Evolving from merely a laptop in a bedroom to a fully-formed pop group, POLSKY have spent the past twelve months promoting their music to a wider audience and have certainly proved they’re ones to watch. With founder Chris Warren (vocals, guitar) previously working with the Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie, as well as well as playing in bands such as Shadow Orchestra and agit-pop band BIB, ably supported by Ben Warn (keyboards), Alex Robertson (drums) and Chris Norman (bass), POLSKY have the foundations in place to provide unerringly infectious pop anthems alongside insightful social commentary.
POLSKY’s previous supporters include Clash Magazine, Gigslutz, The Revue, Indietronica and The Vinyl District and with new single Halycon Daze, they’ve once again proven the type off inspired, innovative music they’re capable of creating. So, join POLSKY as they embark on the next stage of their sonic journey, a journey everyone is invited to join.
Halycon Daze by POLSKY is out now via PRODUCT.
In this interview spotlight, we chat with POLSKY about influences, the newest project, the digital music world and more.
Full Q&A along with links and the video for Halycon Days below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
You don’t really choose a genre when starting a musical project – the songs decide how they want to be presented based on the people interpreting the ideas. I (Chris Warren, CEO) have been honing the sound of POLSKY for a few years now, or rather the songs have been honing me. The project started life as electronic sketches on a laptop but as the influences grew and the band was formed, POLSKY has arrived with the sound you hear on ‘My Own Company’. This will undoubtedly change again on the second album.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
As with any band, you start with an idea. The idea could be abstract, visual, political, sociological or just that you want people to dance like lunatics at shows. That’s the exciting thing about making music – it gives you the power to articulate the message that is most important to you. We make music to elicit an emotion from anyone who hears it. This emotional energy is very important to us.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
In POLSKY, the band are interpreting the themes and songs I write and obviously we all have our own influences to bring to the sound. These influences can change on a daily basis based on experiences in each our lives; music, films, books, politics, weather, they all influence how we behave and respond.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
In the early days of the project I envisioned a fictitious corporation to deliver the music of POLSKY as a response to what I saw happening in current political and sociological attitudes across the world. The album, My Own Company, was written as a kind of manifesto for modern life. We talk about a whole range of things; everything from mass consumerism, social anxiety, and media bombardment to corporate zombies, elderly love affairs, brain function, mid-nineties video game addiction and the undeniable human obsession with shouting louder than everyone else. They are many stories contained under one umbrella. POLSKY Corp. was conceived as a way to present every day personal challenges as grand, corporate backed sponsorships. We thought that would be quite funny.
What was the last song you listened to?
Swans – To Be Kind
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
At the moment we have only released the album digitally but we have a physical vinyl release date set for 2017. We like that vinyl is seeing a resurgence but now days people still find most new music online. The good thing about music consumption today is you can enjoy music in any way you like. No one format is better or worse than the others – that said, the thrill of receiving your music pressed on vinyl is like nothing else.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Personally, I use Spotify a lot when I’m searching for new music but I get tips from blogs, record shops and friends. I almost see it as a try-before-you-buy service. Bandcamp is great for use as a simple online shop for bands and there are lots of exciting acts to find on there – you really have to put the work in though. If you relied on being spoon fed music from commercial radio or TV, you’d end up with a collection of CDs that only come from Simon Cowell’s shiny, sterile pop kitchen. Nobody needs that.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
I think it’s just that – there is so much music out there for people to find, one of the hardest things is keeping your fans engaged and coming back for more. As a new band you have to be prolific, persistent and consistent. There’s also a huge amount of pressure for a band to find their voice immediately, but audiences are still interested in watching a band grow if the initial message is strong enough.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
The best place is via our social profiles, @POLSKYMUSIC on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Check out our Soundcloud and Bandcamp profiles too for more music, t-shirts, badges and merch.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Well, we’d really like you to have a listen to My Own Company and download it from iTunes. Tell your friends, family, enemies, local politicians, newspapers, record shops, restaurants, bars, libraries, about POLSKY.
POLSKY are a band for the people, by some people – Chris Warren CEO
