Start Listening To: Blousey

With their debut EP The Precipice, London six-piece Blousey step into chaotic, genre-bending territory where punk urgency meets psychedelic art rock.

Blousey are a band in motion. Born out of London’s fertile DIY scene, the six-piece balance snarling garage energy with lush, off-kilter textures of violin, organ, and sax, creating songs that feel both raucous and meticulously woven. Their debut EP The Precipice captures that moment of becoming: written through lineup changes, remote sax takes from Hamburg rehearsal rooms, and a shared determination to carve out something distinct from the city’s well-trodden sounds. With themes of chaos, passion, and community at their core, Blousey are already shaping into one of London’s most exciting live acts. We caught up with them to talk about Canela Skin, finding their stride on stage, and the importance of keeping things weird.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

JJ: We’re a six piece based in London, mostly from the U.K. but we have an Argentinian contingent holding down Keys and Drums. Our names are Luca, JJ, Tallis, Rosie, Nacho and Rosendo. I’d say we make rock music distilled from a variety of influences, sometimes it’s more punky garage rock and other times it’s dark and psychedelic art rock. 

How did the creation of your debut EP, The Precipice, differ from your earlier songwriting experiences or projects as a band?

JJ: Well this was our first proper foray into the studio, and coincided with a turning point in the band. We were in the process of personnel changes so the EP was sort of patched together with some of the old members playing as well as some of our new members on it as well. Songwriting wise it feels like a nice capsule of the early stages of the band, bookmarking that period and getting those songs out of our system to move on to newer material.

Can you share your thoughts on the themes explored in ‘Canela Skin’ and how they resonate with your overall artistic vision?

JJ: I suppose Canela Skin is a bit of a mission statement for the band sonically and thematically. Its sleazy subject matter is conveyed through poetic imagery and musically combines frantic thrashy guitars, drums and bass with more avant garde instrumentation from the violin, organ and sax over the top. 

Luca: It’s essentially a snapshot into everything we want to do with the band

What was the most challenging aspect of recording The Precipice, and how did it shape your sound or approach to music?

JJ: As previously mentioned the EP was recorded whilst we were bidding farewell to previous members and welcoming in our new compatriots. The saxophone on ‘Canela Skin’ and ‘The Dog’ was recorded remotely over zoom by our old sax player Will who now lives in Germany. We started the session with him recording in his living room, but his neighbours starting banging on the door and complaining so we had to book him a rehearsal room in Hamburg. Then there was no wifi there so it was a process of him going and doing takes, bouncing them out and sending to us for notes and then going and doing more takes. Will was an absolute trooper though and I'm so impressed with how they came out. I dont think you can tell they were recorded with an SM58 in a tiny practice room in Hamburg. 

Can you describe the visual elements of your music video for ‘Canela Skin’ and how they reflect the song’s themes and energy?

JJ: We were approached by a wonderful team spearheaded by Claudia Kurucz and Tara Leonard, who we spoke at length with and they really understood and enhanced the vision we had for the video. We wanted lots of bizarre and chaotic imagery to reflect the track and are most pleased with how it came out. 

Luca: The lyric “there’s no logic in passion” was what we used as inspiration for the video. We wanted to make something as chaotic and in your face as the song is. In an ideal world we would have got the real Canela skin in for the shoot but this reality sadly doesn’t exist so we just attempted to make something as weird as possible.

How has your live performance evolved since forming as a band, and what can audiences expect from your upcoming shows?

JJ: I’d like to think we’ve gotten much tighter as a band, better able to communicate telepathically on stage and incorporate more intricately woven parts. We sort of treat the saxophone and violin like they’re two more guitars, and especially on our newer material I’m loving how they all play off of each other. We’re all just better and more confident musicians than we were 2 years ago. 

Luca: The line up of the band has changed quite a lot since our formation and every member has brought their own personality to the performance but with every change in the band we still hold the same up-beat chaotic energy that I wish to continue doing so into the future.

As a band based in London, how has the local music scene influenced your development and the sound of Blousey?

JJ: I think the scene in London has some fantastic bands who we’re massively inspired by. I do also think for a time there was a large number of bands who just did ‘the windmill sound’ , essentially falling somewhere in the triangle of being a derivative of Black MIDI, Fat White Family and BC,NR. Whilst I enjoy those bands, I feel what made them great was their innovation and we were very careful to try not to fall into the trap of being another imitation of what’s come before. There’s also so many fantastic venues to play and go to gigs, the George Tavern and Paper Dress being favourites of mine. 

Luca: The local London music scene is our life blood essentially. We’ve only been outside of London once and even that was a festival put on by a friend of ours we met playing in the scene. I would say we are inspired the most by the people around us. There are bands we’ve been listening to since we were kids that form the bedrock of the sound but it’s the bands we play with regularly that have shaped our sound into what it actually is such as Wish, Pedestrian Band, Safe At Any Speed, Parlay and Dada Movement. 

What role does collaboration play within the band, and how do you ensure that each member's voice is heard in the creative process?

JJ: Initially in the band it was primarily Luca and I writing the songs between us and then bringing them to the band, and whilst we’re still mainly writing the tunes, we’re bringing them to the band in a much more primitive state and really figuring the songs out in rehearsals - which I love. Our violin player Tallis has been writing more as well and her new song in the set is one of my favourites to play. We tend to jam the songs a lot and let everyone come up with their own parts and figure out together what works and what dosnt. 

Luca: Collaboration is essential. I couldn’t be playing in a band and completely dictate what everyone had to play or visa versa. Collaboration is where the meaningful stuff comes from, it’s the  stuff that reminds you why you’re playing music in the first place. Everyone gets their 10 cents and sometimes the creative process turns into a debate with the aim to make the best thing possible. In my opinion without that the music won’t ever be as good as it can be! Unless you’re Prince  and can do everything then go for it but as the rest of my band mates like to remind me, I’m not Prince.

Are there any particular gigs or experiences that have significantly impacted your journey as a band so far?

JJ: For me it would be this gig at Paper Dress a little while ago, it was the best we’d played at that point with the new lineup. We’d got some new songs down and it was just very life affirming, felt really inspiring for the future of the band. 

Luca: For me it would be the first time playing both the George tavern and the Windmill. These iconic institutions just put on the best shows with the best sound and it’s been these gigs that just perk everyone up and show us how good we can actually sound and how good we can actually be as a band. Every time we play the George I feel inspired to write and play more, maybe it’s the room or the sound engineers they have or something in the drinks it’s just a magical place to play 

How do you engage with your fans, and what does community mean to you in the context of your music and performances?

JJ: I guess primarily through talking to them at gigs - that and shitposting Instagram stories. 

It’s been really lovely hearing people reach out about the EP and seeing more and more new faces at the gigs. Community is really important to us as a band. We’re fortunate to exist within the eclectic ecosystem of music makers and lovers in the London scene. 

Luca: One thing that’s great about playing in the London scene is that all our “fans” are essentially good friends at this point. The majority of people who come to see us regularly are all in bands themselves and we all support each other and we all bring our friends and they bring theirs and it does feel like a little Blousey community at our gigs and it all adds to the performance. We are a band that definitely feeds off the energy of the crowd  

What’s the story behind the title The Precipice, and how does it encapsulate both your beginnings and future aspirations?

Luca: The Precipice is a lyric taken from our single Canela skin. We chose this because it does sum up how we feel about this project.  Within the process of its creation we have been developing our sound drastically as a band and have so much more to give musically, this ep is just a taste for what is to come 

What do you love right now?

JJ: Geese’s new album, a new song of ours called ‘Freak the Weirdo’ and mono drums 

Luca: Pedestrian band’s song “The Winston Blues”.

And finally finding a line up that’s able to practice regularly.

What do you hate right now?

JJ: On a sincere note, it’s hard not to hate/feel despair with a lot of what’s going on in the world at the moment, both here and abroad. On a sillier note, people who have no social or spatial awareness on public transport. 

Luca: tik tok, AI, Drake and that our government is complicit with a genocide 

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

JJ: Bringing It All Back Home - Bob Dylan

I remember my dad had it on cassette and played it in the car a lot as a kid. I can vividly remember hearing ‘Maggie’s farm’ for the first time and thinking who is this guy with this weird voice. But I was captivated by his lyrics and the stories he’d tell, especially on songs like ‘Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream’. I got more into Dylan as a teenager and he was a major influence on me when I started writing songs , but then recently the biopic just sent me back down that rabbit hole again. I guess it’s important to me as it taught me that lyrics don’t necessarily have to appear to make sense to be meaningful.  

Luca: Adore life - Savages 

This is an album me and my school mates use to listen to on repeat and worshiped. I luckily had the chance to meet Jehnny Beth a few months ago and meeting her reignited my love for this fantastic album and I’ve been playing it non stop just like I used to.

When someone hears your music for the first time, what do you hope sticks with them?

JJ: I hope they think the basslines are cool. And that they find themselves humming a chorus a few days later. 

Luca: With this Ep in particular we tried to write big choruses so hopefully people struggle to get them out of their heads 

Photography By: Kit O’Connor