Vera Bloom

On a deeper level, I want the listener to feel something within themselves about their own life and be able to sit with that and grow from it. On a more superficial level, I want them to move a little and rock out to the music and say “hell yeah.” On the surface, I want them to have just found their next favorite artist and catch me at a show.

many-a spin on their hi-fi systems?

At the end of the day, what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving all of your amazing upcoming music the distinguished competition on the 2023 music scene?

Brandi Carlile once said somewhere that rock and roll isn’t a sound, it’s an energy and I am a full believer in this. I’m not an artist that writes songs to create a sound, I write songs and then fill them up with my chosen energy (distortion via guitars and vocals haha). There’s the energy but before that there’s the song. I hope my lyrics and melodies resonate with the listener through these recordings. We recorded them as live as possible to preserve that energy you get at a live show.

It’s straight up rock and roll and there’s a flavor for everyone.

What differentiates “Eyes On You” and the It’s Me EP from for their edgy af playing, and Joan Jett, too. She’s my idol.

(talk about a gem). I do love playing guitar and am diving back in to playing more lead parts. I grew up jamming the blues with my dad so he’s definitely the one that introduced me to guitar, but my favorite guitarists are David Gilmour for his melodic solos and leads, Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner

I am flattered but that solo is not mine! I played solos on my first EP, but on this EP and on the single you are hearing mister Jacob Carey. He’s so talented and doesn’t realize it clearer than in the brilliant guitar solo on “Eyes On You.”

Who has inspired your guitar playing over the years?

You’re a proficient guitar player and that’s never been which is the venue attached to The Vinyl Lab where I pressed the vinyl for the EP! In October I have a string of regional dates supporting the release in Birmingham, Atlanta, Memphis and more.

I’m throwing a party for my release! September 28th and you’re invited!! It’s here in Nashville at The Vinyl Lounge,

What does your touring/performing dance card look like in the coming weeks and months?

Honestly, I do not know hahaha. It just does! I feel like West Coast-ness (especially the Pacific Northwest) is just stuck in your veins. I’m not mad about it but I cannot explain it. I harness a bit of melancholy by nature and I credit that for writing beautiful melody and introspective lyrics. I think the PNW is very melancholic but also very mysterious. It’s wild and calm, sweet and salty, and a place where all you want to do is inhale that air. That’s what it feels like, a bundle of all of those things so I think that’s what seeps out through my songwriting and singing. Maybe that’s why I’m natured to be “grungy,” I definitely was not aiming for that title but it found me!

You hail from Washington state and are now based out of Nashville, TN. How do those roots inform you as an artist and as a person?

So, I don’t really work with producers. Not yet, at least. On “Eyes On You,” the lead guitarist, Jacob Carey, really helped shape this song with his guitar riffs and that amazing guitar solo. He and I made a little demo of the song in his studio and co-produced there for sure. I named him as a co-producer as well as the recording engineer, Jeremy Ferguson of BattleTapes. Once the song is recorded live, we kind of bounce ideas off each other during overdubs for vocals and guitar. Were you involved creatively behind the scenes on the music video for “Eyes On You”?

Who was your producer on the “Eyes On You” single and the It’s Me EP and what did the collaboration between artist and producer look like in the studio?

Yesss! “Eyes On You” is my dance song. I started writing this one on the bass guitar, which is a little different for me but I loved the result. I wanted to explore the parts of me that desire sex and “naughty” feelings so I think it gave it the right “sauce” haha. It’s fun, sexy, and a bit possessive but also carefree.

Just a little over a month before the debut of the new EPAugust 22 to be exact – released a new single called “Eyes On You.” Can you talk about how this gem came about?

So yeah, I call myself alternative/grunge/punk.

I always say I live under the umbrella of rock music. I let my songs come out as they wish because that’s what keeps them real to me. Everything is intertwined in the songwriting process. When I’m pissed off, it’ll probably be a punk song. When I’m sad first and then pissed, it’ll probably start off slow and melodic and then I’ll be screaming on the chorus.

For folks who are just now tuning in, how would you describe your style of music?

Thank you!! My inspiration for It’s Me is the last few years, if I’m honest. This EP is a documentation of the pendulum of feelings involved in life: loneliness, loss, heartache, addiction, possessiveness, and self-love, empowerment, awareness, hope, and growth. I write from my personal experiences and feelings, so we’ve got a couple relationships that helped the writing, a global pandemic, and my own set of hormones!

Starting from the top, what served as your inspiration for It’s Me?

Hello! This summer is flying by and has been so busy but in the best way. Preparing for my EP release has been a lot of work but I’m beyond excited to share with everyone! In July, I made time to visit my family in the Pacific Northwest and the weather was perfect. I was lucky enough to ride motorcycles with my mom and some of her friends along the Cascades Scenic Highway and the scenery is just so epic and beautiful. Congrats and major accolades on your forthcoming EP, It’s Me, which is set to make its debut this September 29!

We’re very happy to be speaking today with acclaimed rock artist extraordinaire, Vera Bloom; greetings and salutations, Vera! Before we meander down the proverbial Q&A pathway, how has the summer of ‘23 been treating you?

100%!! Making DIY music videos is kind of “one of my things.” Aside from getting the footage of me performing the song with the band (Jacob, lead guitarist filmed that), I made the whole video. I love making them and feel like I’m getting better and better. I hope!