Chad Urmston

Charles Stokes Urmston (born February 26, 1976), better known as Chadwick Stokes, is an American musician and a human rights activist. He is the frontman for the Boston-area bands Dispatch and State Radio, and released solo music under the name Chadwick Stokes.

Early life and education Charles Stokes Urmston was born February 26, 1976, in Boston, Massachusetts, into a large family. He graduated from Dover-Sherborn High School in 1994, and went on to attend both Middlebury College and NYU. During this time, Urmston briefly lived in Zimbabwe, where he befriended a local fieldworker named Elias. Later, Urmston wrote a song titled "Elias" for Dispatch's 1996 album "Silent Steeples", which became one of their most well known songs. Many of his songs also reference where he grew up going in the summer, West Chop, Massachusetts.

Career See Dispatch for a complete history of the band.

In 1995, while attending Middlebury College, Urmston met Pete Heimbold and formed the band Hermit Thrush. He later formed a band called One Fell Swoop with Heimbold and Brad Corrigan; this group would ultimately become known as Dispatch. They quickly gained a huge grassroots college following and achieved unprecedented success in the music industry independent of the standard record label control. The Dispatch hiatus lasted almost a decade. It ended in the beginning of 2011, when the band announced a national tour. The band reunited in 2011 and has since performed throughout the United States and Europe. They have since released two EPs and two LPs, as well as a double live album and a DVD.

In June 2011, Urmston released a solo album entitled "Simmerkane II" under the name Chadwick Stokes and launched a solo tour to promote it. In 2012, Urmston released "Simmerkane I," a collection of acoustic material and early recording including three songs named for his wife and tour manager, Sybil Gallagher. Three years later, after albums with State Radio and Dispatch each, Urmston released his second full-length solo-album, called "The Horse Comanche" in February 2015. Through a series of "Living Room" concerts, Urmston partially crowdsourced the album. Eight of the album's ten tracks were co-produced by Sam Beam, better known by his stage moniker Iron & Wine, and Beam's frequent collaborator Brian Deck. Urmston used the Iron & Wine band for the sessions. The remaining two tracks, "Our Lives Our Time" and "I Want You Like a Seatbelt," were produced by Noah Georgeson. In 2016, Urmston released "The Story of Bobby & Maeve", a collection of B-sides from The Horse Comanche.

In September 2013, it was announced on State Radio's website and on their Facebook page that Mike "Maddog" Najarian had left State Radio to pursue a career in finance. Chad wrote, "Above all, he drummed his ass off every night and it was an honor to share the stage with him and feel that mac truck energy coming from the kit."

In November 2019 Urmston released another solo album, titled "Chadwick Stokes and the Pintos."

In the media

In 2010, State Radio won Best Social Action Song from the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards for "Calling All Crows"

Activism Urmston writes the majority of his songs about historical and contemporary social issues, and advocates social change in many of his songs.

Alongside his Dispatch band members, Urmston formed the nonprofit Elias Fund to sponsor community development and education in Zimbabwe, including scholarships in the name of both of Elias's children. After creating the Elias Fund, Urmston also formed the Dispatch Foundation, which helps to address social and economic problems in Zimbabwe and the Calling All Crows organization which works to empower women across the globe. 2012: Rabbit Inn Rebellion

Live albums and EPs 2005: Live at the Sync 2009: State of Georgia EP 2011: Live At the Boston Pavilion

EPs 2002: Flag of the Shiners EP 2004: Simmer Kane EP 2005: Peace Between Nations EP 2007: Wicker Plane EP 2009: Calling All Crows EP

Singles 2007: "Gang of Thieves" 2008: "Knights of Bostonia"

Compilation appearances 2012: "John Brown" on Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International