cerulean

“I just don’t see what’s so fucking daring about having nothing to lose,” says singer and guitarist Rick Bolander. He’s never understood the media’s love affair with rock’s favorite archetype. “Wearing despair like some badge of validation is a clichéd gimmick. Where‘s the danger in pursuing something because you have no other options? You don’t have to be starving or suicidal to make great music and there’s far more drama in risking everything for something that might not pan out.”Cerulean are well versed in the acumen of risk. Before joining the band, guitarist Noel Kelly was a signature away from fighter pilot training. Drummer Dave Cerwonka was about to become a mountaineering guide, but moved to Los Angeles instead. Rick was doing some kind of work with classified satellites, the details of which he notably won’t go into. Touring in a rock band could seem tame by comparison.“There’s always going to be that fear of failure no matter what you’re doing, and the chance of success [in music] is slim. With a lot of confidence, a good plan, and of course good music, your chances get a lot better.”Cerulean’s drive certainly flies in the face of hipster apathy that many bands champion, or worse, imitate these days. Nevertheless, as the rock world continues its ongoing cycle of exhuming heroes from 20 years past, Cerulean find themselves shadowed by the latest Anglophile love fest. "We’re not surprised by it,” Dave points out, “but we’re not expecting a front seat on the bandwagon either. Listeners make those determinations for themselves.” Could Cerulean’s lack of desire to be part of a scene be yet another twist of the punk rock ethos?“Our music will always speak louder than anything we are or aren’t involved with scene-wise,” says Noel. “The music press seems to care more about scenes than most music fans do. About the only thing we have in common with punk ideology is that we’re deciding our own future. We’ve never understood what was so cool and hip about not giving a shit, and if people hear and feel that, then we’ve succeeded."Their penchant for crashing, uptempo arena-tremblers and haunting, atmospheric mood pieces has yielded licenses on some of television’s most critically acclaimed programming (including HBO’s Six Feet Under) and contributes to more national radio airplay by the week. An unparalleled live show and constant touring (with an incendiary set at last Fall’s CMJ Music Marathon) also find Cerulean continuing to garner a loyal fan base that grows rapidly with every new listener.Since releasing the Fractions EP last year, the band has been compared to the Catherine Wheel, Ride, The Verve, and early ‘80s new-romantics The Chameleons. Chiming guitar leads and angular drumming also give way to the obligatory U2 reference. Dave appreciates the comparisons, but feels they limit a band whose sound is equally rooted on both sides of the Atlantic, “I see us simply as a rock band. I guess the British element of what we do is more evident from an outside perspective.”So if they’re not trying to play up their association with the latest Brit-rock movement, why enlist ex-Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist and songwriter David Newton to record both the Fractions EP and their recent full-length 'No Sense In Waiting'? Quite simply, both albums show a band thriving in Newton’s straightforward, hands-off recording philosophy and finding a blistering sonic focus.