Formerly known as The Wooden Wings, New Orleans based rock band, Blonde Roses are starting fresh. Although their new single, “Bullet” was written before their name change and transition, it is the band at their strongest, and the accompanying video just drives the message of strength and empowerment forward. With more new music to come in the next few months and a new EP slotted for early 2017, Blonde Roses are an act to keep an eye on.
Interview by Dom Vigil
Can you tell us a little bit about Blonde Roses for any readers who may not be familiar?
For the past 9 years, you may have known us The Wooden Wings, but we now call ourselves Blonde Roses. We’ve been recently super inspired by Gary Clark, Jr. and the sounds of the gritty South. Our favorite past-time is squeezing into a Suburban and hitting the road so we can play for you guys.
How do you feel being based in Louisiana has affected you as musicians or as a band?
Louisiana is our home – a home we are extremely proud of. We’re really proud to let our Southern roots shine through in our music. The music culture down here is so rich, it’s always inspiring us and pushing us to be the best that we can be as a band.
You guys recently released a music video for your new single, “Bullet.” What makes this song special to you?
When I originally wrote ‘Bullet’, I didn’t realize at the time just how special and important it would end up being to me. It was written a little over a year ago, long before we became Blonde Roses. It ended up kind of being this personal anthem for us through our transition from The Wooden Wings. The song revolves around the symbolism of the cherry tree which represents the fragility and beauty of life. Don’t waste a moment doing something that makes you unhappy or something that doesn’t fulfill you. It’s about striving to live a life that is pure and true.
Were there any events in particular that inspired “Bullet”?
When I wrote the song, I was at a point my life where I didn’t really feel 100% fulfilled. There were all of these things I was allowing to be in my life that were holding me back from my true happiness. Life can, at times, kind of feel a bit suffocating. It was at that time I realized it was up to me to change that. It was in my hands. I needed to take risks and live without regrets. I realized how beautiful life is and that I need to fully embrace it.
Where did the idea for the music video come from? How was filming?
When we first met with our director, John Paul Summers at Infinite Focus, we all agreed that we didn’t want to release a live performance-type music video. We wanted it to play out like a mini-film. So with that in mind, we threw around a lot of ideas and the one that kept sticking with us was the story of a femme fatale character seeking revenge. From there, we left the concept in John’s hands and he created this super incredible product that we couldn’t be more happy with. We had never filmed a music video of this degree before, so it was a learning experience. John and his crew made me feel so comfortable on set. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of talented people to work with.
“Bullet” comes from your upcoming EP – is there anything you can tell us about this release?
I can’t say much, but I can say that it’s a bit different than our previous releases, so we are so excited for you guys to hear it.
What goals have you had in mind when working on new music? What would you like listeners to be able to take away from these songs?
First and foremost, we paid very close detail to what story we wanted to tell with our new music. It’s honest and raw – some of the most organic material we’ve ever written on a personal level. We want our listeners to feel empowered and strong.
When can fans expect to hear more new music?
We plan to release the EP early 2017, so be on the look out for that!
Do you have any big plans for the remainder of 2016?
Our plans right now are to finish up our EP and make it the best that we possibly can. We’ve been working hard with our producer Ben Lorio at The Music Shed in New Orleans.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Follow us on our socials (@blonderosesband) so we can be friends! We love getting to know you guys. Let’s chat!
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