INTERVIEW: Fresh-Faced Four-Piece Blonded Release Debut Single ‘Love Is A Gun’
Article by Darcy Goss.
Photo by Caleb Spark
‘Unfiltered, punchy, eclectic filth’ - Blonded are the newest kids on the block, but after their debut single ‘Love Is A Gun’ hit Brisbane’s airwaves last Friday, you would think anything but.
‘Love Is A Gun’ is a punchy track, with hard-hitting alt-rock sonics, paired with lyrics dealing with new-found love and passionate sex. The alt-rock powerhouse has made a smashing entrance with this debut.
Immediately after forming, Blonded dived into the industry playing with established acts and attracting large crowds due to their uncanny ability to defy and bend genres on a whim.
In due time, they will need no introduction, but for now, all you need to know is that Blonded can simply be described as slick yet filthy. Explosive yet kind. Hooks that latch. Fish that bite.
We caught up with Blonded to chat about their debut, how they formed and more new music!
Hey Blonded, how are you legends?
Paddy: Pissed on a Tuesday night, and ready to fuck some ears up on Thursday.
First things first, for anyone that isn’t familiar with ‘Blonded’ – describe your music to us in 4 words…
Ando: Unfiltered, punchy, eclectic filth.
How did you all meet and what started the band?
Finn: Paddy and I went to primary school together on the Sunny Coast and later met Ando in high school. We met Reuben towards the end of 2020, and quickly formed a strong bond. Ando mentioned QUT were having an open mic night and we decided to jam over Dark Red by Steve Lacy. Jams turned into rehearsals and the rest is history.
Now, tell me about the name Blonded – are you all Frank Ocean fans?
Reuben: Blonded is a word that we have found relates to so many aspects of our lifestyle. We love Frank Ocean, but to us, the word Blonded has taken on a completely new definition.
So, you released your new debut single titled ‘Love Is A Gun’ last week – talk to us a bit about that!!
Ando: The feeling of having our material accessible to the world and our friends is amazing. But it’s also been a massive learning experience for us, we’ve learnt so much about both the process of songwriting and recording, as well as promoting and releasing our music. Just you wait for the next one because it’s only going to be bigger and better from here.
Tell us about the songwriting and recording process for your first release?
Paddy: I wrote the song about my girlfriend and the beginning of our relationship through covid, the lyrics are about the passion and excitement we felt at that time and how we discovered each other. The recording process was great but we definitely had our struggles, I put a dent in a bottle of rum the night before and my head was all over shop for the recording day, Ando had a family gathering to get to, and Finn and Reuben had gone to a Katanak gig the night before. Needless to say but we weren’t feeling great for the day, luckily we had our gorgeous engineer Riley from Mum’s Garage Studio and he carried us to create Love Is A Gun.
What does the song mean to you?
Paddy: When I hear the song I think of the intimacy my girlfriend and I shared when we first started seeing each other. But I want people to find their own meaning for it whether it’s about a one-night stand or your high school crush who shot you down.
And how does it feel to have your first tune out for the world to hear?
Finn: Fucking incredible
What can fans expect from Blonded for the rest of the year?
Reuban: We are already in the process of recording our next single and bigger things are coming but, for now, you can expect to see a bunch more shows and our next single ‘Out Cold’ which will be out in the next couple of months.
Now to support local, give a shout-out to 3 other artists making their way through the music scene that you love.
Blonded: Firstly, without a doubt, Bean Magazine. They’re a fresh-faced trio with a unique sound and incredible live performance. We haven’t missed a single show of theirs yet, and they’ll be supporting us for our single release at Tomcat.
Secondly, a band we’ve discovered recently is Van Moss. We were blown away when they played with us at Tomcat. They have also recorded their single “Sove” at Mum’s Garage Studio and we have been listening to it on repeat.
We couldn’t complete this list without our good mates, The Baby Breaks. They not only gave us our first show but have also been an incredible influence and support to us and numerous other bands in the local scene.
Finally, to wrap it up let’s do a few rapid-fire Q’s:
· Best song to mosh to?
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Finn: Surfs up by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
· Favourite Brisbane venue?
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Reuben: Greaser
· Best beverage?
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Paddy: Double parked vodka OJ’s
· If you could tour with one artist, who would it be?
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Ando: King Gizz
Blonded are celebrating the release this Thursday the 17th of June at Tomcat for free, with supports from Bean Magazine, Flora Link and The Funny Jims.