Bloodflower… Blossoming
Showcase: Bloodflower
Published on September 2nd, 2013 | Jonny Abrams
We were really rather taken with Bloodflower’s new single “Horizon”, giving it four quails in a recent singles round-up and describing it in the following terms…
Plenty to like about this brooding, melodically subtle digi-pop: it sounds like something that could have featured on Gaz Coombes’s brilliant Here Come the Bombs album of last year, and gets quirkier and more surprising as it goes on.
Bravo Bloodflower, whoever you are!
Well, now we can tell you who Bloodflower are – they’re Jonnie and Tom, and they had all of this to say…
How would you describe your music, if pushed?
Never an easy question to answer. Like most musicians/producers, we love music and encourage taking influence from records that we love, be it technique, instrumentation or style.
But ultimately the music that Tom and I are creating is the sort of music that we love, so I don’t really care what people say or think because we are happy with it.
When we started out we decided that we would create music for each other, that way outside influence could not interfere. We also found that being selfish in the creative process allowed us to be giving in the releasing process.
We don’t reveal much about the lyrics so that the buyer/downloader has full ownership of that song, they’re our gifts…’death to the author’ style.
Where are you based, and what do you use to record with?
We’re based in the Black Mountains, a very picturesque area in the middle of nowhere that makes up the most of mid-Wales.
When it comes to recording, we move around – due to this we use phones,tape, Pro Tools, dictaphones, anything that can capture what we’re doing where we are.
Are you signed to a label? If so, how did you come to their attention?
At the moment we are not signed to a record label, no, but have released our second single on our own label that we set up called Jumping Frog Records.
Is there a full album in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it? (Feel free to be as abstract as you like…)
There is an album in the works but we have no plans to rush this record. From the outset we didn’t want to work with unrealistic deadlines, so the songs are able to reach their completion organically.
However we are constantly working with titles and concepts to ensure that we are happy with it as a body of work.
We would really like to release this album physically – as big fans of CD, Jonnie and I want to have a piece of plastic in our hand and say that we created it!
We think that attempting to write, record and release a single every three months or so is a great way to develop awareness but more importantly push us both as songwriters and producers. We do like a challenge.
Through this we keep the digital single-buyer happy and in the meantime we’ll choose a body of that will work cohesively as an album, including unreleased tracks to keep the physical album buyer happy. We do like a challenge.
Where can we hear your music online?
Our music is available on…
Website to buy and get free downloads (downloads coming soon):
SoundCloud:
YouTube:
www.youtube.com/iambloodflower
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/iambloodflower
Twitter:
@iambloodflower
Which have been your most exciting gigs and/or overall moments so far?
We are yet to play live, our debut performance will be for SWN festival in October, our venue and date is tbc. As for most exciting overall moments, it’s all good.
Are there any obscure and/or up-and-coming acts that you’d like to recommend or give a shout-out to?
Jonnie: Yeah two actually……
Department M – “The Second Prize”
Gaps – “Keep You”
I caught both these bands the other month in Dalston and they were both amazing. Tom and I are constantly on the search for new findings and inspiration both old and new. There’s so much music out there.
As for really new, I adore “Let Go” by Dive-In. Reminds me of a lot of bands that I’m well into. It’s a great song, you should check it if you haven’t already.
Finally, if you were forced to spend the rest of your days in solitary confinement, but were allowed to bring the entire works of five different artists along to tide you over, whose would you choose?
I’d like to lose my marbles to this lot…
Jonnie: Neil Young, Radiohead, David Bowie, The Beatles and New Order.
Tom: David Bowie, The Beatles, Mozart, Propagandhi and Snoop Dog.
Bloodflower, thank you.
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About the Author
Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.
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