With an array of influences like Coldplay, The Verve and U2, it's hard to imagine that Madison-based ethereal alt.rockers Polydream started out as an acoustic duo working the coffeehouse circuit. But it's true.
When the duo met record producer Britton Rice, everything changed. Rice joined the band and produced a debut EP that garnered attention from far and wide.
Now, with a publicist, a slick and emotive and full-blown full-length disc, "Send Me to the Sun," Polydream is ready to hit the road and move to the next level.
Before the band does that, however, we asked Rice about the history of Polydream, the new record and where the band is headed.
OnMilwaukee.com: Tell me a bit about the genesis of the band.
Britton Rice: The Polydream you hear now is a result of about a decade of evolution. The band started as a Jon (Knudson) and Lucas (Etten) just playing acoustic guitars in coffee shops, they were just kids playing covers. Soon thereafter, they started writing originals, and became full band, with more of a ‘90s alternative influence, I think. At that point, Jon was only playing guitar and was not the lead singer.
Eventually, Jon took over singing duties when their lead singer left. Around this point is when they changed their name to Polydream and added Eric.
OMC: You joined just before the EP, right? How did that come about?
BR: In late 2004, I spoke at the Alliant Expo Center about rock drumming and record producing. At this seminar, one of the bands playing there was Polydream. Back then, they were much different from what you hear now, but nonetheless, I saw a lot of potential.
I agreed to produce the EP "A Rigid Shard of Balace:1," but all our roles eventually merged, and I got more entrenched in the band, helping them write and play.
I joined at a turning point for them, because I think they were interesting in going a slightly different direction, and eager for collaboration. At that point I agreed to be considered an actual band member. So, our ideas began to merge nicely and we began adding more of a variety of instruments and sounds and approaches to the palette.
BR: Yes, the EP did exactly what it was supposed to do, which was to create momentum and test the waters. When I look back, we did a lot of mileage with that EP: a booking agency, publicity, management, touring and more. We saw no point in doing a whole album off the bat if no one cared besides us.
OMC: Did it help land the Japanese label deal?
BR: We don't have a Japanese label deal at the moment, although we sell records there and are working on a more extensive distribution deal there. Our album will be released in the U.S. first.
OMC: Will you go there now that the full-length is out?
BR: Eventually, we'll play in Japan, but it might be a bit until we get over there. We'll tackle the U.K. and France first. We only have plans to tour the U.S. at the moment.
OMC: Tell us a bit about the new disc, "Send Me to the Sun."
BR: This captures a large part of the band's evolution and development; it's a collage of what we've been feeling, thinking and seeing for the past couple years. It was still a complete experiment, seeing what we could do together under the circumstances.
It was recorded in over five locations and two states to give you an idea. We didn't really have frequent access to studios, so this disadvantage forced us to write and refine in the rehearsal space. We felt if we couldn't get excited about were doing between the four of us with basic instruments in one room, then usually it was dead in the water.
When we were in the mastering suite and cutting from parts of one song to another song to compare audio consistency, it was like I was dying and the past couple years all flashing before my eyes. I think sonically and stylistically we got away with a lot, somehow we got a bit heavy, but it's not abrasive, more embrace-ive and pretty, if it that makes sense.
OMC: How does it compare with the EP?
BR: In terms of comparing it to the EP, it's exploring the same themes and imagery, but that was always the intention. Many of the songs on "Send Me to the Sun", we were writing at the same time as the songs on "A Rigid Shard of Balance:1." We are a better band now, though, so I think the new songs are stronger and sound better. The EP was the first four songs we worked on together.
OMC: What's behind the title?
BR: It's called "Send Me to the Sun" for a lot of reasons. It's a multi-dimensional name. It's positive and cavalier, part brave, part belligerent, part weary / fed up, almost (with a) disregard for one's own life in a non-dark sense.
Who would say such a thing? "Send me to the sun." The album's cover is an eclipse, but it is also a bullet hole. It's also born from the lyrical content of the record, and the soundscapes that evolved overtime with the songs. There are themes of light, dark, shadows, heat, sun, stars, the universe, and the like. The rest is for you to interpret and discover, I guess.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
