Our two favorite Blonde (and brunette) producers have been stirring up a ruckus as they gain momentum behind their "All Cried Out" releases, with vocalist Alex Newell. While we've only received the streams of The Magician's remix and of 99 Souls' remix so far, in our latest interview with the duo below, they've teased that they've got several more edits coming down the pipeline that we won't want to miss. The official release date for this EP has been announced for May 3rd.
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But while you're waiting to get your hands on that, the UK producers Adam Englefield and Jake Manson gave us the low-down on what it's like to be Blonde and how they've merged their two different music styles together to create the beloved Blonde-sound. As you may know, Englefield and Manson first met online through Englefield's burgeoning YouTube channel turned label – Eton Messy. Now the two have become the Blonde we know and love, as Eton Messy continues to successfully grow. They seem to be absolutely loving life and it translates into the vibrant 90's-house-meets-contemporary music that they keep putting out.
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Their remixes have all done well, but it has been their original work that has really established their spot on the map. "Foolish" and "Higher Ground" received massive support with their fans and with radio play, but when "I Loved You" with Melissa Steel came out, they had convinced their fans that they weren't going anywhere and were here to stay.
Read on below to see what else the guys had to share with us.
EARMILK: To start out, why don't you share with us about some of the shows or big projects you've got lined up for the summer.
Blonde: We're actually really excited to have recently premiered our full live band show in East London. The live aspect of the project is something we've been discussing since day one and it's been brilliant turning it into a reality. A lot of the shows we are playing this summer will be live and we're both really looking forward to the new challenge of playing instruments live on stage and engaging with our audience in a whole new way!
EM: Will you be making it to North America anytime soon?
B: We'd absolutely love to! We had the opportunity to visit LA last summer for a few days to do a photo shoot and it was a really great experience. We're still yet to play a show in the US but it's definitely something we are really looking forward to.
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EM: How has your creative process changed since you two first paired up as Blonde?
B: When we first started Blonde we were living in different cities so anything we did had to be worked on separately whereas now we have a studio together in London so we can sit in there and vibe off each others' ideas. We do still work separately at times, for example when we are traveling and it can still be really fun to work that way too.
EM: How do you balance your ideas when you guys are in the studio?
B: Despite having different tastes in music outside of Blonde, we're always on the same page when it comes to the music we make together. One of the best things about having two people in the project is our different tastes and influences combining to bring out different aspects in our music.
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EM: How would you describe your sound to listeners that are unfamiliar with your music?
B: Uplifting! We love everything we make to be really feel-good and empowering. I guess that just reflects the kind of music we love listening to and making.
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EM: Favorite artists currently?
B: There's a guy called Ben Khan who's really starting to make waves in the UK, he's absolutely brilliant and we can't wait to hear more from him! TCTS' most recent EP got a lot of airplay from us too! "Thinking About You" and "Coupe de Ville" are both so different but so good! Also, the new track "The Promise" by The Golden Boy is one of our current favorites. It's coming out on Adam's label Eton Messy in the next few weeks over here and is set to be a big one for the festivals!
EM: You guys have recently released the "All Cried Out" track with Alex Newell and The Magician's remix for streaming, can we expect any other official remixes to come out on this package?
B: Yes, there are quite a few more on the horizon, we've just launched the latest one by 99 Souls which is a great take on the original. We can't say too much about the others yet, but they'll be coming out over the next few weeks.
EM: Any exciting collaborations you could tell us about? Or at least start a rumor about?
B: We've got a few exciting collaborations and features in the pipeline.
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EM: You released your newest Highlights mixtape earlier in March and even used artwork for the cover that was submitted by a 17 year old fan. It's great that you manage to incorporate fan's work into your own project. Who came up with that idea?
B: We've used fan-made artwork for the last four mixtapes and we're really pleased with how it's been going down. We've had some awesome designs and illustrations sent in and more and more are being submitted each month. It's always very hard to choose! We came up with the idea after the first few mixes went online as we realized that we had a good platform to showcase some great up and coming artistic talent. I think it's working out really well!
EM: Favorite part of being an artist for a living?
B: We get to do something we love every day and hopefully inspire a few people along the way! It's very humbling and we're very thankful for the opportunities we've been given to be able to make and perform music for a living!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU9PpGecFuM[/youtube]
Pre-order the "All Cried Out" package on iTunes here.
