Smells Like Quarantine Spirit: Pip Blom
- Marieke
- Jul 3, 2020
- 3 min read
Pip Blom has been writing, recording and releasing indie pop tunes since 2016. Since then, the band (consisting of Pip, Tender, Darek and Gini) has played all over Europe and the U.S., with absolute gig highlights being SXSW and Glastonbury in 2019. Their debut album 'Boat' also received amazing reviews, from Rolling Stone, NME and Elton John (!!!), to name a few.
Lockdown or not, their hard work isn't stopping now. In the last couple of months, the band has already participated in Tims Twitter Listening Party, released a deluxe edition of their album 'Boat', and there were posts on social media hinting at album #2.
I checked in with Pip in May, to see what she was up to and how the rest of 2020 is going to look for the band.
Hey Pip - how are things? Are you getting used to being in lockdown?
Pip: Yeah I’m doing good! Things are a bit more calm and quiet right now, but I am working on some new songs. Apart from that, we have also been busy with distributing the deluxe version of our record 'Boat'. There was a lot of folding, signing, painting, cutting and writing going on. So luckily there wasn't any time to get bored.
How would 2020 have looked like for the band, without a lockdown or Corona crisis?
Luckily this year would have been a more quiet year for us anyway. We would have gone into the studio in July and play a few shows here and there. But the idea was to really work on the new record this year.
Were you able to make any new plans? Or are things still uncertain?
This year is very uncertain. We have been able to move our studio time to September and we hope to start rehearsals with the four of us soon. When it comes to new shows and tours, we are trying to plan that all in for 2021. But, if we are able to finish the second record this year, we are already pleased. So fingers crossed!
You guys seemed to be quite busy, from what I could see online. Could you talk a bit more about that?
Yes, we have about 20 demos ready for the new record. Now that everything has been brought to a halt, I really felt like I had more time to work on these songs without feeling the stress I usually feel. Which I enjoyed very much.
Our next step is to rehearse the new songs together. Which is a bit more tricky to plan. We are all really looking forward to it though. It’s quite strange actually, we used to spent almost every minute of every day together, and now we haven’t seen each other for months in a row. I really miss them a lot.
Talking about writing and recording: what does your current setup look like? Are you able to record at home?
I am very lucky in that sense. I live with my parents and we have a little studio in our house. Nothing too fancy; we have an amp, a computer and some instruments. But it's everything I need.
What do you miss the most about band life?
I miss traveling a lot, being on the road and visiting new places. Just being on the road with friends in general is something I really miss. Oh and a nice cold beer. I am really craving one right now.
When I asked these previous questions to Pip, The Netherlands was still in lockdown at the time. However, in the last few weeks, more places opened up again. So I was curious to see how Pip and the band have celebrated their new sense of freedom.
Pip! How are things now? Were you already able to get together with the band?
Yes! We have been able to rehearse together. It felt very strange at first, but also really nice. Things are going well, but I must say that rehearsing without a gig to look forward to is quite tedious. Luckily we can also start practicing for when we're going into the studio later this year, but that's still quite far away. So now it feels like we're just aimlessly playing. We really miss normal life.
And what about that cold beer?
On the second day that the pubs had opened up again, I went straight in. The beer tasted even better than expected.
How can fans and listeners support you at the moment?
We will be fine for now. If everything is over, it would be great to see people at our shows again. And you can always check out our Bandcamp, where you can find some of our merch!
Follow + support Pip Blom:
@pipblom
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