Band Of The Week #242 - Blusher
This week’s Band of the Week is Melbourne trio Blusher - who have just released their debut sparkly EP ‘Should We Go Dance?’.
In Blusher’s metaphorical teen rom-com of a band, all three members are the leads. They share vocals on many of their songs and swap instruments during the live shows. They all produce and write together, utilising their individual experiences cutting their teeth as solo artists before forming the band.
This EP is the product of the band's hard work and determination, but moreover their friendship. Over the course of a year the trio have mastered the escapism that manifests from letting everything go on the dancefloor. "Most of the music was created in Lauren’s bedroom while we drank lots of tea and spilled all our secrets," they explain. "Writing this EP was such a fun combination of forces. We swapped instruments, read from each others’ journals, and layered all our vocals together to create what we call the ‘fourth member of the band’. Lauren is head chef of production, Jade is a vocal melody machine and Miranda can write basslines in her sleep."
Inspired by the same nostalgic deep cuts by Robyn, Kesha, LCD Soundsystem and MGMT and their love of hard-hitting dance-pop, sparkly synths and drum machines, "[they] hope this EP could become the soundtrack to someone’s restless nights, and that it inspires groups of girls like us to go out and make some funny stories with their friends."
They took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Blusher - how are you? So your EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Miranda: We’re over the moon (and a little nervous)! We’ve put a lot of time, sweat and tears into the making of this EP, and also a lot of laughing fits, ridiculous inside jokes, and d&m’s in the studio.
Lauren: We also put a lot of thought into the visuals that accompany each song, and we just can’t wait to let people in to be a part of the Blusher world that we’ve created together.
It is called ‘Should We Go Dance?’ - what is the meaning behind that?
Jade: We wanted the EP to feel like the ultimate night out with your friends. Each track correlates to a different part of the night; getting ready together, crush confessions in the bathroom, and yelling along to your favourite songs together on the dance floor. The lyrics all draw from our real-life experiences, and feel exactly like the conversations that we have with each other.
The title ‘Should We Go Dance?’ feels personal to us, like a little insight to those conversations - it’s the moment you’ve finished a deep discussion and a cry together in the club bathroom, touch up your eyeliner and decide to drag your friends out to the dancefloor.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
Lauren: The EP was written between our bedrooms in Melbourne, and mostly recorded at our studio in Collingwood. The studio became our second home where we spent late nights perfecting drum sounds, drank countless teas and wandered around Collingwood looking for inspiration in op shops and galleries.
Miranda: Limelight started in Lauren’s bedroom on a Friday night, channelling the Black Eyed Peas, and involved taking the advice of our own lyrics to go out for a drink and a dance, mid-session.
Hurricane Chaser was inspired by the truly chaotic ‘Tornado Chasers’ documentary, which we watched half an episode of in the studio while writing.
Backbone went through about 15 different versions, where we kept writing new sections before we eventually settled on a chorus. (The bridge was originally the chorus!)
Jade: Dead End was inspired by Miranda telling us her story of using a fake ID for a year to get into terrible dive bars, and crying the night she finally got found out. We were in Sydney for our first writing trip as a band, and wrote Dead End with collaborator Robby De Sa.
Softly Spoken was inspired by French artist Sophie Calle, who sent 107 different women a break-up letter she’d received, and asked them each to analyse it according to their profession. This was the first song we ever wrote together, and we quickly realised how compatible we were as songwriters as well as friends.
We swapped instruments, read from each others’ journals, and layered all our vocals together to create what we call the “fourth member of the band”. Writing together over the past year has felt like such a fun and unique combining of forces.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
Miranda: It's a celebration of female friendship, fun, anticipation, heartbreak, love, longing and everything in between.
Lauren: We bonded over a love for hard hitting, dancey pop, sparkly synths and drum machines, which became the foundation for the sound of this EP. Our inspiration playlist is full of Robyn, Charli XCX and Kesha, indie-dance stuff like MGMT, Passion Pit and LCD Soundsystem, and lots of house music and hyperpop. The ‘Blusher’ sound comes from us experimenting a lot in the studio, and turning our vocals into a lot of the instruments and textures on the EP.
If the EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Jade: Technically a show not a film, but probably Euphoria! The cinematography inspired a lot of the scenes in our visualisers, and the grit, glamour, and insane drama of the show would pair well with our EP.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP - if so, which one and why?
Miranda: “i keep this place in my blood, in my guts, dirt in my cuts / this love is timeless, vibrant, metal and rust” (Dead End)
Jade: “I have a teenage feeling, I have a heartbeat speeding” (Limelight)
Lauren: “Yikes” (Dead End)
Now the EP is out there - what next?
Jade: We’re heading out on tour supporting superstar Tove Lo, which we couldn’t be more excited about! We think her fans will bring such a sick energy, and the Melbourne show is in our bucket list dream venue The Forum.
We recently did a writing trip to LA and London, so we have a lot of new demos that we’re sorting through, writing and producing, and starting to build our vision for the next releases. We already can’t wait to play more shows and release new music!
