Just a few days before heading over to the United Kingdom to make their second appearance on music television show Later... with Jools Holland, Polica stopped by to play songs off their forthcoming sophomore record Shulamith (out Oct. 22) in Minnesota Public Radio's UBS Forum.

Between songs, host Steve Seel and Jill Riley of The Current's Morning Show chatted with Polica about the new album, the story behind the title and its album art. When asked about the title and what it references, vocalist and electronics connoisseur Channy Leaneagh explains that artists like herself often name their art in a creative fever and, "Then you get out and do interviews about it and you're like, 'Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I forgot I have to explain myself.'"

Rather than the album title simply referencing feminist Shulamith Firestone, Leaneagh says it represents the collective feeling she had after reading The Dialectic of Sex, a book by Firestone that was given to her by her brother. "That's exactly what I was trying to say in 12 songs," she says.

As for the album art — that red stuff that looks like blood? It's just hair dye.

Jill Riley points out that when a song is played on air, the album art is pulled from iTunes and displayed on The Current's website. When tracks like "Chain My Name" or "TIFF" are spun, Shulamith's album art is pixelated because it violates iTunes policy. Leaneagh explains that the image does not display violence as iTunes claims but rather, "it shows something that people to do beautify themselves, but it's also kind of brutal. The cycle of life of a woman is blood, lots of blood, and trying to be beautiful. And blood. That's the cycle of a woman." The battle with iTunes was a battle she did not win, but Channy maintains that art should provoke thinking be able to be reinterpreted.

So, what's next for Polica? On Oct. 18, Channy will be performing with classical composure Jherek Bischoff with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with other artists like Sondre Lerche, and Greg Saunier of Deerhoof.

Meanwhile, Polica producer Ryan Olson and drummer Ben Ivascu will be in New York City with Marijuana Deathsquads for the College Music Journal Awards in support of their Oct. 15 release, Oh My Sexy Lord.

The following week, Polica's sophomore effort Shulamith drops, and on Halloween they'll kick off a month-long tour which starts in Milwaukee and ends in Minneapolis with two Mill City Nights performances on Nov. 29 and 30.

Songs Performed

"Smug"
"Spilling Lines"
"Chain My Name"
"So Leave"

All songs off Polica's sophomore record Shulamith, out Oct. 22 on Mom + Pop Music.

Hosted by Steve Seel and Jill Riley of The Current's Morning Show
Produced by Lindsay Kimball
Engineered by Mike DeMark and Maury Jensen

Gallery

Fullscreen SlidePrevious Slide

10 of 10

1 of 10

2 of 10

Next Slide