BLUSH: Unfiltered and Unapologetic
Blush is the dynamic new act to watch coming out of the Perth/Boorloo music scene. Having been on several festival lineups, getting great support from Triple J unearthed and supporting bands like The Terrys, Fool Nelson and Great Gable we are keen to hear what is next for them.
Holly, Skye and Gianna from Blush talked about their single Embarrassed 4 U, their vision for the visuals, their creative process and the importance of being authentic and staying true to yourself.
TEMPER: The music video for ‘EMBARRASSED 4 U’ centres on confronting exaggerated versions of yourselves. Where did that idea come from and from a creative perspective, how did it come to life?
Holly: From the second we put “EMBARRASSED 4 U” together, I had an idea for the visuals to be super over-dramatic and play into the sarcastic essence of the song. It initially came to me when we were in rehearsal and I said to everyone “we should play this with the biggest smiles on our faces and be super enthusiastic.” From that, came the idea of the exaggerated versions of ourselves and the concept to ‘dress up and put on a show’ for an audience that dislikes us. Us playing the different audience members was a way to show how the stereotypical ‘norms’ of society can become part of the voices in your head and whether we are conscious of it or not, they impact the way we see ourselves and what we consider to be ‘embarrassing.’ It visualises the lesson that the more you care about what people think, and the harder you try to impress them, the worse you will feel about yourself. Things just built on top of that such as carnival aspects of the stage design and costumes, all contributing to the deeper meaning of the song while keeping the fun, entertaining facade it embraces.
T: The song wrestles with self-criticism and judgement. When did those voices start feeling loud enough to write about? Is it something that as a group you have struggled with or was it a more personal journey through those feelings?
Skye: Whilst I’m sure the rest of the members would have also struggled with the same emotional turmoil at some point, this story definitely stemmed from a personal journey that I endured around the time that the song was written. I had an experience with someone who told me that I was too ‘overwhelming’ and ‘exhausting’ to be around, an insecurity that I was already going through, so hearing those words from someone so close to me made it really stick. A few more comments were made from several different people shortly after, and for a while it really bothered me. But, when it came to writing this song, I decided to flip the narrative completely and find the humour in it all. Written from the perspective of what I imagined was everyone’s inner monologue when speaking to me, the song is laced with sarcasm from the very first line. It’s meant to be ridiculous, it’s meant to be exaggerated, and it’s been a very therapeutic journey having the opportunity to perform it and really feel the intention behind the meaning.
T: The lyrics reclaim being seen as “too loud” or “too much.” What does taking ownership of that actually feel like? Is this song more about silencing judgement, or learning how to coexist with it?
Skye: The entire purpose of this song was to find the humour and absurdity in letting other people’s opinion of you control the way that you present yourself to the world. There is so much power in staying authentic and true to yourself, in not bending or warping yourself to fit anyone else’s mould. It’s so much easier said than done, but the reward is worth the struggle. The over-the-top, exaggerated lyrics in the song were written in a way to ridicule the people who have the audacity to judge you. At the end of the day, if someone can’t handle you at your most authentic self, then they simply don’t deserve to and it’s 100% their loss.
T: Did writing this track change how you view yourselves as a band?
Holly: I think this track really helped us to understand that things aren’t always as serious as they sometimes seem and that it is SO important to make sure you are having fun, and look on the bright side of what may be a negative situation. It is so easy in this industry to get caught up in the competitive aspect of music and the stress of how people view you. It’s essential to remember that if you are enjoying it and being authentic to yourself, then it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks. This song helps bring us back down to earth and reminds us that the reason we are doing this is because we love making music with our friends. Sonically, it has definitely helped us realise we want to make more punky music in the future. I think before this song came together, we didn’t know how capable we were of putting a heavier, riff driven tune together. Personally, for me it’s because I honestly hadn’t heard that many female bands/artists do so. Most of the artists that I derived inspiration from for this bassline were bands like Rage Against The Machine and The Beastie Boys, who are both male led. I think the lack of female role models in this genre subconsciously made it feel out of reach. Realising that we can exist in this space has been empowering and it’s definitely opened up a new avenue that we are already starting to explore, as well as a hope that we can inspire more female led, heavier bands.
T: There’s humour threaded through the defiance. How intentional was finding that balance or did it come about quite naturally.
Skye: While it definitely was intentional, it also was entirely natural. There wasn’t a single moment that I wanted to approach the song from a very serious or solemn place. That choice draws back to the absurdity of thinking that everyone is constantly against you, or thinking negatively about you. The way that the brain self-sabotages sometimes is just comical, so we definitely wanted that to come through with the satirical lyrics that we went with, paired with that intentionally upbeat and sarcastic delivery.
T: What part of the song feels the most honest to you now that it’s out in the world?
Skye: The silliness and playfulness of this song is what feels most honest. There’s a sense of relief in having that song there whenever one of us starts to doubt ourselves, or cares too much about other people’s opinions, there’s reassurance in having that song absolutely dripping in sarcasm just to prove how ridiculous it is to listen to any negative thoughts or any person who has something negative to say.
T: What did working with Andy Lawson unlock for this song?
S&G: Working with Andy on this track allowed the song to reach the full depth of our expressive intent. He created an environment that was fun, open, and deeply creative, reminding us how powerful it is to collaborate with someone who truly cares about artists as individuals. Andy poured his soul into the recording sessions, guiding us and throwing out suggestions while still maintaining a connection to the vision we brought into the space. He always honours the creative process and encourages us to let go, trust ourselves, and be completely raw with everything we create. Recording with Andy is just always such a brilliant experience, he is so knowledgeable and supportive and we cannot wait to be back in the studio.
T: How important was it to keep the edges rough rather than smoothing things out entirely, particularly for this track?
G: We wanted to keep the edges rough with this one as a way of fully leaning into the messiness this song represents. This song is a personal look into the inner dialogue ofsomeone who believes the world is against them, we wanted this to be relatable and a way to connect to our audience on a more personal level. Expressing vulnerability is embracing the rough edges.
T: The video presents self-criticism as a public spectacle. Why was that imagery so important?
Holly: When you start to think negatively about yourself and head down a downward spiral that everyone hates you, it can feel as humiliating as a public spectacle. The video depicts an image of a battle between yourself and the thoughts of self-criticism that circle around in your head. The idea of a very over-dramatic, crazy looking public spectacle is almost an analogy that can make it easier to understand. A lot of the time when you’re in that headspace it is really hard to know why you feel that way and to also realise that people aren’t actually saying that, it’s just pessimistic thoughts piling up on top of each other. It was important to me to communicate that through this video and show in a visual way how ridiculous your brain can get if you continue to feed into those negative thoughts.
T: How do the visuals deepen or reframe the meaning of the track?
Holly: The visuals deepen the meaning of the track through both commenting on the intensity of your inner monologue but also how absurd and comical it can get. Having ourselves play the characters in the audience and yelling the lyrics back at ourselves onstage, represents our own voices in our heads saying these hurtful words. Our onstage personas portray how we feel when we’re in that certain situation. We start off confused and trying to look and act the part that the audience wants, to eventually just snapping and going completely crazy. This shift towards the end of the song is symbolic of how continuing to listen to this negative inner dialogue can drive you insane. It’s also to show how completely nonsensical these thoughts can be. All the costumes, set design and props play into the idea that this train of thought is ridiculous and once you take a step back, you laugh at yourself and realise how silly and irrational it was to think that way. The visuals were intended to keep the light-heartedness, while also addressing the more serious message behind the song.
T: This release comes after a rapid rise for the band, did that momentum influence the song at all?
Skye: We have had such great feedback and love for this song coming in from all sides, and we are so incredibly grateful for it! We had planned to release the song right before we found out that we were going to be playing Party in the Paddock in Tasmania, so it was the perfect opportunity for us to build a tour around it and just tell everyone in the world about it. It definitely did help spread the word and get the song on some incredible platforms like having our video played on Rage and getting the track added to Triple J Rotation. One common denominator that we did recognise though, was that once we started posting the visuals for the video, that’s when we noticed more interaction with the band online! So we’re really glad that people seemed to enjoy that and are continuing to connect with the song. It's so encouraging and heartwarming, and it just makes us so much more excited for the next release.
T: Does ‘EMBARRASSED 4 U’ mark a turning point in how you want to be perceived?
Gianna: To be completely honest, not really. We don’t want to tie ourselves to specific genres or styles; instead, we want to release music that truthfully reflects the different stages and seasons of our lives. This song wasn’t released to position us as a more punk or heavier band, it was released because it felt honest to who we were and what we were going through at that moment in time.
