Ryan Policky - I felt I could quit my job and become a working musician

The13th AÑO: 3

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NÚMERO 30

UNA R E VISTA IMA GINARIA

THE PEPPERSPLUM

A SHORELINE DREAM | ASK FOR JOY EL ESTRELLERO | NAX | ALLERSEELEN WENCESLADA | NICO | JIM MORRISON | SKINHEADS

[ Interview with Ryan Policky of A Shoreline Dream by Diego Centurión.

Translation: Bernardo Jimenez Mesa. ]

I FELT I COULD QUIT MY JOB AND BECOME A WORKING MUSICIAN. but also as medication. It was truly one of the most “spiritual” moments I've ever had releasing that album. Having such high level support for something I felt was my way of letting out the issues built up in my mind. I went from using the experience as a way to confront my fears, to truly feeling we had made something far more important for people to hear. It was the first time I truly felt I had created music that had mass appeal, and decided to take it to a business level I never had before. “Avoiding the Consequences” was a completely life changing moment.

Ryan, how do you feel about “Avoiding the consequences” now that it’s been a decade since it was done…

I love the album to this day. I still reference it while developing new ideas as it was truly that magic time in which the music developed itself through the experiences I was living. It was the most organic music making I've ever taken part of. The band

After several albums and several years of career in a

was comprised of some truly talented and exciting musicians,

band. Perhaps, for most people, the first album is not so impor-

and though we all were a little crazy, we made a real work of art

tant, but for the band is the fundamental step to flourish. For-

I can feel proud of till my end days. Some of the tracks on that

med the same year of its debut, "A Shoreline Dream" in Denver,

disc are my favorite songs we've ever come up with, and I still

Colorado (USA), he launched "Avoiding The Consequences"

have no idea how they actually happened. It was a time of ma-

and this work will talk with Ryan, who kindly agreed to this in-

gic. A time of truly being guided by the art itself. I listen to it

terview.

quite often, and I don't really do that too much with music I've been a part of.

It was ten years ago, when you were releasing the first album of the band. We’d love to hear from you memories of that first step…

What’s your first memory that pops into your mind when you think about making this album?

Forming and developing A Shoreline Dream was such a re-

The first thing I can think while developing “Avoiding the

freshing step. After a completely disasterous band breakup of

Consequences” was the fact it was made with no pre-concei-

a project right beforehand named Drop The Fear, I was com-

ved notion of anything at all. We weren't trying to sound like

pletely unsure of continuing down the path of making music.

anything. We were just living, jamming together, and recording

But with a renewed interest in the music going on locally and

what happened during all those moments. My house became a

friends around me pushing me to make it happen... it grew on

live-in studio and we were so excited to see what the hell we were

me. It was a natural progression. The album was something

making. It was probably some of the best days of my life. The

completely there as not only a great collaborative expression,

guys in the band were so awesome to hang out with, and writing

3 these tracks felt so right doing so together in such a natural way.

a record label to properly promote it. I've never felt more excited about the outcome, except for maybe the first track written

When was the last time you listened to this album in its entirety?

in collaboration with Ulrich Schnauss. “Avoiding the Consequences” was the album I felt I could quit my job and become a

I listened to the album about 3 days ago. Like I said, I referen-

working musician in support of. Did that happen? Almost. But

ce it all the time. I think this one and the first Dead Can Dance

my love of the disc and the love of what happened on it is a far

album are my top spins.

greater reward than money...

¿what do you recall from the writting proces? .and, what about the recording?

What do you reckon you wouldn’t do it again, if any, if you had the chance to record it back?

Well as I have mentioned, this album happened complete-

I would not re-record it, ever. It's against my own law. I want

ly naturally. It wasn't just sitting behind a computer fine tu-

to move forward and not dwell on the past. Would I do things

ning sounds and mixes. It was rocking out together in a room

differently? Not sure. Maybe? But I won't. I want to make new

as a band, experimenting with our dynamics. We recorded

songs, new art, new experiences.

everything we did, and made sure to stop, go listen and make selections of what we loved from our sessions. Many of those raw recordings live on that album.... completely unedited. I'm

Today, 2016, Which songs from this album you still play live?...and which ones you never play live, and why?

a huge fan of having my own studio. It's damn near impossible

Well we have been a studio band for a while now since losing

to focus on the art and life of a song when you're counting the

our drummer and bassist, so we don't play any of the tracks live.

minutes and dollars spent in a studio, and I wouldn't have done

However when we do appearances, acoustically or what not, we

it any other way.

always play “Love is a Ghost in America” and “Saturday Morning”. Those have always been some of our favorites. As far as

From this album, are there any outakes or material yet to be released?

Not really. The album is truly everything we loved during our

songs we don't play... we never really played “Motherly Advice” or “Pour”, probably more due to the fact that they just don't work live. They just don't sound right.

sessions. I don't even know where it lives digitally anymore and probably won't go looking for it. It's a time capsule of that time, which I hope will be discovered over and over again throughout the years to come...

Can we expect any surprise, from the band, for the 10hth anniversary of this record?

Well we have more songs in the works! We're planning our first vinyl release, and it's been exciting releasing each track as

Do you think that, at some point, you´d like to go and re-record the whole album?

we finish them. I think we'll for sure promote the 10 year anniversary, and who knows, maybe we'll think about doing a vinyl

Revise the album? I don't think it would ever make sense if

release of it as well, but overall our goal is the future of our mu-

that happened. The album is what it is, and I am for sure not a

sic. Living for today, and reflecting on yesterday when we have

fan of going back to something and trying to rehash it. I hate re-

some down time...

makes. They have no spirit. Whether it be this medium or any other. Art is meant to happen how it does, with a clear mind and vision.

Thanks a lot for allowing us to get deeper and find out so much more about this album.

Thank you so much for all your support and giving us an out-

Were you, at that particular time, completely happy with the final result, or it was meant to be something else?

I was so happy with it that I took out a huge loan and started

let to explain what we're all about!

Cheers.

The13th U NA R EVISTA IMA GINA RIA