There are some unique challenges to being a new Bermuda band — especially when your scooter conks out on the way to your first gig.

But Bermudian Mia Page Chambray and other members of the band, Mohawk Radio, are taking it all in their stride.

After only six months in operation some of their original songs are already getting air time on the radio. Mohawk Radio will be perform in 441 Productions' Shamrock & Roll Concert at Barr's Bay Park tonight.

Other bands will include Eyepod Shuffle and Lucky 13.

On Saturday night the Shamrock & Roll Concert will continue with tribute bands including Coldplayers and Elevation, among others.

"I was approached by 441 Productions to do the Bermudiana Road Street Party last November for the Bermuda Rugby World Classic," Miss Chambray, the band's lead singer, told The Royal Gazette. "I knew the two guitarists already Kieran Bradshaw and Ryan Prevost."

Then through friends of friends Mohawk Radio grew into a band also including Jon Armstrong, Melvin Martin, Derek Simmons Jr., David Doars.

"At first we all didn't know each other that well," Miss Chambray said. "But we really liked what we were doing. Now we are all really good friends.

"It went really well aside from the power going out halfway through the (first) show. And driving there we were almost late because our bikes cut out. But we figured it out. Ryan and I literally ran onto the stage when we got there

"Only in Bermuda, I swear. That was a really good time."

She said 441 Productions, which organises many music events for the community, was doing a good job supporting local music.

"It is awesome to have foreign bands come down, but it would be nice to have some shows that are just local bands," she said.

Not only is Mohawk Radio rare in that it is a Bermuda band, but it is even more unusual that it has a female lead singer.

"The only other Bermuda girl I know involved in a local band is Riley Mello," said Miss Chambray. "She is a lead singer for Bad Current.

"She is a teenager. It is really exciting to see another girl coming on the scene. Even with the overseas bands, it is all just men, men, men. Bad Current will be performing before us during Shamrock & Roll."

Miss Chambray has been singing for most of her life. As a child, she liked to sing in the bathtub. "I started properly singing when I joined the choir at Mount St. Agnes Academy," she said. "Then I started getting involved in musical theatre."

She did a few shows with Bermuda's Gilbert & Sullivan Society, most recently 'The Full Monty'.

"I was just one of the character's girlfriends," she said. "It was fun and a lot of work."

Full-time, she works in marketing for John Barritt & Son Ltd. "I didn't study music in school, I studied communications," she said.

"I was really shy about doing any type of music in school because when you are younger you care a lot about what other people think. You think, 'oh, I could never do that'. Then about a year-and-a-half ago I thought, 'whatever'.

"I reached a maturity level where I thought, well if you think you can do it better, start your own band and I'll support you. "So I got over it, and people have been very nice. They say, 'oh, you guys are great, and we can't wait to see you'."

She was inspired to name her band Mohawk Radio after seeing the 20-year compilation of Not The Um Um Show.

"I had never seen Not The Um Um Show," she said. "My mother said I had to watch it. I watched it, and they had the segment 'Radio Mohawk'. I thought Mohawk Radio would be such a cool name for a band. So I went in to my boss, Bruce Barritt, and said, 'you guys are really talented. Would you mind if I used Mohawk Radio for my band?'.

"He said it was no problem. He is really supportive, and Barritts is a really great company to work for. It was nice to have someone who understands about being creative."

Mohawk Radio has several original songs to its name including 'Manic', 'Motive' and 'Nobody's Fool'. The last song is already getting air time locally, on Mix 106.

"Ryan Prevost writes most of them," said Miss Chambray. "We are still coming together as a band to create our own sound. We play three times a week minimum. Each of us has our own preferences. Jon and Kieran will write individually.

"We recently added a bassist, Derek Simmons Jr. He does a lot of editing and writing music on the computer.

"We all bring our stuff together and then we fuse it together. It will take us awhile to put stuff out there. We don't want to do anything prematurely."

Miss Chambray said so far the reaction from the community to the band had been really positive.

"People just want more stuff," she said. "They want more footage, and more pictures. We are really working hard to get that together. That is something to look out for in the coming weeks and months."

For the moment they are focusing on writing their own songs and music. When they have enough material they hope to put their "feelers" out beyond Bermuda.

"Obviously, we would like to keep to our Bermudian roots," said Miss Chambray. "There is so much negative stuff about young people that people just want to uplift us.

"We have had a lot of support from more experienced musicians. And Carol Marshall on Mix 106 often plays our music. She is so positive.

"The other day I was in the car and I didn't know they were going to play our song. She started talking about our band.

"When I heard that I started crying. It was really emotional. They play 'Nobody's Fool' on the radio."

Miss Chambray said she is really proud of Mohawk Radio. "I really love my band and I love the guys," she said. "They are such good people.

"They are such a positive influence and they have turned into a real family."

Mohawk Radio is scheduled to play at the upcoming Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) Unwrapped Party, and they also have plans to perform when the tall ships are in Bermuda during the summer.

For more information about Mohawk Radio check them out on Facebook or at www.myspace.com/mohawkradiobda.

Tickets to the Shamrock & Roll Concert are $20 for Friday and $60 for Saturday.

ickets are available from Flanagans Irish Pub & Restaurant, iStore, All Wrapped Up and http://bermudatix.com.