One of Colorado’s longest-running independent music projects, postpunk-shoegaze outfit A Shoreline Dream present their dark and deeply introspective single ’20’, following the lead track ‘Legacy’. Reflecting upon the road taken while pondering the path ahead, they preview their new ‘Waiting’ album, a major milestone that arrives two decades since their debut record ‘Avoiding the Consequences’.
Formed in 2005 and based in Barnum, Colorado, A Shoreline Dream is a duo of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ryan Policky and guitarist Erik Jeffries. For just over two decades, Policky and Jeffries have built a catalog approaching 120 released tracks while developing a sound rooted in shoegaze, psychedelia, post-punk, and expansive guitar-driven experimentation.
The new video for ’20’, starring Julianna Beckert, is a literal hazed-out dream of all the waiting for something or someone to happen. Lost in ups and downs. Emotional states. The visual you were waiting for arrives and it really wasn’t there to begin with. Ryan Policky notes, “Julianna is the best I know of conveying emotion and was a perfect fit for the vibe. We made sure, as always, to record the spots we love now but know will be gone forever soon, such as the 8th street bridge, where she traverses along the way through the video.”
With brooding lyrics, ’20’ turns the anniversary into an exploration of time and sound – a literal head-on confrontation with time, uncertainty, sacrifice, and the weight of devoting so much of one’s life to music. Blending multiple genres into one loaded number, A Shoreline Dream add a new shimmery track to the nearly 120 they’ve released to date – each of them cavernous and rooted in waves and soundscapes.
“The video for ’20’ could have gone so many ways since it is a song that celebrates 20 years of A Shoreline Dream, but the simple truth behind the concept is exactly in line with the title of the new album ‘Waiting’. The idea was to capture the emotions ready to burst out of any of us at any moment, whether they take place in our dreams or in reality. That dream we search for, which is usually for most a simple desire of having a partner who we can relate to, love, respect and spend our days with, is one of the hardest things to acquire,” explains Ryan Policky.
“Julianna Beckert, an friend/actress I’ve worked with for years now with ASD and my horror production company has this uncanny ability of hitting extraordinary facial expressions when asked and it fit this idea perfectly. The story of what you will see, dives into this long wait I personally have had. Imagining someone who is there to help, remembering to bring me a microphone to complete the message I have been trying to tell to all, with the reality being they were never there to begin with… leaving behind the truth that the waiting must continue, and maybe has actually just begun.”
As they near this 20th anniversary, A Shoreline Dream look at that history from a deeply personal perspective. Years spent writing, recording, producing, and refining their music have often meant choosing the demands of the creative process over the conventional milestones of everyday life. The song considers what remains when so much of a life has been devoted to making music, and whether the work itself ultimately becomes the legacy.
The release comes during one of the band’s most prolific periods. Rather than treating 2026 as a year of reflection. In February, they released the album ‘To Where They Have Gone’, which involves Ride frontman Mark Gardener. Through A Shoreline Dream’s partnership with Shameless Promotion PR, their collaboration with Gardener has lasted the better part of the past half-decade, including three tracks and videos on their ‘Whitelined’ album.
“2026 has been the year of true sonic inspiration, and the first time I’ve found myself in a constant music writing mode. After working with Mark Gardener, my mind has been humming melodies to me daily,” says Ryan Policky.
“It’s been a brutal human climate, and the distractions are so overwhelming in the media / toxic social media world. I’m f’ing over it. I just want explosive and melodic tunes to distract from this insane world, and these songs are exactly that. The tales of dealing with a world in chaos I hope resonate with all those out there looking for new musical vibes and explosive soundscapes. We have come back to the original feeling of A Shoreline Dream,” says Ryan Policky.
The ‘Waiting’ album is a marker of where A Shoreline Dream stands now. Maintaining a creative partnership through changing musical landscapes and an evolving industry, their journey has been full of rewarding achievements. They have worked extensively with Ulrich Schnauss and has also collaborated with members of Engineers, Chapterhouse, Rocket Girl Records, and mastering engineer Mark Kramer (Urge Overkill, Bongwater, Shimmy Records).
’20’ is out now across digital music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Now available for pre-order, the ‘Waiting’ album will be released on October 16th via Latenight Weeknight Records.
CREDITS
Written & produced by Ryan Policky
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Ryan Policky
Distributed by The Orchard
Copyright Latenight Weeknight Records, LLC
Cover art and photography by Ryan Policky
‘20’ video shot & directed by Ryan Policky
Filmed in Denver / Barnum Colorado
Starring Julianna Beckert
Band photos by Ryan Policky
Publicity by Shauna McLarnon for Shameless Promotion PR