Stereo Embers The Podcast 0091: David Schelzel (The Ocean Blue)

“David Schelzel Used To Think 30 Was A Good Age To Stop Making Records”

But that was before he was 30. Admittedly, when you’re an introverted kid growing up listening to The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen, 30 probably seems pretty ancient. At least it did to the Ocean Blue’s David Schelzel He figured once he hit 30, he’d probably be done putting out records. Well, he was wrong. Although The Ocean Blue did stop putting out records for almost 15 years while the members of the band pursued other careers—Schelzel, for example, became a lawyer—they didn’t stop for good, and we’re grateful for that. Six years after their last album Ultramarine, comes the band’s sixth long player, the meditative and melodic Kings and Queens/Knaves And Thieves. In this conversation, Schelzel talks about what it was like to sign a record deal and head to London at 19, why he decided to pursue a career outside of music and his dizzying work ethic. He also talks about the evolution of the band’s sound, whether or not he keeps up with the work of his heroes and what emotional season The Ocean Blue are entering at this stage in their career.