Blood Lemon was formed in 2018; what is the story behind your band?
Lisa: Boise is a tight-knit music scene, for the most part. We’re not a big city and it’s easy to become acquainted with other musicians/bands. I had played in a band called Finn Riggins from 2006 onward and we moved to Boise in 2009. I decided to join with some friends to form an (almost) all-girl band called Mostly Muff. We would play a themed cover show once a year for a local charity or cause and did this for ten years. Lindsey joined Mostly Muff once she had moved to Boise as well. I’d met her and her husband in Pocatello when they came to a Finn Riggins show. Towards the last few years, we had some other all-girl groups open for us, and Mel was part of those bands. I also knew her from her previous group, Marshall Poole.
Mel approached a mutual friend about starting a band, and that friend suggested Mel and I get together to play. So, I reached out to Mel and let her know I’d be interested in giving it a shot. I suggested Lindsey would be a good option on drums. We started learning some covers to get the feel of playing with each other, and the rest is history.
You recently shared the exciting single and video for “Black-Capped Cry” off your debut album, out April 23rd; what has the creative process of this album been like, and how long have you been working on this album? What are you most excited about in finally sharing this project with your audience?
Lisa: We recorded the tracks back in January/February 2020 but we were writing most of them in 2018 and 2019. A lot of the songs were sparked by our frustrations with the US administration at the time. After we recorded, the pandemic, though terrible, gave us a chance to take our time with the mixing. We were able to work with ZV House (Rabbitbrush Audio) here in Boise as the engineer and producer. We’ve known him for many years so it was easy and comfortable working with him. We’re really proud of how the album turned out, and after such a long wait, we’re beyond thrilled to finally share it. It’s been fun to release the singles that we have, but we’re more excited for people to hear the entire album.
Can you speak also about your experience with making the video for “Black-Capped Cry,” and some of your favorite visuals from the music video?
Lisa: This is just one of four videos released with the corresponding singles leading up to the album. Each one is a different style. The shoot for “Black-Capped Cry” is the only one that we actually feature in. Jessica Winfree with Northwest Motion Pictures Production did the treatment and direction for the video.
Melanie: I messaged Jessica initially because I had worked with her and the NWMP team on a few previous projects and thought they’d be perfect for what we were looking for. Jessica really had a deep understanding of the pain behind that song so it clicked pretty quickly when we talked about how we wanted to conceptualize the concepts of nature vs. industrialization and colonization. It turned out to be a stunning video that we were all incredibly happy with. I think my favorite part was filming us playing the song because we had to play it way faster for it to be put in slow motion to the real tempo in the video. It was actually pretty difficult!
Are there any other particular tracks in this album that you’d like to speak to?
Lisa: We’ve been very excited to share the entire album. It wasn’t always easy to decide what tracks to feature as singles, because we feel all of the work is strong. Personally, I’m excited for people to hear “Master Manipulator.” Mel came to the group with that song just a couple days before we went into the studio, so it was brand new for us and brimming with raw energy.
A recurring theme in your album is what has been described as “environmental (in)action;” can you speak to your passion here and the impact you hope your album may have?
Lisa: I have a daughter. She’s only seven years old. When I think of how inaction could impact her lifetime…it’s hard to put it into words. I think the theme is there because of the nature of how it is present in our day to day lives. I didn’t intentionally write music to spur action but often I’m writing as a way of processing my own feelings. I was very inspired by the address Greta Thunberg made to the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019 and that inspiration led to the track “Leave the Gaslight On.”
Melanie: There are so many possibilities and things we can do for our planet and the people who inhabit it (on a global scale) so inaction can’t be an option anymore. My hope, as we’ve written songs like “Black-Capped Cry” and “Leave the Gaslight On,” is that it sparks conversation and reflection.
The album explores what has been considered our “modern state of discontent” — America’s political scene, social justice, the female experience of adulthood, and the aforementioned environmental issues. How would you describe your desire here to “get political” with your music?
Lisa: There was no conscious intention. As I said, I’m often processing what’s going on around me in my own songwriting. Sometimes I’m drawing from other source material, books, people. These are all topics that are part of my day-to-day life. I’ve been performing as a musician since the mid-90s. The experience of women and music and being a woman that makes music have always been important to me. Maybe it feels like a chicken-or-the-egg kind of question. All of these things have been politicized, and I’m over here just trying to process that experience. I’m making art that imitates life that imitates art. I don’t have a need to shy away from the process. We don’t believe creating art about our experiences is in any way representative of all women. I would be foolish to think that. It’s my experience, and if other people find connection with that — well most music is more about that connection, the context for me. I love to listen to a great song, a well-written or just plain fun song. I also love to listen to music that I can find a personal connection with. I write a lot of songs that are very personal to me.
Another hallmark of your album — and overall style — is the palpable 90s alternative feel. You have previously cited influences like Pixies, The Breeders, Hole, and 90s Riot Grrrl bands like Sleater-Kinney. Can you speak to the role of these influences in each of your music careers and lives as artists? How do you like to describe your “Post-Riot Grrrl” sound and style?
Lisa: I was a teenager in the early 90s. I was listening to this music and reading Sassy magazine. I wore cut off corduroys and baby barrettes and black lipstick when I was feeling particularly dramatic. I really didn’t write music as heavily influenced by that until this project. I’ve always felt very influenced and inspired by musicians such as Kim Deal or Tanya Donnelly. My own “career” as a musician has been one of jumping on the ride and seeing where it takes me.
Melanie: I had the opportunity to see The Breeders perform live in 2018 and it was definitely a contributing factor in deciding to start a band with other women. I was deeply inspired by how they didn’t give a shit on stage. They were laughing at each other, making mistakes, but still totally KILLING IT. In that moment I realized that, for so long, I had been overthinking everything. So with the philosophy of starting a band with friends and writing good songs we enjoyed, all while presenting ourselves authentically and RAW, we drew inspiration from Riot Grrrl. As for the “post-” part, 90’s Riot Grrrl was criticized for not being intersectional enough and it’s important to acknowledge that. We want it to signify a movement forward as well as a branching of other genres to draw from.
From: https://interlocutorinterviews.com/new-blog/2021/4/27/blood-lemon-interview-debut-album
