Look for Los Angeles alt-rock duo Polaris Rose (Peter Anthony & Madelynn Elyse) to release their second full-length album, Ocean Blue, Velvet Skies, this March.
What brought you two together?
Peter Anthony: Michael Jackson. Haha. Seriously, we met and bonded over “Rock with You”. We were at a friend’s show when we met. We started working together on various music projects and I think we just love working together.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music?
The energy is like '90s rock. The chords and vocals are jazzy. We sing about a lot of social issues and stars and stuff.
Are there any musicians you've been influenced by, either individually or as a duo?
Maddie and I have much different tastes. I’m more a prog rock guy (Smashing Pumpkins, Failure, Steely Dan), while Maddie likes more radio-friendly artists (Alanis Morrisette, Foo Fighters, Beyonce). Haha. Polaris Rose - in our minds - sits in between prog and radio.
If you were to make a playlist for your fans, which three tracks - from other artists - would you have to include?
We would include “The Weather” by Paper Pilots, “Revolution” by Young Creatures, and “Passengers” by Dinosaur Parade. All really great LA bands that we love.
What was the inspiration behind your latest release, "TigerBait”?
The song is about clickbait internet culture and two people attempting to have a conversation about it. Think Buzzfeed. Not that we don’t love Buzzfeed but we get stuck clicking and clicking and clicking.
That's off your forthcoming album, Ocean Blue, Velvet Skies, how does this new album compare to your previous releases?
We stepped up the production values this time around. We were lucky enough to get John Spiker (Tenacious D, Beck, Filter) to mix the record, while Eric Boulanger (One Republic, Colbie Caillet) mastered. Musically speaking, we swayed more towards a ‘beach’ feel with this record.
Could you sum up Ocean Blue, Velvet Skies in one sentence?
The lyric from our song “Rose” can do the trick: “With our arms outstretched, we watch the sunset die until we’re left with ocean blue and velvet skies."
What do you want listeners and fans to be able to take from your music?
We want people to enjoy listening to the songs so much that they listen again, haha.