A Shoreline Dream - Hollow Crown feat. MARK GARDENER
Iconic Colorado-based postpunk-shoegaze outfit A Shoreline Dream release their eighth album 'Whitelined' on July 19. Ahead of this, they preview the infectious upbeat track 'Hollow Crown', the second collaboration with Ride frontman Mark Gardener from this record.
On 'Whitelined', Gardener, together with founding producer and vocalist Ryan Policky and long-standing collaborator Erik Jeffries, have synergized forces to craft a record where shimmering walls of sound wash of turbulent percussion and swooning vocals to weave an otherworldly sonic reality.
Formed in 2005, A Shoreline Dream has churned out numerous releases under their own label Latenight Weeknight Records, carving a unique path that has produced a treasure trove of music that continues to inspire and captivate listeners.
A Shoreline Dream recently shared the lead single 'Everything Turns' featuring Mark Gardener on vocals, but also as co-writer and co-producer. With three of the album's tracks being collaborations with the Ride frontman, this marks the fifth time the band has worked with UK music legends. Ulrich Schnauss, Engineers, Chapterhouse and Rocket Girl Records have all been a part of the ASD family at one point or another.
Policky and Jeffries first met Gardener at a Ride show in Denver on Policky’s birthday. “Right after seriously one of the best shows in recent memory, we threw around the idea of collaborating” says Ryan Policky. They worked together for the remainder of 2023, wrapping things up near the one-year mark. “It was such an amazing collab. Mark was super open stylistically and the ideas flowed. I think we created something neither of us were fully expecting.”
The idea of every beautiful thing having a completely alternate reality is a driving force behind the words and stories on the album. The music and dynamics were all created on the fly, with only about 60% of what was recorded making the final cut. “The flow was super important and we finally landed on a set of songs we feel represent so much of the current A Shoreline Dream vibe,” says Policky.
Gardener shares, “It was great and one of those life-fate meant-to-be chances to connect with Ryan and A Shoreline Dream. Ryan sent a good few tracks through to me from Denver to my Ox4 Sound Studio in Oxfordshire and the first backing track I totally connected with was to become 'Everything Turns'. Lyrically, it’s a reflection on how technology is taking over and, the more connected we get with it, the more alone we can find ourselves in the real World. The backing track was special and the chemistry really happened with this track. It was a joy to ride these sonic waves with Ryan throughout the whole creative process. IN the end “Everything Turns!"
'Whitelined' will be the first A Shoreline Drive album released as a vinyl LP, fittingly on 180-gram white vinyl. Mark Kramer (Urge Overkill, Bongwater, Shimmy Records) oversaw mastering and the record's preparation for direct-to-vinyl production. The album art is based off a photo taken by Policky at Yellowstone in 2008, and re-worked into an oil on photo on canvas.
Refining their sound since their 2014 album 'The Silent Sunrise', A Shoreline Dream has been constantly reinventing themselves. 2020's 'Melting' found Policky gain creative strength and determination from events around him and abroad to create the most refined and heartfelt music ASD has ever produced. In 2022 brought their sixth album, the critically acclaimed 'Loveblind'.
On July 19, the album will be released as a limited edition on 180g white vinyl and digitally everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where 'Everything Turns' can already be downloaded.
