Angele Lalonde writes "Sadly as previously announced, Boston's hardcore's 'Reach The Sky' have parked the van and called it quits as of February 9th. A mutual decision between all members, they're leaving this industry with absolutely no regrets and lots of friends, officially this is RTS's last interview so take it in while you still can…"
Click READ MORE to see Ian and company's final thoughts on the band.



Angie- Well I actually just found out this is your last tour?
Ian- Yes it is...
A- So this is it for Reach The Sky?
Ian- Yep, this is it, we didn't even want to announce it as a last tour but the news kind of just got out there, so we had to announce it, we were just going to tour and then quietly break up but the news got out.
A- Why?
Ian- Because we're like old dudes and we need to get back to working and just being normal guys…
A- You really honestly feel like that?
Ian- Yes, absolutely, you know we've been around for 6yrs. Punk and hardcore is like a two or three year period in most people's lives. This is not like Dave Matthews Band where people listen to him in High School and they can follow it all the way up until they're a yuppie and still relate. With punk, that's what makes it so important because it's a quick period in someone's life. Yes there are things from it that you will carry forever but as in going to shows regularly and being dead on about it (hardcore) its usually a brief thing for people. We did it full time for six years, we went everywhere all over the world, we did more than we expected to. I mean I don't leave with any regrets at all, it's just we did it to the fullest of our abilities. Our bass player is getting married all the other guys are moving in with their girlfriends and I'm getting a real job. We got to get back to work my bank account needs help…
A- Are you scared to go back?
Ian- No, actually I've already started working because we were home for a little bit. When I got this job offer that I simply couldn't pass up, I told everyone. I had to take the job. I told everybody and they were bummed but they understood. We're all friends still and we can understand each other pretty well. I mean we have a whole other record basically written, we wrote it because we planned on recording it, but never did. We tossed around the idea of recording it and going back on the road but what more are we going to really do or accomplish, I guess. Like okay we can do it and then it will come out and hopefully people will like it but we're just going to do the same thing as we did, we're not going to turn into some superstar buzz band. Hell, I don't think we'd even want that…
A- Will you ever release that album?
Ian- No, no not at all, what's the purpose I mean I don't want to… I want to be remembered for our live show. The records will do whatever to the listener. But the live stuff, that's important, that's the immediacy of punk rock, when you listen to a record it does whatever it does, you know what I mean, but when you go to a show that's what makes it real and honest, it's just everybody here feeling the same things. I don't want to sound corny or cliché but ultimately that's what the connection is, that's why I fell in love with it, it's because of what happens on that stage, from any band. That's the part we want to be remembered for, the records will be around forever, but not the passion from a live show. So that's why we won't do another record and put it out and not tour on it. Its not right, for us.
A- Is everyone else pursuing different careers too?
Ian- (points to Brendan) He's getting married. It's just we've gotten to this point in our lives, you know what I mean, I don't want to wear out our welcome either. Some people will always say we shouldn't have broken up but…
A- Up here you guys are the Boston hardcore's…
Ian- I think that's because we came here once we had a good time and we'll never forgot it. A lot of tours bypass it because Ottawa's not a huge city, but play Toronto and Montreal…
A- Yes, every time…
Ian- But Ottawa's just always shown us a lot of love and we've just always had a lot of fun here so we came back and we're still having a lot of fun. Ultimately, again that's what's important to us: the shows and the people. whatever I don't give a shit about records sales or any of that, that's bullshit. I didn't get into hardcore so I could say 'I sold this much' I got into it to be like I went to a town I never would have gone to in my entire life and I met these people who I care about forever and have connected with. That's the reality of it. It's not because of some fucking cornball dude who's like yeah, I came to Ottawa and I sold 40 t-shirts! Seriously, who gives a fuck! Who really cares about that shit? I would rather be like I came to Ottawa and I have about 10 to 15 friends that I will never forget places I could go there on a vacation for instance and I would run into people I know, that's the reality and that's what makes it work and that's what makes it hard about breaking up too…
A- Was this all a mutual decision between you guys?
Ian- Actually no I pulled the plug, I'll say it, but I mean I got this job offer I simply can't… I didn't even say like 'what do you guys think' I just said I can't do it anymore, I got a job offer, I can't do it. We're all friends so no one was like you fucking asshole they were like I understand our drummer was like it's about time, not in the sense he couldn't wait for it to be over, we all knew at some point something like this was going to happen.
A- Does Victory know and are they okay about this?
Ian- Tony was like that sucks but they understand. I mean he's not happy, he's like I love this band and I don't want to see you guys go but…
A- Brendan, do you have anything planned?
B- Yes, Monday I'm going to be trying to get some shit-ass part-time job...
A- Is anyone else going to be joining or pursuing any other bands?
Bob- We're doing what you call 'entertaining all options'
Ian- We're pursuing getting out of this bullshit, to settle some debts, we owe a lot of money…
A- Could anyone expect to see Reach The Sky again in the future?
Ian- Yeah, I mean everybody will probably… I wouldn't be surprised if dudes resurfaced in other bands but I mean this band playing again? No it's done on the 9th of February. It's been like, six years! We played 647 shows. I read a thing on this band Obituary, a death metal band I loved growing up, and in ten years they played 500 shows. Hell, they are legendary too. We did it for six and played six-hundred-and-fifty. We just non-stop went out there, we were on the road for two-and-a-half years we got home and we had a four or five month break. Finally dudes just were like, doing the same things that you do everyday we were finally getting the chance to do. Simple crap that people who are home all the time take for granted. Now I actually kind of like being at home, I like the thought of knowing that when my friends come to town I'm going to actually be there, you know shit comes up, you know someone graduates or gets married you're actually going to be there… Can you imagine not seeing your family for six years, your parents, your brothers, birthdays your own birthdays just never being around. Because you go out and do what you're doing, everybody else's lives move on, it's almost a selfish way of living to expect to go out there and do what you're doing and have everybody else fit kind of mold. I mean there's so many people in my life that I care about that I don't see on a regular basis or even ever, because… I'm not home, don't expect me to be home. We did what we did and I have no regrets, absolutely none. I mean there are things business wise and career wise we probably could have done better but ultimately… I mean the things that I miss for the shows and for the places we went that I don't have any regrets about. I was psyched when we put out a demo and when our friends liked our demo I was excited, I could have walked away from it then and been like that's all I want, not to mention selling records all over the world, not to mention going to Japan, Sweden…
Brendan- oh Sweden…
Bob- All I remember in Sweden is people booing us off the stage…
Brendan- We played for like 3000 people and by the end of our third song there was like 300 (laughing)
A- Is there anything you'd want to say to your fans…?
Ian- We don't have "fans". We play shows for hardcore and punk rock kids, the same as us. I see interviews on punknews, you can put this in the interview. I see interviews on there with fucking bands, where bands are actually like we have so many "fans". Get the fuck out of here! Where people are like yeah we're all about our fans we do this for our fans, get the fuck out of here and get over yourself, you're in a fucking punk rock band, not fucking Van Halen. You're a punk rock kid just like anyone else. There was an interview or a review or something on punknews.org where this reviewer was saying it was so cool that band 'X' was walking around talking to their fans. I mean seriously how lame is that shit. You're a punk rock kid or a hard core kid, the bands are fucking punk rock kids or hardcore kids. Nobody is different or better than one another. I hate that vibe from bands. No one should be a fucking fan of some punk band. You can be a fan of Eminem… you know what I mean, when you go to a punk show you're just the same as the dudes on stage. That's the corniest shit when bands try to pull that crap. Fans! Get over yourselves. All you fake punk bands go kill that fan bullshit.
A- So kill the fan bullshit and I guess this is it…
Ian- Yep, you got the last interview, well so far unless something happens later on, but I don't see that happening…