more of the Amazing gang.

They bring you the best uploads from amazingtunes.com each week, but who are the people behind the shows you hear on Amazing Radio? In a series of articles, we’ll be making it our mission to find out more about the owners of the infamous on air voices you know and love.

For our final presenter profile we’re talking to Charlie Ashcroft who with two shows to his name is Amazing Radio‘s most prolific presenter.

Charlie Ashcroft

Hello! Who are you?

Hello you. I’m Charlie Ashcroft. Some people call me Lord Ashcroft, in error.

How did you find out about Amazing Radio?

A colleague at my previous workplace came in one morning and said that DAB’s Birdsong channel had been replaced by “something more lively”.

Before we plucked you from relative obscurity and plonked you on the Amazing airwaves, what did you do?

I was a “voice of the roads” on various BBC stations around the West Country. You know that bloke who interrupts your in-car music/radio station with a loud, frantic traffic report? That was me, sorry. It’s left me with an encyclopedic knowledge of the roads around Swindon, Salisbury and Shepton Mallet.

Lord Ashcroft on his yacht

Tell us about your show please!

I’ve got two. Greedy. The Amazing Radio Chart is a rundown of the Top 20 most popular tracks on amazingtunes.com and Amazing Radio. It’s broadcast on Sundays at 5pm and Mondays from midday. Then there’s Audition, which contains a rip-roaring cross-section of the newest tracks uploaded to amazingtunes.com. That goes out on a Tuesday lunchtime at 1pm, every Thursday evening at 6pm and Saturday teatime at 5pm.

Why should we listen?

Listen to The Amazing Radio Chart for sheer, unadulterated drama. It’s arguably the freshest countdown in the UK, giving new and unsigned artists an idea of how they’re faring with Amazing Radio listeners and the amazingtunes.com community. We’ve got new entries, climbers, fallers, non-movers and bleeps.

As for Audition, it’s the best way for listeners to be introduced to the lashings of new stuff being uploaded to amazingtunes.com on a week-by-week basis. If you want to be kept up-to-date with just how good the ‘New Releases’ section of the site is, tune in. It’s an invigorating hour.

Aside from your own fabulous show, have you got any other favourite Amazing Radio shows?

Mark Ryan’s Amazing Beats is a belter. It’s all well and good having tons of quality dance music on the site, but you still need someone to guide you through it. He’s the man. I also recommend tuning into Greg & Burtt and the Saturday Show‘s Colin & Matt for weekend-related lolathons. And with my biased producer hat on, it needs saying that It’s Amazing with Trevor Dann is essential listening. It has great guests aplenty, and some rampant musical debate.

We thought we'd treat you to a bonus picture. Like a cakey treat.

Finally, what makes Amazing so, well, amazing!?

No other station does “mainstream underground” like we do. What I mean by that is we’re dedicated to new, often undiscovered music, but doing it on a national platform 24/7, which is very exciting. If you’re an up-and-coming musician, you should take comfort from the fact that you don’t have to fork out for a radio plugger any more. Not now we’re here. Onwards and upwards as they say!

Hear Charlie Ashcroft presenting Audition from 1pm Tuesdays, 6pm Thursdays and 5pm Saturdays. Charlie will also be here from 5pm Sundays and 12pm Mondays to give you the nail biting Amazing Chart Show rundown.

They bring you the best uploads from amazingtunes.com each week, but who are the people behind the shows you hear on Amazing Radio? In a series of articles, we’ll be making it our mission to find out more about the owners of the infamous on air voices you know and love.

Read on for an exclusive chat with our brand new Amazing Breakfast presenter Georgie Rogers.

Georgie Rogers

Hello! Who are you?

I’m Georgie Rogers, presenter of the Amazing Breakfast show.

How did you find out about Amazing Radio?

Initially I spotted it on the old Facebook mini-feed ages ago when Greg (of Greg and Burtt) was plugging his show. Later I saw an advert on Media UK calling for new presenters so sent in my demo.

Before we plucked you from relative obscurity and plonked you on the Amazing airwaves, what did you do?

After a load of work experience and some presenting in Jersey on Channel 103 in the six months after graduating from the University of Birmingham with an English and Drama degree, I ended up working in the online team at Xfm, writing news articles and interviewing bands.

After XFM I got a lucky break and went to BBC 6 Music, where for the past two and a bit years I’ve developed skills as a music reporter. My work there has involved meeting some of my absolute heroes, covering more festivals and gigs than I can remember, including Glastonbury and Coachella in the US, writing and reading music news bulletins live on the 6 airwaves, making packages, podcasts and writing articles for the website and BBC Entertainment online. It was a blast and I still freelance there, but after doing the Breakfast Show on Brighton Festival Radio earlier this year, I decided I wanted to do more presenting.

Tell us about your show please!

It’s nice and early, between 7-10am, to accompany your tea and toast to in the morning. It’s all about the music with some light-hearted banter and music-related topical chat.  Any funny stories that I hear on my travels will no doubt make an appearance too.  Each week we feature an artist from amazingtunes.com get them on, as well as a comedian.  We also highlight a gig each day that we think you should go to and pick a track of the week, which we get to play five times in a row… Result.

Georgie Rogers: Making breakfast beautiful!

Why should we listen?

Simple; because it’s all new music and you’ll be surprised at how much is fabulous.

Aside from your own fabulous show, have you got any other favourite Amazing Radio shows?

Tough one as I’m the ‘new girl’ and I think they’re all great, so want to say everyone!

As you might tell from Amazing Breakfast and my glee at getting to play big tunes by Absorb Vs Sequel and Moscow Youth Cult at 8.30 in the morning every now and then, I’m a big fan of dance music, so Mark Ryan’s Amazing Beats Friday night marathon is right up my street.

Also, I totally dig the Are You More Rock and Roll than Kevin Read? feature on Kyle Wilkinson’s Afternoon Show with the lovely Producer Frankie, as Kevin Read is one of the funniest men in the north. Fact.

Finally, what makes Amazing so, well, amazing!?

There’s nothing else on the radio that is solely dedicated, 24 hours a day, to nurturing emerging talent.  The UK is blessed with a fruitful music scene and it’s up to showcase all the smashing acts before they get snapped up by the big boys.

You can hear the wonderful spoken words of Georgie Rogers between 7 and 10 every weekday morning on Amazing Breakfast.

They bring you the best uploads from amazingtunes.com each week, but who are the people behind the shows you hear on Amazing Radio? In a series of articles, we’ll be making it our mission to find out more about the owners of the infamous on air voices you know and love.

This time we’re talking to Rock Show DJ Aaron Phillips.

Aaron Phillips

Hello! Who are you?

Well, Hello to you! I go by the name of Aaron Phillips…most of the time!

How did you find out about Amazing Radio?

Purely by chance! To be honest, it was only after I applied to work here!

Before we plucked you from relative obscurity and plonked you on the Amazing airwaves, what did you do?

A whole plethora of mediocre jobs, mixed in with writing for Powerplay [a rock music mag], drumming in my band, and generally being a nuisance!

Tell us about your show please!

I play the finest Rock/Metal, and Indie tracks currently available on amazingtunes.com. It’s as simple as that! Of course, there’s my witty charm to add in, along with occasional band interviews, the  gig guide, and my track of the week… (quite a bit really then!)

Why should we listen?

What else is there to do on a Saturday teatime?! No seriously, I carefully pick  the music to play you, to bring you the newest, original, and exciting tracks that you hear before anyone else. I also love being able to share something new and exciting that I’ve discovered.

Aaron Phillips

Aside from your own fabulous show, have you got any other favourite Amazing Radio shows?

I do enjoy Charlie Ashcroft’s shows [Audition and the Amazing Radio Chart Show]. I like his presenting style and interview technique. He also plays some rather good tunes!

Finally, what makes Amazing so, well, amazing!?

Apart from me, I love the fact that you can hear new music before anyone else. You could be listening to the next big thing, before anyone else. It’s a great idea, and a excellent platform for new band’s to get exposure, national airplay, and a whole new fan base.

I actually am privileged to be a part of Amazing radio, and long may it continue! Rock!

Tune into Amazing Radio from 6pm on Saturdays and Mondays to hear Aaron Phillips in all his Rock Show glory!

They bring you the best uploads from amazingtunes.com each week, but who are the people behind the shows you hear on Amazing Radio? In a series of articles, we’ll be making it our mission to find out more about the owners of the infamous on air voices you know and love.

This time we’re talking to one of our newest presenters, Amazing Live‘s Rich Brant.

Rich Brant

Hello! Who are you?

I’m Rich Brant, but if you were to walk in to the Amazing Towers I’d probably be nearing about 50 nicknames by now! (Little Lord Brantleroy, Brantabulous, Brantosaurus, Charlotte, etc…)

How did you find out about Amazing Radio?

I actually worked with Amazing‘s very own beats expert Mark Ryan not so long ago in a short stint at BBC 6 Music. I then saw that a few more presenters were needed and jumped at the chance to get involved in a station the sought to be at the cutting edge in new music.

Before we plucked you from relative obscurity and plonked you on the Amazing airwaves, what did you do?

(I take exception to that… everyone knows who I am down my local pub!)

I’ve been involved in radio in a full time sense ever since I left university. I had been involved in hospital radio, uni radio and when I finished my degree at Loughborough I decided to send a demo off to one of the first adverts I saw for a presenter. The job happened to be in Luxembourg (tiny country in the middle of Europe) and they hired me pretty quickly. Before I knew it I was finding a flat and opening bank accounts in the Grand Duchy, and generally sh****g myself about the whole thing.

Like David Hasslehoff in Germany, I’m huge in Luxembourg!

Tell us about your show please!

The show is all about letting the ludicrously handsome Amazing Radio listeners know all about where they can catch the best unsigned artists (or artists without a traditional record deal) out and about Live. Simple as that.

Each week we try (I say we, I mean me and my fantastic producer Dani Charlton) to ensure we have interviews with industry folk, such as promoters, venue owners, festival organizers, managers, labels etc. so we get different perspectives on how to get ahead in a pretty turbulent industry and get music listened to on the live circuit. We also try to make sure we speak to bands established or new to hear their advice to new bands, and generally what they’ve been getting up to.

Little Lord Brantleroy

Why should we listen?

Because it’s awesome! Like Amazing Radio in general, the show focuses on the grass roots of music and gives a platform to those bands that deserve the limelight but lack the attention of already established acts. It’s a great way to find out where you can see these great bands in intimate venues before they inevitably get picked up and become huge.

Aside from your own fabulous show, have you got any other favourite Amazing Radio shows?

It’s always quite exciting to see how the amazingtunes.com community feel about the music we play, so the Amazing Chart Show with Charlie Ashcroft is always a good one. I also find the musings of the many expert opinions on the Trevor Dann fronted It’s Amazing good fun

Finally, what makes Amazing so, well, amazing!?
A radio station that concentrates on the grass roots of music and exposes thousands of unsigned gems? That’s pretty amazing. Is that a cheesy line? Yeah probably… but I’ve said it now, so get over it and go enjoy the music!

You can hear Rich presenting Amazing Live every Friday at 1pm.

They bring you the best uploads from amazingtunes.com each week, but who are the people behind the shows you hear on Amazing Radio? In a series of articles, we’ll be making it our mission to find out more about the owners of the infamous on air voices you know and love.

In the next installment of our getting to know series we’re getting the info from radio royalty Trevor Dann.

Trevor Dann

Hello! Who are you?

Trevor Dann.

How did you find out about Amazing Radio?

I met founder Paul Campbell before he’d even invented it!

Before we plucked you from ‘relative obscurity’ and plonked you on the Amazing Radio airwaves, what did you do?

Chief Executive of the Radio Academy, Head of BBC Music Entertainment, Head of Music at Radio 1, Executive Producer of Top of the Pops, writer, broadcaster, dreadful guitarist, grumpy old man…

Tell us about your show please!

It’s Amazing: Quality chat about quality choons.

Why should we listen?

Well, as the trail says, “there’s only one thing better than listening to music and that’s talking about music.”

Aside from your own fabulous show, have you got any other favourite Amazing Radio shows?

Frankie’s Amazing Folk Roots Show is a special favourite, but it’s all good really.

Finally, what makes Amazing so, well, amazing!?

The bands.

You can hear Trevor’s ‘quality chat about quality choons’ on It’s Amazing every Sunday at 4pm, Wednesday at 1pm and Friday at 6pm.

They bring you the best uploads from amazingtunes.com each week, but who are the people behind the shows you hear on Amazing Radio? In a series of articles, we’ll be making it our mission to find out more about the owners of the infamous on air voices you know and love.

Today we’ve got banter aplenty from Saturday Show presenters Colin and Matt.

Matt (L) and Colin (R)

Hello! Who are you?

Why, hello there! We’re Colin and Matt, and we present The Saturday Show every Saturday (naturally) from 9 in the morning until 12pm. We bring the ‘Amazing’ to Amazing Radio.

How did you find out about Amazing Radio?

A couple of years ago, we read about this site where users could upload their track and earn money for their efforts. As we were skint at the time, we decided to upload a track that we made for these podcasts that we did before presenting on Amazing Radio. The track, Lady Noise, never did get many ‘likes’ but maybe this interview can bring us more exposure and we can finally get it to number 1 in the Amazing Radio Chart!

Before we plucked you from relative obscurity and plonked you on the Amazing airwaves, what did you do?

As mentioned above, we used to produce weekly comedy and entertainment podcasts imaginatively entitled The Colin and Matt Show (it was a working title that ended up sticking). We did three seasons of these shows and have to say, we’re very proud of them. They were nominated for awards on 3 separate occasions, including one high-profile award nomination for Channel 4′s WEX branch, 4Talent. (We didn’t win though.)

Tell us about your show please!

Our show is a less-explicit version of our podcasts, with music. Therefore, we’re talking features that include the ridiculous What Would Who Do? where we suggest what hilarious things different celebrities might do in everyday situations. We also bring you the week’s Quirky News, the Random Song Generator, the Hangover Cure (where we aim to get all you lazy bums out of your pit in a morning via massive tunes), and so much more. We literally can’t fit in the amount of things we cover, but we’ve been told we’re brilliant (thanks mum).

Colin and Matt get casual

Why should we listen?

We have to get up early, so you should too!

Aside from your own fabulous show, have you got any other favourite Amazing Radio shows?

Erm, all of them? Okay, we’ll stop sitting on the fence and plump for the Chart Show with Charlie Ashcroft. You can’t beat a good chart show! It’s created by you, the listener, simply through interaction on amazingtunes.com and airplay on Amazing Radio.

Finally, what makes Amazing so, well, amazing!?

The fact that no other station in the universe is like this. You very easily get sick of the monotonous over-produced rubbish on other commercial stations, and there’s always new tunes to enjoy on this station. Now, THAT’S amazing!

Catch up with Colin and Matt every Saturday morning from 9 ’til 12 as they present The Saturday Show.

They bring you the best uploads from amazingtunes.com each week, but who are the people behind the shows you hear on Amazing Radio? In a series of articles, we’ll be making it our mission to find out more about the owners of the infamous on air voices you know and love.

Our next interviewee is Kyle Wilkinson, better known as the host of The Afternoon Show.

Kyle Wilkinson

Hello! Who are you?

Kyle Wilkinson, I present The Afternoon Show.

How did you find out about Amazing Radio?

I heard about Amazing Radio for the first time when I read an online article about its launch on DAB digital radio.

Before we plucked you from relative obscurity and plonked you on the Amazing airwaves, what did you do?

I presented a specialist dance music show on a community radio station in Sunderland called SparkFM. I still represent the station as the Student Radio Association Regional Officer (North East & Yorkshire).

Tell us about your show please!

I present The Afternoon Show, weekdays from 3pm till 6pm. It’s crammed full of the biggest and freshest new music from amazingtunes.com!

We dig deeper into music scenes across the country through our daily Region of the Week feature and you, the audience, get the chance to have your say on the music we play each day by getting involved with The Four Tops and Matchmaker.

Kyle

Why should we listen?

The biggest selection of new and emerging music with great banter! AND it’s at a time of day that allows for you to have that king-sized lie in you so desperately wanted! (Good times.)

Aside from your own fabulous show, have you got any other favourite Amazing Radio shows?

I’m a massive fan of dance music. If you’re a dance nut like me like me then you NEED to lock into Amazing Beats with Mark Ryan! Friday nights have been changed forever!

Finally, what makes Amazing so, well, amazing!?

It’s ground breaking; the first of it’s kind across the UK! We give absolutely anyone the chance to have their music played and honestly, the music is unreal!

Catch Kyle presenting The Afternoon Show, weekdays from 3pm, on Amazing Radio.

They bring you the best new tracks from amazingtunes.com each week, but who are the people behind the shows you hear on Amazing Radio? In a series of articles, we’ll be making it our mission to find out more about the owners of the infamous on air voices you know and love.

Today we’re chatting to Jim Gellatly. As well as being the station’s sole Scottish voice, he’s the only solo presenter to have a self-titled show on the Amazing Radio airwaves!

Its your boy... Jim!

Hello! Who are you?

Jim Gellatly.

How did you find out about Amazing Radio?

[Fellow Amazing Radio presenter] Trevor Dann spilled the beans over several glasses of wine at the Hospital Radio Awards, where we were both presenting prizes.

Before we plucked you from relative obscurity and plonked you on the Amazing Radio airwaves, what did you do?

I wandered the streets looking for an outlet to play new music.

Tell us about your show please!

Expect quality tunage with a strong Scottish bias. Anything with bagpipes has a good chance of being played. I also have some (hopefully) interesting guests lined up to select tracks from amazingtunes.com.

Jim Gellatly

Why should we listen?

Because I pretend to know what I’m talking about with regards to new music, (despite the fact that I’d rather be playing Abba & Boney M).

Aside from your own fantastic show, have you got any other favourite Amazing Radio shows?

It’s Amazing and the Amazing Chart Show are particular favourites.

Finally, what makes Amazing so, well, amazing!?

Music is treated on a level playing field, with the best tracks floating to the top (rather than major label priorities).

Catch Jim Gellatly and friends pick their favourite amazingtunes.com tracks every Sunday at 3pm.  You can also catch the show on Tuesdays at 6pm and Thursdays at 1pm.