INTERVIEW: BLVCK HIPPIE
BY OLIVIA LEON
Self-proclaimed “Sad Boy Indie Rock Band,” Blvck Hippie made their debut last fall with their first album “If You Feel Alone At Parties.” Whether it's the track to your coming of age movie, a highlight reel, or the quiet moments in between, “If You Feel Alone At Parties” connects story with music from its dynamic instrumentals to lyrical vocals. Blvck Hippie frontperson and songwriter Josh Shaw delves into where it all comes from and where the band is going.
Photo By: Vivian Cheslack
Do you have any main inspirations for your music? Is there anyone in the music industry, past or present, that has influenced your work and your sound?
I’m inspired heavily by The Strokes and Kid Cudi, they changed how I viewed music and helped shape my early writing. Bands like The Antlers and The Voidz helped me expand my idea of what was sonically possible. Currently I’m inspired by 80s music, post hardcore, and midwest emo. Rap is always, always inspiring me - no matter what headspace I’m in I always take it back to the complexities of rap and think about how I can use that inspiration in my art.
Blvck Hippie’s songs are extremely dynamic from lyrics to instrumentals. What goes into your process of writing songs like those on If You Feel Alone At Parties?
Usually I mess around on an instrument and get some stuff I like, then my drummer and I jam together for a while and I kind of mumble lyrics/a melody, and then I build from there. Once I demo it I’ll just mull over the demos for hours and hours until I find something I like. Then I start practicing it and jamming it live to see how the arrangements work.
Last year was a big year for the band, with four singles, an album, and a live album being released. What are you most excited about for the band in the new year?
I’m excited for a lot of things! First getting to play SXSW and Treefort Fest this March, and some unannounced festivals we’ve booked. Also, we’re going to be touring out West in a bunch of places I’ve never been before, and I’m working on writing the next record. It feels like things are starting to happen for us and it’s cool that people are starting to know our name - I’m just trying to soak it all in.
Finally, what do you want listeners to take away from your music and you, as a band?
I want them to know that it's okay to be different or an outsider, you’re never alone. And no matter what you’re going through, someone else can relate. I want them to take away what I got from listening to Kid Cudi when I was 15 - knowing that there was someone else like me and I wasn’t alone.
