Blaire Alise and the Bombshells is known in Detroit for its pop-rock fusion, insanely catchy lyrics, and homegrown sound. At the center of this band is Tisch freshman Blaire Alise, the song-writing, managing, powerhouse with an astounding capacity for production and passion for her music. Her Campus NYU sat down with Blair to discuss her go-to music inspos and what it takes to put yourself out there.
1. On playing in Detroit:
“There’s such a strong community of musicians. We all know each other and support each other. So that’s really cool. The way I got started, actually, was because my first guitar teachers played in a really cool band. They showed me what they did, I saw their bands playing, and they showed me cool music – that really had an impact on me. I played in Detroit, we played every weekend. Additionally, Detroit has such a cool history of music – Motown, Mc5, the Stooges, all of that. Even Eminem! It’s a really interesting place to be and I couldn’t imagine myself growing up or starting a band anywhere else.”
2. On her top music influences:
“The Beatles are the best band ever, of course. I also love girl groups. Darlene Love, the Crystals, anything Phil Spector produced; all those groups had a big impact on me. The Beach Boys and 60s bands, weird stuff like the Velvet Underground too. Some of my favorite modern bands include Courtney Barnett, a British band called Temples, Ty Segall, and King Khan. I really like underground garage. I like that energy, that grittiness.
My favorite thing is when a song is simple and smart. Being simple is much more difficult than being weird and out there. You can have very simple, dumb lyrics. For example, ‘I really, really, really like you…’ But being simple and intelligent—it’s one of the hardest things to accomplish. My favorite guitar players are my favorites not because they can shred, but because they know how to step back and let the song speak for itself. They know when to shut up and let everything happen.”
3. On the art of song-writing:
“You know, writing can happen a variety of different ways. Sometimes I’ll be walking around or taking a shower and the entire song will come into my head and I will know exactly what I want it to sound like. But of course that’s too easy to happen every single day, so often, I will need to sit down for a few hours and write. Some songs come easier than others, which doesn’t mean that they’re better or worse. After that, I’ll come up with a song title that I think will be a good concept, and then a month later a melody will come into my head and I can put the two together.
I will always start with melodies, but I’ve become more lyrically oriented. That’s something I’ve been getting into recently because lyrics have never been my strong suit. I’ve usually been more into putting together chords and writing back up lyrics.”
4. On how her classes at NYU help improve her music:
Music theory has definitely been influential to me. That class will help me think about the different directions I can take a song. In Clive Davis we do a variety of different things – Music History, Music Theory, etc. I was really surprised by how much I enjoy the production of music. Production was what I was most nervous about before coming here. I’ve recorded in the studio, but I never got the chance to work from the soundboard. I’m really loving it, though. I really want to do more with it. In the past I’ve told people what I want, but now I can better articulate what I want in a song, and I see what’s possible. Learning about music production really affects my songwriting because now I can think about the ways I want to record the song. The classes have opened up this new world of music I didn’t know how to tap into.”
5. On creative freedom:
“I want to have control over what I am doing. I want to make sure what I’m doing feels right to me. When I first started playing in a band I had to do everything by myself. I had to book all of my shows and when I wanted to go on tour I had to arrange everything. Having control over writing, production, and management has been a logical progression for me. I’m very lucky that I can be creative. My publisher is very supportive of what I do. They don’t control my music; they’re allowing me to have the resources to expand upon myself.”
6. On getting signed:
“I recently signed a deal with a Nashville brand. They are called Carlin America and they’ve been helping me. It’s good to get more support, for example, hearing their feedback and recording with them in new studios.
Nashville and Detroit couldn’t be more opposite, though. Detroit’s into gritty, do-it-yourself music. Nashville is about the hustle. Everyone is making music. Nashville is way smaller than New York, you can find everything in New York. You could say, too, that Nashville is more polished than New York and Detroit. There’s a Nashville polish when you hear songs. All the publishers are there and the industry is there. It can seem corporate.
It’s funny how [the signing] happened. We had this show in Nashville and it fell through six days before we were supposed to play. You usually book shows two months in advance. So I was like, what am I going to do? By asking around, I got an afternoon show in a record store called Grimey’s. It’s a pretty notorious record store, with a venue in the basement. We got this show six days beforehand and my publisher happened to be looking up what shows were playing…that’s how they found me! They came to the show and said, “Here are some records you might like!”. If you ever want to win me over, just give me some records. Then I’ll love you forever. We hit it off and that was in March. We’ve been moving really fast. We’ve already recorded eight songs and I’ll be going back soon to record more.”
7. On the influence of social media:
“Social media is weird because you have to talk about yourself all the time. And you don’t want to be narcissistic, but at the same time you have to be. So you’ve got to get a balance, and I like to use pictures. I feel that people are really responsive to photos of what the band is doing. The posts that get the most likes are the ones of me, with a guitar, smiling. You want everything to seem natural and fun. Every once in a while, I’ll post a funny picture. I’m on Facebook, my band page, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify…It’s kind of fun. I manage it all myself.
I released my last album on vinyl, a four song 45. It was vinyl-only and a really fun project—I played every instrument except for drums. I’m really proud of it. It’s available online as well.”
8. On gaining credibility:
“I think when you’re a young woman in music, people kind of assume what you want to be. For me, what I’m doing is not traditional. I’m a girl who plays electric guitar. That messes with people’s heads. They have expectations that I’m going to be a certain way, so I need to prove myself. I feel like I’ve had to work harder to be taken seriously. Like, hey, I don’t want to be on the Disney Channel, or be Mariah Carey. I don’t want to just be a singer.
I love the music industry, and being a girl in the music industry is great. But it can be difficult. I’ve had sound guys who are working at the venue who see my equipment, my pedals and amplifier and they try to explain to me how it works. That’s equipment that I’ve brought myself. They assume that I don’t know what I’m doing. I know I work really hard and I’m dedicated and serious. I’m really trying to pursue this path, and when other people don’t get that it can be frustrating. I felt it when I first started. But when people start to get to know me, like in Detroit, I don’t have to deal with it as much. The narrow-mindedness can wear on you, but you have to learn to not let it bother you. You’ve just got to prove them wrong. Play a good show.”
Follow Blaire on social media:
- Instagram:@blairealise
- Facebook: @blairealisemusic
- Twitter: @blairealise
- Spotify: Blaire Alise & the Bombshells