Blue Sky Mile
by Don Sill
Blue Sky Mile are flying high these days and sailing amongst the clouds. The Seattle-based five-piece are living out their dreams and conquering their goals. With a new album, "Sands Once Seas" now released and a nation-wide tour under way the boys are psyched and smiling like crazy.
This may come as a surprise to those familiar with Blue Sky Mile's deep and weighty lyrical themes and emo driven music. After all, "Sands Once Seas" is a dark pondering look into the aftermath of disaster told through intricate rock riffs and melodic hardcore sensibilities. But if you were expecting this band to be all stiff-lipped, you'd be wrong. Blue Sky Mile are certainly not "a grumpy rock band." I caught up with vocalist Jerry Kansky recently and despite the catastrophic theme of his work he was in very high spirits and overwhelmed with his recent success.
WHAT'S THE SEATTLE ROCK SCENE LIKE THESE DAYS?
It's actually pretty damn good these days. There's a lot of good venues that have been open for a while and a lot of good bands to play with. You're never wanting for a show, you know. Sometimes there's too many shows and it' s kinda hard to get kids to come out, but for the most part it's a fuckin' great scene to be in.
WHAT'S IT LIKE COMING UP IN A SCENE WITH ALL THAT HISTORY BEHIND IT?
I know that every time we do interviews someone always asks us a question about grunge, which is pretty funny. But as for the scene, it's a non-issue. I mean, there's still one or two bands that have held on rather tightly to their flannel shirts and jag-masters. There's a lot of history so I think that a lot of bands work hard to live up to the expectations of our city and we're the same way.
YEAH, THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME PRESSURE COMING FROM SEATTLE WHEN EVERYONE ASSOCIATES THE CITY WITH NIRVANA, PEARL JAM, ALICE IN CHAINS AND SO MANY OTHER GREAT BANDS.
Yeah, but that's like saying that a great band form New York people automatically think they'll be a cut above because it's such a big music scene over there. It's all the same thing.
YOUR DEBUT ALBUM IS CALLED "SANDS ONCE SEAS." WHY THAT TITLE?
I came up with it when we were recording it. I was going through all the lyrics and trying to find a unifying theme in it and to me what it means- now this is me personally, I don't how the rest of the band feels about it-
it's about the aftermath of some great catastrophe. Whether it be a personal catastrophe or a historical one and the title is that after a catastrophe you could either come back from it and move on or you can revert. Like you were once this great ocean and now you're this empty dessert and that's where it came from.
SO THE THEME IS OVERCOMIG CATASTROPHE'S?
Just that theme of loss and finding yourself through catastrophe.
WHAT KINDS OF CATASTROPHE'S HAVE YOU ENDURED?
Nothing big really, just the usual bullshit that everyone goes through. I've had broken relationships and messed up family and stuff like that. I try to not limit my writing to my own experience because I feel like I have a very limited experience so I draw a lot from books and movies and historic situations.
HOW HAVE CATASTROPHE'S SUCH AS 9-11 EFFECTED YOU AS AN ARTIST?
Well, I try to stay as far away from possible from writing politically because I don't think I know any more then anyone else does. But, something like that effects everyone on some basic emotional level and definitely has
manifested into some of the bleakness in some of the writing I did. There was an emotional emptiness after 9-11 and then watching everyone band together and there was this national surge of love for this country and that, of course, touched me on all levels.
WHAT MINDSET DO YOU WRITE BEST IN?
As cliché as it sounds, I write best when I'm not happy and pretty upset, that's when it works the best for me. When I'm happy I don't have much focus on trying to make a point or trying to write a good song. When I'm happy I'm just happy and am kind of a moron [Laughs].
GREAT ART USUALLY COMES OUT OF ANGER OR DEPRESSION.
Yeah, I agree with you. That's the stuff I always gravitated towards that's probably why I write that way.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE "SAND ONCE SEAS" AS A WHOLE?
Oh man, I'm bad with the whole description thing. [Laughs]. I think it's a lot more personal then our previous EP, at least from my end, and it's a more mature record. There's more of a unified theme both lyrically and melodically throughout this record.
IS YOUR LIFE A SEA OR A DESSERT?
It's definitely been quite a sea recently, I mean we've been so lucky and we 've played so many great shows and to put out this record with all the support everyone have given us. It's just been awesome, I think we're all having an amazing time.
YOU GUYS ARE TOURING NOW.
Yeah, we're out supporting the record.
HOW IS THE HOME TOWN CROWD FEELING YOU GUYS?
Oh, they've been great, man. We had our CD release party last week and it was so much fun. I think it was the most fun I ever had in my life. A lot of kids, lot of friends, it was just awesome. We play with a lot of intensity and smiles, we like to have fun and we don't want to be another grumpy rock band.
WHAT'S THE MAIN THING YOU REALLY WANT KIDS TO REMEMBER AFTER A BLUE SKY
MILE SHOW?
As cheesy as it sounds, I just want kids to have a good time and have fun and enjoy our music for whatever reason. Basically I just want everyone to have a blast and walk away happy and friends.
