Rising to fame during the pandemic with her insatiable bass covers on TikTok, Blu DeTiger has been making a name for herself on the indie-pop scene through her infectious melodies and riveting tracks.
Having recently released her latest feat, the massive cut, ‘Hot Crush Lover’, Blu cements her uncanny ability to seamlessly produce funky pop numbers teeming with riotous, fun energy and snappy hooks.
Chatting with Lana, Blu covers everything from TikTok fame to upcoming music, and divulges the struggles of being female-identifying in the music industry, as she lays bare her expansive career experiences.
The Indiependent: Hey Blu! How’re you? How’s your 2022 going so far?
Blu: Hey! It’s going well. Just working on music and getting ready for my headline Europe tour!
The Indiependent: You’ve become known as a bit of a bass goddess in the social media sphere – do you think the likes of Instagram and TikTok have helped your career trajectory?
Blu: Yeah definitely, I’m really grateful it gave me a platform to show my passion and my talent- especially at a time when shows weren’t happening. It gave me a space to do what I love and hopefully inspire others to pick up an instrument too. It also gave me the confidence boost to keep going with what I was doing– seeing that people enjoyed my content of me playing bass really gave me the push to keep doing me.
The Indiependent: You’ve worked with the likes of Caroline Polachek and Fletcher – did you learn any lessons from circulating in their world?
Blu: They’re both such talented queens. I think you always learn something by being around other artists and getting to see close up how they work. I’m super lucky to be around really professional, kind people who are so good at what they do. With Fletcher and Caroline for example, I learned a lot about the ins and out of touring and travelling with your team and crew.
The Indiependent: You started playing bass at the age of 7 – were there any bassists you particularly looked up to? (I have mad respect for Gordon and Deal)
Blu: There’s a ton! My favorite bass player of all time is Barnard Edwards. When I started getting into funk bass I learned all of his basslines. I also love Larry Graham, Marcus Miller, James Jameson, Tina Weymouth, Carole Kaye.
The Indiependent: Do you feel like you had to work harder as a female in the music industry?
Blu: Definitely. I think I had to work harder to be taken seriously and it takes more to gain respect. When I was younger I practiced really hard so that any room I walked into I could be judged based on my skill and not based on just my gender.
The Indiependent: Talk to me about your new track ‘Hot Crush Lover’ – what’s the narrative behind it?
Blu: ‘Hot Crush Lover’ is about letting go, gaining some confidence, and living your life uninhibited. I made it last summer and it just felt like the perfect summer sunshine soundtrack. But it also comes with some vulnerability – the first lines are “I’m getting over myself / I wanna meet somebody else.” I was feeling stuck and wanted to get out of that zone and just let go a little.
The Indiependent: Is the track representative of the direction you want to go in with your music?
Blu: A lot of the new songs I’ve been making are pretty different and that’s what I like about them honestly. They all show a different side of me. The consistent element is always my bass though, and I feel like that always shines and will forever be at the center of my songs.
The Indiependent: A lot of the tracks on your debut EP were self-produced by yourself and your brother – is this something you intend of continuing with?
Blu: Yeah! We still work together all the time and he’s a writer/co-producer on a lot of the upcoming music.
The Indiependent: Are there any songs that didn’t make it onto the EP that we can expect to hear in future?
Blu: Definitely! I have so many songs now, so now it’s just about narrowing it down to which ones make most sense for my project.
The Indiependent: Your most ‘famous’ track is ‘Figure It Out’ – how do you think your sound has evolved since this release?
Blu: I think I’ve matured as a songwriter for sure and have more things to say now. I’ve lived more life and written so many songs.
The Indiependent: Is there a new EP/album in the works to follow up from last year’s How Did We Get Here?
Blu: Yes! A lot more music is coming soon 🙂
The Indiependent: You’ve got a UK tour coming up – are you excited about that?
Blu: So excited! The last time I was in the UK was before the pandemic so I’m super excited to go back.
The Indiependent: Is there a venue or city you’re particularly looking forward to playing?
Blu: On my Europe/UK run I’m definitely excited to play in Amsterdam and London since I have family in both those places.
The Indiependent: What’s New York city like for music venues?
Blu: I think every city has their iconic music venue that has a lot of history. Madison Square Garden would be my dream goal venue to play at in my lifetime.
The Indiependent: What advice would you give to any kids out there wanting to get into playing bass (or any instrument!)?
Blu: Be patient, practice, if you are passionate about it it will show!
The Indiependent: And for a bit of a fun one – if you could have one of your tracks feature on any TV show what would it be?
Blu: The original Gossip Girl series, Euphoria, or Emily in Paris.
Interview conducted by Lana Williams
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