We first heard and saw Royal Blush blowing people away upstairs at Pet Shop in Jersey City and when they offered to do a short interview with us we were thrilled. The band describes themselves as "Wielding shoegaze tone, powerhouse vocals, and contagious energy, Blush is a newly established Indie-Rock band heating up west of the Hudson." These guys have great 90's alt vibes but with contemporary themes and musical vision. So we caught up with the band and here is what they had to say:
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
The faithful meeting of 5 musical strays…
Royal Blush began as some song sketches Andrew started in the pandemic. Once we all found each-other, it became something greater. All our unique backgrounds and aesthetics clicked and collaboration came really easy.
What does Royal Blush mean?
We are partial to the following concepts:
Inversion of the status quo…
Inclusion…
Something new…
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
We’ve all been involved in various projects over the years, both groups and solos. We like to call ourselves music scene strays.
What's the writing process like?
Our writing process is pretty freewheeling. Throw 5 fire ants into a jar and shake it up. Sometimes a song starts from a jam. Sometimes one of us will bring an idea. There are no rules and we’re all pretty open. Music’s the easiest part for us, haha. Agreeing on the car soundtrack… maybe not
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
We’re inspired by everything. Whatever perks up the ears. We love strong women. Heart, Stevie Nicks, Dolly….
Also, Prince, Mew, Kimbra, all the shoegaze, Bowie, Gabor Szabo, Kendrick…. we listen to too much music lol
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
We all agree that live and studio are two totally different realms. We love them both for what they are… live being raw and fucking cathartic… studio being perfectly curated with layers and harmonies. All the cherries on top. Both are magical to us. The Yin and the Yang. Can’t exist without the other
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows?
We’ve stayed pretty close to home so far. We were so blessed to play one of the last shows at Pet Rescue, BK (protect your DIY spaces! They’re sacred and endangered.)
We were also proud to play White Eagle Hall in JC. We’ll never forget that night. All our families came out and it was just a love fest.
What's up next for the band?
We may or may not be in the studio tracking a full length record ;) There are piles of songs. An eternity of voice memos and lyrics. We are trying to catch up and document it all.
And shows! We want to hit outside NJ a little more. Philly, DC, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Boston, Montreal! We love you and want to see your beautiful faces!