In Conversation With Blu DeTiger
Avalon Smith of WLUW had a chance to sit with Blu DeTiger in the greenroom of Lincoln Hall after her show and discuss her new album All I Ever Want is Everything, Shuga Records, and cauliflower crust pizza. You can read below.
Interview and photos by Avalon Smith
Avalon:
So how did you feel about the show tonight, and how has the tour been going in general?
Blu:
It's been amazing. I think it's the best headline tour I've ever done, or my favorite headline show I've ever done. Just because of the new music, and everyone feels very excited and engaged. They know all the words. It just felt really good, very positive energy.
Avalon:
What has been your favorite song on the new album to perform for this tour?
Blu:
Ooh, I really like playing Overdrive, because it goes kind of crazy. I like playing latency a lot.
Avalon:
That was pretty awesome.
Blu:
Yeah, that was sick. Cause we do like this one breakdown and the band intros.
Avalon:
Who are your musical inspirations, specifically bass-wise, since I feel like that's such a unique element that you have as an artist.
Blu:
Bass -wise, I mean... My favorite bass player of all time is Bernard Edwards. So bass line wise and bass composition, I really look up to him. And then in general, Thundercat is dope.
Avalon:
If four bassists were sitting with us right now, what would be your dream hangout on this couch? Or choose however many you want, we're on a big couch.
Blu:
Okay, Bernard Edwards, Carol Kaye, Larry Graham, Prince. He's iconic, like one of the best bass players, very underrated. Tina Weymouth. That's a lot.
Avalon:
That's a good group.
Blu
Totally. A great group. Oh, and Bootsy Collins.
Avalon:
How would you describe your creative process when writing a song, especially for this first official album?
Blu:
My usual just go-to is starting off with bass and drums and then, you know, going from there and then adding chords and vocals and everything and melody. But for this album specifically, I tried to push myself more to kind of try different things and start songs in different ways. And so sometimes for this one, I would start with chords first and then the bass would be the last thing I would add. Or I would start with a concept or a phrase or something. So it kind of happens in all different ways. But yeah, this time I tried to kind of get out of my comfort zone.
Avalon:
Yeah, definitely. I know you were at Shuga today. Did you pick up any records while you were there?
Blu:
Oh, I picked up mine.
Avalon:
Of course.
Blu:
I didn't get one, but I saw the Laufey album. Laufey is the homie. She's killing it. She had a big box of signed records and I looked through them. She had a board game thing. It was a really awesome packaging. I really liked it.
Avalon:
Is that something you're doing like throughout your tour at different stops?
Blu:
We only really had this one set up but I would love to do it more. It was really fun just to meet everyone and chat. They were all coming to the show. It was fun to just get some personal facetime in there. Yeah, we'll be doing a bunch more.
Avalon:
That's awesome. And then once you left with Shuga, do you have any pre-show rituals?
Blu:
I do this sort of breathing exercise thing that kind of helps me stay grounded and focus on breath work a little bit. And then I do a vocal warmup. And then I get ready, and then do that little band huddle, a pre-show huddle.
Avalon:
Do you guys do a little cheer?
Blu:
Yeah, sometimes they're really good, sometimes they're really bad, like what do you say? Usually it's along the lines of: All right guys, it's another show. Let's give it our all. We're excited, we're ready to hang out, we're ready to party, we're ready to dance, let's just like have fun. Something like that.
Avalon:
That's awesome. And then finally I have some rapid fire questions for you, so you can eat your velvet taco. Dream Venue?
Blu:
Madison Square Garden which I'm playing soon.
Avalon:
Oh, really? When?
Blu:
June.
Avalon:
Yay! Okay, you're from New York, but deep dish, or thin crust pizza?
Blu:
Thin crust, gluten free cauliflower crust.
Avalon:
Favorite movie from the last year?
Blu:
I just saw Challengers, that was really good. I liked Anyone But You. I love that movie so much.
Avalon:
And then favorite song at the moment?
Blu:
All of the songs on my new album.
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