INTERVIEW: Polar Bear Club (Jimmy)

We've decided that because Issue #1 isn't going to be out soon, we'll just throw the things we've got so far, on this blog so y'all can get a good read of it. In the last year or so, Polar Bear Club have quickly become one of my favourite bands. Their first EP "The Redder, The Better" was phenomenal and they followed that up with their debut album "Sometimes Things Just Disappear" which was equally great in my eyes.

This is an interview with Jimmy Stadt who is the lead singer in Polar Bear Club.

Moving North: The last year has been a pretty busy one for you guys. Does the time spent away from home put a strain on relationships with friends and loved ones? I kind of got that feeling from Living Saints lyrics, as kind of a shout out to your friends you miss?

Jimmy: Sometimes it can put a real strain on things for sure. This year we are going to miss thanksgiving and that really sucks but it's just how it is sometimes. Living Saints is definitely a song to all the friends and family we miss throughout the year.

Having been on tour constantly for a long while now, what have you found to be the best and worst experiences? Also in PBC who has the worst touring habits, dish some dirt.

Well we've made a lot of friends over the last year touring in the U.S and in the U.K. so it's really nice to have familiar friends and places all over the world. Most cities we go to, we know where we will be staying before we get there. I think the worst experience we've had as a band came in the first week we started touring full time. Our van kept breaking down and we missed the first show. We had to drive six hours to where the show was just to pick up our merch that was delivered there. We went through like four vans in five days and finally got it sorted out. It was hell. In terms of touring habits everyone is pretty road savvy in PBC. You learn what to expect from people after time and you can either adjust to that or just keep getting mad about little things. Usually it's both.

Who parties the hardest in Polar Bear Club? I want some examples Jimmy!

That's hard. We all have our nights. It's definitely not me. Probably our tour manager Trevor.

Out of all the bands you've toured with such as Gaslight Anthem, Have Heart, Four Year Strong...is there any particular band you've learnt a lot from how to live on the road from?

Yeah, you pick up little things. Every band does it a little differently and every band learned from other bands they've toured with. It's kind of cool all these hand me down little tools to living on tour. Fireworks has some good ones, like wash your feet every night before bed. Great advice in the summer time.

What band should people be looking out for in the near future, who's going places?

Fireworks definitely and Broadway Calls. Although I'm sure most people know those bands already. I'm a bad person to ask, I don't really have my ear to the underground any more than anyone else.

You've just gone home from your 3rd time in the UK in 2009. You must like it here?

Yes we love it. We've made a lot of good friends over there and the shows and venues are generally really good to us.

Out of the UK bands you've played shows with over here, who has caught your eye?

We've played with The Don Ramos players like three or four times and they are really cool.

Frank Turner. Tell me the best and worst things about playing shows with that man!

The best thing about playing with Frank is that he's always spot on and every show he plays has a great vibe. The worst part is that he's always spot on, so if you suck you look really bad in comparison. He never sucks!

How do you feel the new record 'Chasing Hamburg' differs from your previous releases?

I think "Hamburg" is catered more towards playing live than our other records. The songs are shorter and more direct. We've just spent more time on tour this time around than we ever have before so we got more in tune with that feel as opposed to longer instrumental parts and crazy layers.

What ambitions do you have after releasing the new record, where do you want it to push Polar Bear Club?

I just want to get more people into it. People in Punk and Hardcore know of us or at least have heard of us. I kinda want to show other people who dismiss punk and hc how awesome it can be. A couple bands have done that and I want to be one of them.

On the subject of the new record, what was your reaction when you found out it'd leaked? How do you feel about piracy in music?

Ours didn't leak until less than a week before the release and that is pretty damn good. So by the time it did leak I didn't really care. Piracy is just how it is now. It doesn't seem to be changing. We can adjust or keep whining and I think there are ways to adjust. It doesn't really bug me especially in punk and HC. It almost puts more of an emphasis on vinyl which is great.

You guys released a 3-song EP in the summer called "The Summer of George", 2 of those tracks made it to the album, and 'Dead Man' didn't, why not?

We just couldn't find its place in a good track order. We all like the song but it just didn't fit anywhere. That's all. We will still play it live and stuff. No worries if you like that song.

Finally, tell us something we don't know about Polar Bear Club

I don't have a beard.

Polar Bear Club have just released their second album "Chasing Hamburg" and is available by click the cover art below!