Driftwood, the Bremfields interview.

Driftwood is an exciting artist from Australia who's brand new single, 'Bremfields', is quite rightly attracting a lot of attention.

We had to find out more, and asked:

How long have you been making music?

Driftwood: “I’ve been making music in some capacity or another since I was a kid. My dad first gave me an old acoustic guitar when I was eleven and taught me to play a few Bob Dylan tunes. I would mess around and write my own songs when I was in boarding school. At the age of thirteen I was sent to boarding school in California, so I was exposed to all kinds of music in those early years, from
netal, reggae and rock to hip hop. Years later I studied an Electronic Music Diploma and Bachelor of Audio Engineering at SAE.” (Australia’s leading creative media institute)

What’s been some of the highlights so far on your musical journey?

“I’m not sure about highlights, as far as accolades go...

I was previously signed to Universal Music Australia, and I’ve been in studios writing with some huge international and local artist, in addition to being previously managed by one of the biggest writing managers in Australia.

I suppose that sounds really cool, but honestly for me, the personal highlight would be my more recent music and videos I’ve released and produced under Driftwood.

The nuance and overall creative aesthetic have been crafted with particular care.

I had a vision to be a multi-disciplined storyteller and I’ve always loved artists that could express
themselves across several paradigms. My skill set as a Singer songwriter / Producer / Director / Editor
came through organic grown and work as an artist. I was studying my audio engineering degree while
working part time shooting directing/editing real estate videos on the side for money.

I always had a very clear creative vision, so I was adamant that I had to be one to direct and edit my
own video clips as well. At the end of the day, I thought ‘I have to build it exactly as I see it.’

New single, ’Bremfield’ - Is there a meaning behind the song?

“It was interesting because this track was initially a freestyle that sat in my hard drive. I then came
back to it years later and thought I should try and build on the production,

This single is about breaking the fourth wall. It’s about the idea that there could be subterranean
energies and other factors operating within other paradigms of consciousness. It’s about feeling like
I’m trapped within this paradigm, and I don’t belong here.

The one thing I love about art is I have a license to explore ideas …no matter how crazy they may
seem. It is fascinating to me that whole genres of music can reside within the confines of three concepts and identities.”

What albums do you never get tired of listening to?

“Hard to say as I listen to a lot of esoteric music, and in honesty, I don’t really listen to albums all the
way through anymore on a regular basis. The art of creating a timeless album is dying so it’s an
interesting question. Here are some more well-known albums that are timeless to me. But this isn’t a
reflection of what I would listen to on a regular basis.”

Bob Marley - Best of
Sam Cooke - Greatest Hits
Kanye - Watch the Throne
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
Adele - 21
Kanye - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Dark Twisted Fantasy
The Weeknd - House of Balloons
Nas - Illmatic
Skepta - Konnichiwa
Drake - Nothing was the same
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Bon Iver - For Emma, For Ever Ago

What can we expect from you this year?

“I’m keen to share a lot of new work in 2022! I’ll be heading overseas to work on music and I’m also
excited to play live.”

The single: ‘Bremfield’ by Driftwood

Blonde Diamond: 'Red Flags', dark sides...

“We’re really excited to dust off the pandemic cobwebs and really hit the new year in a big way.” (Blonde Diamond)

Today we speak to Alexis Young (lead vocalist) from Blonde Diamond who have released 'Red Flags', a sparkly, tuneful earworm of a track about the darker side of relationships.

We asked Alexis some pressing (!) questions:

Image by bwfletcher

Let’s start at the beginning, how long have you been making music?

“We’ve all been creating music in various forms since we were young, but Blonde Diamond (which started as Youngblood) begin in 2015 with myself, Alexis, writing demos.

When it came time to translate the songs to stage, I was lucky enough to convince my best friends to add their own spin to it and we’ve been together since.”

What’s been some of the highlights, so far, on your musical journey?

“We stayed at a punk squat in Hamburg, walked the red carpet (twice!) at the Junos and had a 42 hour flight to India to play their version of Coachella - to name just a few. We feel really fortunate that this project has taken us around the world, and that we’ve met some really incredible people along the way.”

Tell us more about the single. Is there a meaning or story behind the song?

“The initial inception of ‘Red Flags’ was a way for me to process an abusive relationship that I had just escaped from. It was cathartic for me to write, but I also really wanted to have it be a sort of anthem to give others the courage to walk away from toxic situations.”

What albums do you never get tired of listening to?

“I’m a big fan of the French band Air and I pretty much rotate their whole catalogue all the time. The Strokes - Is This It, The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium, and Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot it in People are classic go-to’s as well because they were the teenage staples. I think nostalgia makes it so you’ll never tire of listening to them.”

What can we expect from you in the near future?

“We’ve got a big year planned for 2022! A handful of singles will be released in the Spring, followed by our debut full-length album! We’re really excited to dust off the pandemic cobwebs and really hit the new year in a big way.”

 

Taken from the debut album expected mid 2022, Red Flags is out now. Stream/Download: https://ffm.to/blondediamondredflags

http://www.blondediamondmusic.com/

Interview by Kelly Munro