Making a name for herself with her 2021 debut EP How Did We Get Here, Blu DeTiger has taken the industry by storm with her immaculate skills on bass. Infusing a flirtatious and dancey vibe through her bass riffs - Blu DeTiger’s music is a bright concoction of funk meets soul, meets pop. Just last month the artist dropped her debut single of the year, ‘Hot Crush Lover,’ where she plays around with vibrant visuals and addictive adlibs.
We spoke with the musician post her London show about what it’s like to tour in the UK, her feature in the new Olivia Rodrigo movie and the production process of her latest…
GIGWISE: You’ve been working on a lot of cool projects recently; can you talk to me a bit about your little cameo on the new Olivia Rodrigo movie that’s currently on Disney+?!
Blu DeTiger: It was really cool, she’s like the sweetest most professional person. She said she was going to do a film, which I immediately thought was cool. She chose a few guests to join her, and I was really lucky to be a part of it, it was sick. We did a rehearsal, actually in a couple different locations, they sent us to this crazy location where we shot on some abandoned aeroplane. They gave us a whole speech about not getting bitten by snakes, its was crazy we were all a bit freaked out…but it was really great to be a part of it.
GW: Your latest song, ‘Hot Crush Lover’ feels like a very quintessential Blu track – it’s very vibrant, and poppy and just packed with life. How did you find the recording process of it?
Ah, thank you, yeah, this song, especially, went through a bunch of different iterations. It took a while to get to where it is, but that’s how I am with all my songs I’m super perfectionist, I want to make sure I feel the best about it. It was really fun to make, we had real drums, bass and guitar, I was really in there for the production to make sure everything was how I wanted it.
GW: Do you think you were more involved with the process of this track than perhaps, previous work?
I’m always involved, I’ve been producing for a while, I produced a bunch of the songs on my first EP!
GW: What inspired you for the making of the ‘Hot Crush Lover’ music video?
Yeah, I mean I love this music video, with this one there’s a line that says, “bite down on my lips like Guhsers,” which is American candy. It’s like a gooey flavour that has a coat inside it that pops in your mouth, I was watching loads of old 90s commercials and they had really cool Gushers commercials that I used to see when I was a kid. I was looking at that early 90s nostalgia, I thought they were so cool. I was just into that aesthetic, also Nicolodeon used to have a show where they’d coat kids in slime, I found this director Will Kendrick who is amazing and I told him I wanted to do something in line with this. I showed him images of what I had been looking at, I wanted something fun and summery and a throwback to that time but still make it fresh. He had this slime dripping idea, it was so fun to film, but also kind of a nightmare…
GW: Where do you get the inspiration for just how bubbly and flirtatious your bass plucks are?
I’ve always listened to funk and soul, that’s where I really fell in love with music. I went through all my phases, but once I found funk music, so I started playing bass in that style. I’m obviously into other stuff, but this really stuck with me, so that’s why I try to blend it into my own style.
GW: I can’t believe it’s been a year since you dropped your debut EP How Did We Get Here – how does that feel?
I know it’s so weird, it feels like yesterday, I’m not sick of it yet?! I know artists get a bit sick of their music sometimes, but I haven’t yet. It all feels fresh to me, I think it’s because I wasn’t able to perform them for so long. I still really love those songs, it’s weird its been so long, but it feels like they have another life because I get to play them on tour and seeing the fans sing along to them is amazing.
GW: How do you think How Did We Get Here has been perceived as the first body of work by Blu DeTiger?
I think it’s good, I’m still growing and getting better, figuring out my style, my sound. It’s a really good encapsulation of that time and what I was feeling at that exact moment. It really feels like an embodiment of that era through the pandemic, and as I was coming up as an artist and starting to gain fans. It was a really special time.
GW: How have you enjoyed touring in Europe so far?
I love it, I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this but… touring in Europe/UK is so much better! I don’t want to offend people but it’s so much fun. I’m Dutch so I spend a lot of time in Holland, I also have cousins in London, so I actually spend quite a lot of time in European cities. I feel very at home here, I hope I fit in ahah?! It’s crazy that music can take you to all of these locations. The Amsterdam show was amazing because all of my family came out. All the fans are so cute, and stylish over here, I’m like what? It’s been awesome to meet these fans.
GW: You’ve got a handful of festivals to cover this year, how does it feel to return to the music industry when it’s at its fullest form? Especially now full capacity festivals are alive again!
Yeah, I’m so excited, I think every single weekend of the summer I’m doing a festival. I love festivals because you get to see other artists there. It’s not like your own show where you play and leave, like you get to hang out with other artists and discover new music. There are so many artists I’ve connected with online but not met yet. It’s nice to be able to finally meet people you’re a fan of/ inspired by. There’s something really special about playing in the day whilst the suns shining, I like the different energy.
GW: You have a couple songs on the horizon, can you talk to me a bit about these?
Yeah, I’ve been a fan of CHROMO for so long, I’ve seen them live like 4 times in New York. I just think they’re awesome, really cool guys, when we met, we had a really great vibe and connection with them. They’re just like mentos now, (I don’t think they’d say that, but I like to call them that). We had so much fun in the studio teaching each other things, they were great fun, they’re such good musicians and take a great deal of time and care with all of their production choices - they’re super specific. We did a few tracks, which are going to be their own standalone thing, I’m really excited about showcasing a different side of me, so I hope people like it.
GW: What’s next for Blu DeTiger do you think?
Omg so deep,
GW: I know, take your time…
There’s so much, a lot more of this: more shows, festivals, new songs. I can’t tell you too much but hopefully just expanding what I’m currently doing even more!
Blu DeTiger & Chromeo's track 'Blutooth' is out now
