Polar Sky Club Ep. 03: Eyedress
Polar Sky Club Ep. 03: Eyedress
Eyedress grew up skating in Arizona in the ’90s, where skate videos first opened the door to music. Through parts by Jim Greco, Andrew Reynolds, Jerry Hsu and others, he discovered punk, garage rock and a lot of the bands that would later shape his own sound.
Music eventually became the focus, but skating never really went away and still finds its place in the DNA of his music videos.
Polar Sky Club flight 003 is in the hands of captain Eyedress. Expect a journey through punk rock, garage, forgotten gems & more.
What's up! Can you tell us a bit about your skate background?
I started skating in Phoenix, Arizona in the ’90s. I grew up there from about five to thirteen. The first VHS I ever bought was The End from Cowtown, and that was my introduction to skating. After that I got Fulfill the Dream, Jump Off a Building, Misled Youth, Baker 2G… and through those videos I started getting into music too.
I was never really destined to be that good, so I’d always just be the filmer in my crew. I moved to San Clemente when I was 13 and I started skating less because I went to school with kids like Ryan Sheckler, who was already ridiculously good at such a young age. It was hard not to feel discouraged, so I started playing more in bands instead."
Around 15 I moved back to the Philippines. I started skating again mostly because I was bored, but eventually I accepted that music was what I wanted to do. I knew I wasn’t gonna get much better at skating, so I started filming my own skate video to document the scene in the Philippines.
Skating has always been part of your music videos. How important is it for you to bring that side of yourself into your music?
It’s a huge part of who I am. I don’t think I’d be making the music I make if it wasn’t for skating. I'd have never gotten into punk rock if I hadn't seen Jim Greco skating to Black Flag, Bryan Herman to the Richmond Sluts, or Andrew Reynolds to Donovan. All that stuff shaped my taste in music, even the way I dressed. I was pretty hesh when I was younger. And honestly, skating is just what I do for fun. So when I make a music video, it just makes sense that skating ends up in it. It’s fun to make those with my friends.
How did things change once your music career really took off?
Life got busy. I got a kid, and all my time went into family and music. Whenever I could I’d still bring my board on tour and skate on days off or even through airports. But I‘d keep it slow because getting hurt isn’t really an option when you have shows to play.
So then, what‘s your main inspiration in skating nowadays?
Probably just watching my friends skate. Whether I’m filming or just sitting there watching them try something over and over, I love seeing someone finally land it. Skating taught me to get back up every time I fall and just keep trying. That’s exactly how I think about making music. I always tell my friends making a song is like filming a trick. You keep trying until you land it. Finishing an album feels the same as finishing a video part. That feeling after working on something for so long… nothing really beats it.
What’s something you’d like to see more of in skating again?
Man, I miss full-length skate videos. Now everything just goes straight to Instagram and it kinda kills the mystery for me. Back then skate videos had all the little skits, random funny moments, people getting kicked out by security, just showing everyone’s personality. I miss that stuff.
I’d also love to see more skaters making parts to their own music. I think we’re getting closer to that now since so many pros are making music too.
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