One of the coolest things about spending hours posting is that I get to cover Bands that I love listening to. I mentioned Blaire Alise and the Bombshells album “For My Darlin’ ” as one of my picks for top albums of 2014. I can listen to it all day long, great tunes, has that garage rock I just wanna have fun vibe that I’m always on the lookout for. just give them a listen and I can all but guarantee you’ll love it all. Read on kids…..
tell us a little of your musical journey so far…
I started Blaire Alise & The Bombshells about two and a half years ago when I was just 16. I had no idea it was going to go so far. I’ve been making records, meeting cool people, and playing shows all over the country. We’ve played dates on the east coast and Midwest (raiding every record store we can in the process) and we’re heading to Texas and Tennessee this March! My band mates and tour manager are some of the best guys ever and we have so much fun on the road, even when we’re stuck in a van for 12 hours!
I first heard of you by way of Amy Gore, and you have recently played on a bill with The Detroit Cobras, what’s its like for someone who is from Detroit working and meeting with Detroit Royalty.
Not going to lie, it’s insanely cool! Before I even started opening for bands like The Detroit Cobras and The Sights, I was just fan with all of their records. If you would’ve told me on the day I first saw the Cobras at the Old Miami two years ago that I’d be playing dates with them in NYC, Cleveland and Philly, I would’ve freaked out! Everyone has been so nice and supportive!
Leslie Gore was an inspiration to you as well as the song ” you don’t own me” when was the 1st time you ever listened to her songs and do you think you’ve incorporated a little of her into your lyrics
It’s funny you ask, my song “Johnny Love” is actually about Johnny from Lesley’s songs “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” and “Just Let Me Cry.” I came up with the idea imagining what the backstory would be between Johnny and Judy and wrote it from Judy’s point of view. I heard Lesley Gore for the first time when I was 14 years old and fell in love with her immediately! She’s a huge influence on me and I was so upset to hear about her passing. “You Don’t Own Me” is the best.
Tell us about the members of the Band , where is everyone from and who plays what and how did you all come together .
We have Kyle Schanta, or as I like to call him, Kylos Schantana, holding down the rhythm section and Eric Allen, lover of sad boy music, playing bass. They’re both Detroiters. Funny story, I totally tricked them into being in my band! First, they came on tour with me and my band at the time just for fun. Then, I had them fill in at a couple of shows. Before they knew it, they were playing every show and they were officially in the band! Even though he’s not technically a band member, Shades is our tour manager, chauffeur, and spiritual leader. We could not survive without him!
Beatles or Stones?
Beatles, duh! I love the Stones too, but come on! Paul McCartney, if you’re reading this, we should write some songs together. You don’t need Kanye.
Growing up, what tunes made you think, that’s what I want to do?
I’ve been a Beatles nerd since I was 10 years old! I had a book of Beatles songs and learned all of them. The first songs I learned to play were “Hello Goodbye” and “Let It Be.” And then I started digging deeper. Songs that had a huge impact on me were “He’s a Rebel” by The Crystals, “You Really Got a Hold On Me” by Smokey Robinson, and “Surfer Girl” by The Beach Boys.
I read that you would like to do something with another Detroit guy , Jack White. Any inroads or progress being made to get you into Third Man Records Studio?
Ha, you’ll be the first person I tell!
I have always thought of Detroit as the soul of rock ‘n’ roll and I truly believed the Hall of Fame should have been there, what was it like growing up in Detroit , with all that history around and do you think it has influenced your direction..
I honestly think that I wouldn’t be doing what I do if I wasn’t from Detroit. I’ve met so many amazing musicians who’ve introduced me to a ton of great music that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. I love discovering and listening to new and old artists from Detroit. There are so many people here who are passionate about music and there’s a great music scene here. It’s a great place to be from!
Can you tell us a little of your process , from writing the lyrics to the music all the way to the studio…
Songwriting can be so frustrating sometimes. Some days I feel like I can’t come up with any ideas, but on other days, I have more ideas than I know what to do with! I think melody is the most important part of the song, so I start by writing the music, and then I write lyrics. When I’m in the studio, I go back-up vocal crazy! Jim Diamond, who recorded my album, says I used the most number of tracks for back-ups in the history of Ghetto Recorders. They’re my favorite part to write. I always make really detailed demos to plan out what I want to do with them. They seem to get more and more weird and complex the more I write them!
What tracks are on heavy rotation for you when your kicked back at home or in the car and do you have a vinyl collection yet or plans to start one…
Right now, I’ve been listening to a weird combination of music! Recently, I’ve been playing soul music like Little Willie John, Andre Williams and Gino Washington or albums from when the rock n’ roll got weird, like Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys and Loaded by The Velvet Underground. And yes, I LOVE vinyl! Record shopping is my favorite thing to do! One of my favorite things about touring is going to all different kinds of record stores and finding all sorts of wacky records. The latest (and weirdest) one I’ve found is called The Grey Wizard Am I by Gandalf the Grey. It came out in ’72 and all of the songs are about wizardry! It’s awesome!
Dirtbombs or The Gories……
Oh no! I really love both of them, but The Gories has a special place in my heart. Everything they do is so simple and rudimentary but they don’t sound like any other band. That’s what makes them so great.
What are the Bands plans for 2015 …
We plan to spend more time on the road and release some new music. I’ll be going to NYU in the fall so my commute to band practice will be a little longer, but we’ll make it work!
What do you think success looks like in five years time?
So much has changed in the past year that I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like in five years! Hopefully I’ll be making more records and touring more places. I’d love to tour internationally, especially in France or Japan!
How much fun are you having and do you have any fun stories to share with us.
I’m having the best time! I feel so lucky to be doing what I love everyday and playing for all different kinds of people! Like I said, my band mates and tour manager are the best guys and my face hurts from smiling when we’re on the road together! They’re all hilarious! We have had a few tour casualties though; a bird hit our windshield in Brooklyn, and shortly after that, a large insect fell victim to our van as well. It was traumatic.
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SPRING TOUR DATES! :
• 3/13 Denton, TX: 35 Denton at Dan’s Silverleaf • 3/14 Houston, TX: Fuzz-A-Rama Beat Stomp at The Continental Club w/ Bubble Puppy and Mikey & The Drags (!!!) • 3/15 Memphis, TN: Lamplighter Lounge • 3/16 Nashville, TN: Foobar • 4/18 Cleveland, OH: The Happy Dog
