Band Of The Week #261 - Shoreline
This week’s Band of the Week is emo punk hardcore outfit Shoreline - who have just released their debut album ‘To Figure Out’.
Deeply rooted in the DIY hardcore/punk scene, SHORELINE gained a reputation as a rousing live band after countless shows in squats, rehearsal rooms and basement clubs all over the European continent, so that they quickly found themselves opening for scene legends like Basement, Silverstein, Spanish Love Songs or Hot Water Music.
New album, To Figure Out continues to reflect on heavy political topics such as the climate crisis and animal rights but also touches very personal topics, difficult friendships and love songs. Produced by Chris Teti at Silverbullet Studios Burlington, CT (among others Anxious, Fiddlehead, The World is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die...) Shoreline not only seamlessly continue their musical originality, but also created their best-sounding record in their career.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there Shoreline - how are you? So your album is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Oh being excited would be a massive understatement. The time between finishing the record and actually releasing it was not too long (about 10 months) , so the songs still feel very fresh. Our team put a lot of effort into helping us promoting the record and touring around it, I really hope that people connect with it. I know EVERY band says that about their new record ALWAYS, but I really think this is the best music we’ve ever written as a group and I’m proud how serious everyone in the band and the team is about it.
It is called ‘To Figure Out' - what is the meaning behind that?
We realized that we use that phrase in a lot of the songs and I think that’s the big theme on the record. – Realizing that everything is a process and being on the journey of figuring out life. There’s a variety of subjects that we’re touching on, but they all have that one idea in common.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
Oh it was very unusual for us, we used to produce all music (1 EP, 2 LPs + a couple singles) in a studio about 2h from where we live with our friend Jochen Stummbillig. This time we recorded everything ourselves in our newly built own studio and had Chris Teti from Silverbullet Studios in CT, USA co produce and mix it remotely.
All of that was quite challenging, we had some experience producing and recording before hand, but were never confident enough to do an actual record. We tracked a cover of Title Fight’s Shed before the album recording just to test the water, and that sounded awesome, I think that gave us the confidence that we could actually make it work. Chris Teti helped us a lot, not only musically, but also giving technical advice on how to record drums for example.
That what makes us so proud that this record sounds the way it sounds!
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
On SEOUL I am talking about my experiences as an Asian growing up in a western country and how I learned to not only accept my roots but even embrace it and be empowered by it. For a long time in my 20s I wished I was white and I internalized a lot of the stereotypes that were given to me. SEOUL is about overcoming those and starting to feel more comfortable in my skin.
If the album could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Oh what a great question. I wouldn’t choose a film, but a Netflix show called THE END OF THE FUCKING WORLD. It really has nothing to do with the plot of the series, but it is filmed so beautifully and I really loved the storytelling. There’s a lot of anger and vulnerability in that series that would fit the record well I think.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the album - if so, which one and why?
It’s from the second song off the record called DARIUS:
“Say can you still enjoy the art that you crafted or does it remind you of the fear of being mediocre?”
We’re a pretty young band still, but since we started early and stayed together, we already have our third record + 1 EP out. The longer I work in the music industry, the easier it gets to forget why I am doing this band. You start to compare yourself to other bands, think about sales numbers too much and I often forget to enjoy and appreciate, that we’re very privileged and fortunate to play in this kind of band together. I’m 27 right now and it’s crazy to think that when I was 20 I would text people on facebook and book a 6 week DIY Europe/UK tour, and we’ve come this far. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not a huge band, but and we’re still pushing it as hard as possible, but I’ll just try to enjoy more and compare myself less with other artists.
Now the album is out there - what next?
We’ll tour it as much as possible and then…we’ll write our new record. We actually already started writing new demos. I hope we get to tour the USA, but we’ll see whatever the release holds for us.
Thank you for taking the time!
