4 minute read
Interview: Nottingham’s Very Own ‘Blondes’
New Wave 80s-inspired Blondes had their beginnings at UoN’s BandSoc. “We just kind of came to practice one day,” Alex recalls. “It was weird, obviously, because we had nothing to talk about besides the songs that we were playing but we got to know each other. Most of us met at the same time but Tom met us at a separate time and worked his way in.”
“And look where we are now - in Lenton!” Tom jokes. Alex confesses his real reason for coming to UoN: “I didn’t come to uni to do a degree” he says, laughing. “I came to uni to start a band – but I didn’t tell my mum!”
The musicians speak endearingly about their time at UoN, declaring that it was “the best three years”. And the best hall? For Tom, it’s “Lenton and Wortley, without a doubt”. The catering, however ... not so good. “The food was shocking!” he chuckles. But he argues that it’s worth it because “you bond over how dire the food is.”
With bands such as London Grammar and Amber Run also being UoN musical alumni, perhaps there’s something special about Nottingham for bands. Alex explains how having loyal friends at university was vital at the start of their career: “It’s been the same group of people who came to every Blondes show.”
Blondes’ advice for student musicians? “Just go for it!” Both believe that for anyone wanting to make it in music whilst at university, the most important thing is putting yourself out there: “It doesn’t matter if it’s just your mates who come to your gigs. As long as you have a good time.”
Throughout their studies, Blondes played some shows which they now look back on with amusement. Alex remembers when they played a tragic Battle of the Bands at Sutton Bonington. He recalls how their Uber driver hit a chicken en route: “We went from University Park Campus to Sutton Bonington and on the way to the show, we ran over a chicken! We were like ‘is this a bad omen?’”
Things went further downhill once they arrived: “We ordered a Chinese. It didn’t turn up until five minutes before we went on stage. Everything went wrong, it was awful!” Asked if these experiences are important for bands starting out, Alex nods: “Absolutely! You’re never going to get signed or be massive based on the first few shows,” he insists. “But, if you have fun and learn what’s good, you will go forward and get better.” The turning point for Blondes was when Coming of Age went viral on TikTok. The song has been used in over 200,000 videos. “As a result of TikTok,” Tom declares, “we were able to do so much we couldn’t have done as four poor students!”
The song’s success led to their signing with Texas-based indie label C3 Records, and allowed them to make their first music video. “The crazy thing is we had the most unbelievable stroke of luck and all we did was make music that we enjoy,” Alex muses.
He philosophises on how writing the lyric “Something really could happen” actually manifested it into reality. “We didn’t set out for Coming of Age to blow up. We just got lucky and we will always be grateful for that. It just goes to show that anything can happen – we wrote it as a message to ourselves.”
The band members now live together and shared how this made the song writing process smoother. Asked if living together has brought difficulties, they joke about their different attitudes towards cleanliness: “You’re never going to be completely harmonious with those you live with, but it’s all about making it work.”
Alex’s recommendation to those living with flatmates: Talk it out. “We talk everything out, even if we are swearing, there’s never any real malice.” Tom concurs: “The best way to get through things is to have a group scream!”
Blondes’ current goal is to gig as much as possible. Their strange route to success has meant that they were signed before ever playing outside of Nottingham. “The most unconventional start up for a band!” Alex observes.
Their dream venues to play at? Ally Pally, Brixton and Red Rocks in America, but Alex affirms that “Rock City would be nuts because it’s in the home city!” So desperate to play after a year-and-a-half of lockdowns, Tom even jokes “I’ll play in your garden Luci!” But I suspect their prospects are better than that.
Since our interview, it’s been announced, indeed, that Blondes will be playing at Rock City on 17th November, alongside Sports Team. You can also catch them at Dot to Dot Festival in Nottingham on 26th September. For Blondes, this is just the beginning. Their story shows how if you put yourself out there, “Something really could happen!”
By Lucinda Dodd Page Design by Chiara Crompton
