Fusing classic indie influences with grunge pop stylings and empowering messages, London four-piece Bloxx are one of the UK’s most infectious young bands. Following the release of their debut EP ‘Headspace’, Joanna Tillery caught up with frontwoman Fee Booth ahead of their upcoming Sheffield show.
Things have been pretty crazy for you guys recently. What has been the most surreal moment so far?
Reading and Leeds last year was pretty mad for us, and Radio 1 plays as well, like Annie Mac and Huw Stephens Maida Vale sessions. I guess those are the kind of moments we never knew we were gonna have.
It’s really inspiring to see you and the band making it, do you have any role models/inspirations that have helped push you to keep going?
Thank you! The Wombats have been there for us since day one, so they’re our inspiration in that sense, and the guys from Sundara Karma and the people who took us on tour for the first time. We’ve all got different inspirations and they all conglomerate to make us I guess.
People nowadays seem to think that social media is the best tool for getting your name out there, how true do you think this is in your experience?
Oh yeah definitely. We wouldn’t have a social platform without Instagram and Twitter and those sites y’know. Streaming as well is kind of a godsend because you can just put what you want out there, and people will pick it up because it’s the internet.
Your new EP ‘Headspace’ is brilliant. Would you say it has slightly poppier leanings than your earlier stuff?
Thank you so much. I guess I’ve always written from that genre, and when we produced it just got a bit heavier. With the EP we did it so simply and it stayed true to itself but it is a bit poppier; I like it because we’ve still kept it real to what we are.
How important is that as a band – staying true to yourself?
It’s really important. You need to be able to be with other musicians and explore different avenues but stay true to what is your thing. We write poppier stuff but we’re still Bloxx; we still have our riffs and our heavy sound and when we play live it becomes us.
You’ve just begun a massive tour, which can be testing for bands at times. What would you say are the best and worst experiences you’ve had on the road so far?
We’ve had some bad experiences in America where the drives were just stupidly long and we’ve all been arguing with each other. But we still love each other like married couples, y’know? The worst ones have been days when we’ve just felt down, but everyone has them. Touring is never a chore though, it doesn’t feel like a job, even though it is. It just feels special so I guess all of the moments are great.
What are your must-bring items for going on tour?
My portable charger, laptop, headphones, wallet, and a big crate of Red Stripe.
Do you want your listeners to take anything away from your debut EP?
Yeah, I guess there’s a big fuck you message in a lot of the songs and I guess that’s what people like to hear these days, and it also reflects some of the anger our listeners will be feeling as well. Obviously there’s also the big acceptance of gay rights narrative, too.
Are there any artists you’d really like to work with?
Matt from The Wombats definitely, I really want to write with him. There are loads! Bombay Bicycle Club, or if Jeff Buckley was still alive I would have loved to do something with him. We’ll have to see what the future brings and if we can get collaborations like that.
Bloxx play at The Leadmill on October 10. Tickets and more info available from leadmill.co.uk
