SHN Interview: Blossom Caldarone
by Claire Silverman
Blossom Caldarone’s music is a perfect blend of storytelling and dreamy vocals. Each of her songs can stand alone as an individual story, but together they give us a glimpse into the creative mind of the 21-year-old. SHN host Claire caught up with Blossom to talk about quarantine, musical inspirations, and Blossom’s EP “Not My Stories To Tell” and her latest single “Less of a Girl.”
CS: Hi Blossom! I hope you’ve been doing well. How has the current situation affected you?
BC: I came home to my family about 2 months ago before the UK lockdown started so I've just been spending a lot more time with them than usual. It's been nice and certainly a change. It's affected us all differently and I think it's important to remember everyone's experience is relative.
CS: What have you been doing to occupy yourself during quarantine?
BC: Lots of baking and cooking. I've been writing and discovering new music and taking time over things that I usually wouldn't have been able to.I've also prioritised exercise for the first time in a while which has given me some routine. Other than that, just taking it easy and trying to stay sane! I'm a firm believer that whatever you're doing right now is enough.
CS: What have you been listening to?
BC: I've been putting together an Isolation Nation playlist over on the music website I run (https://www.dianalistens.co.uk/) where different artists and musicians have been contributing 5 songs each. It's been so wonderful hearing what others listens to and seeing how that fits in with their sound.
My favourite discovery has been Sibylle Baier, she only ever released one album Colour Green but it's absolutely wonderful.
CS: Who inspired you to start writing and recording music?
BC: I think my dad. He has always been in bands and encouraged me to embark on a career that I'm passionate about. He always said I need to "find something I love and get paid for it". Most importantly, him and my mum found ways to send me to music lessons when they really couldn't afford to so, for that, I will always be grateful. I'm very aware of how that has allowed me to do what I do today.
CS: What album or artist would you say has influenced or inspired you the most?
BC: Such a hard question! I love Let It Die by Feist. It's so nuanced and the arrangements are really spectacular. She is such a brilliant writer and the songs are exceptional. My favourite is 'Amourissima'. The combination of piano and woodwind leading the track is killer.
CS: Has music changed for you since you began making your own?
BC: My listening experience is still the same, I don't ever consume music critically or comparatively which I think is really important. I would say, however, that I'm now more interested in finding out the finer details; who produced it and when? who wrote it? what band were they in before? what was the recording process? etc etc. The smaller technical things now mean a lot more than just fun facts.
CS: How has classical music had an impact on your music?
BC: I think it's instilled the importance of instrumental and arrangement. It's so easy to bypass those factors these days as people don't expect or even want them as much. I love how songs from the romantic days of the 50s, 60s and 70s have such iconic and important string, woodwind and brass parts, that's definitely something I want my music to have. I want the songs to feel like mini film scores.
CS: Every song off your EP “Not My Stories
To Tell” has been played during Second Hand News. It’s certainly a favorite over here at SHN. What was the process of putting that EP together?
BC: I sat down with the producer George Moore and discussed what sort of sound I wanted to go for, we sent references back and forth and listened to a lot of music. I also sent him these long strange paragraphs when I was on holiday explaining my ideas for each song! He somehow understood and we went from there! We worked in the studio first and then had a day recording a string ensemble and brass/woodwind; it was a lot of fun. It was lovely working with someone across the whole EP, it really feels like a moment in time.
CS: Was there a specific concept behind the EP?
BC: A concept appeared once I'd put all the songs together and realised they were all songs not about me. I tend to write about other people but it just seemed super prominent on this project. Hence, "Not My Stories To Tell".
CS: Do you have a favorite song off the EP? (Mine would have to be Immature)
BC: Mine is also Immature!
CS: Your latest single, Less of a Girl, seems to be about growing up. What inspired the song?
BC: I had a really crappy year in 2019 and reached a point in November where I was like 'fuck this'. I think it's the first song I've ever written that felt like healing. Artists always say in interviews that they write when they feel low to help process their feelings, I never do that. I always wait until the sadness has passed and then I write about it. For Less of a Girl, I wrote it in the thick of it so it really holds a special place in my heart. I've cried far more times than not when singing it live!
CS: Do you have news of upcoming music you could share with us?
BC: Yes! I have a song coming out this summer! It's really fun and upbeat but with a bit of a sinister lyric so we'll see what goes down!
You can follow Blossom Caldarone on Instagram @blossomcaldarone and on Twitter @BLOSSOMBLOSSOMC
Originally published at @SHNradio on Instagram May 25, 2020