Off Bloom holds nothing back on their Lover Like Me EP  [Interview]D7d61e20 1cc8 4f4c 8db0 42b7e851fc32

Off Bloom holds nothing back on their Lover Like Me EP [Interview]

There are many daunting moments when we find ourselves subject to rejection, ridicule, and are otherwise unaccepted by those around us, and we are therefore pressured to hide our emotions rather than allowing them to strengthen and shape us. Deviating from this construct is no easy feat; however, a step outside it can lead an extraordinary discovery of rebellious contentment.

Expression over suppression — this unapologetic exhibition in Danish trio Off Bloom’s Lover Like Me EP is essentially thematic. A breakout act in 2017, the group — consisting of Mette Mortensen (vocals, production), Alex Flockhart (production) and Mads Christensen (production) — is a trailblazing collective of raw and untiring talent. Their debut EP, Love To Hate It, introduced their punchy, no-frills sound composed of deconstructed electronic-pop production, and would eventually lead the group to land a support slot on Dua Lipa‘s ‘The Self-Titled’ tour last year where they delivered their strong-willed disposition to stadium-packed crowds.

Built atop a lifetime of personal experiences and major life moments, Off Bloom emits a wholesome confidence that is reflected in their namesake, representing the deviation from common trends and paving their own way. Even their sound is emblazoned by an unshakeable vitality meddled with infectious attitude — a starlight of the team’s overall artistic motif.

People are noticing. Since their tour with Dua Lipa last year, Off Bloom’s international fan base continues to grow as listeners and spectators of their performances discover the team’s indomitable presence. Speaking to Dancing Astronaut on their ongoing development, the group reminisces on a standout moment on tour:

“We played this arena in Antwerp. I don’t know what happened but there was just this vibe in the room. And then suddenly everyone started to put on their lights on their phones and put them up. First, it was ten people, then fifty, then it was two hundred, then a thousand, then two thousand people! We didn’t ask them to do it, they were just really into it and enthusiastic and engaged. That was a beautiful moment.”

Off Bloom holds nothing back on their Lover Like Me EP  [Interview]Off Bloom

As for their recent EP off Capitol Records,  Lover Like Me exudes an intended overindulgence in the textures and emotions experienced throughout the record. What is immediately evident off the trio’s latest output is the independent solidarity between each track. Every song stands alone as a blazing testament to honest intuition and selfish evolution, all while celebrating life’s emotive tactility with sound.

“It’s been a long process but I think as always we’re just trying to hold to whatever we’re feeling when we’re writing a song, and the EP shows what we’ve been through, what experiences we’ve had. We wanted to show that each song has a specific emotion attached to it, and if the song is about fear or anger or hatred or joy or whatever you’re feeling — that it’s ok to feel that. There’s a lot of pressure nowadays for people not to feel managed by their emotions, or be the best selves they can be – and we think that our music shows that everything is allowed. So that’s what we wanted to show, that journey through those feelings.”

The leading track, “Shut Up And Let Me Walk,” is a forthright introduction to the record, remarking on the virtue of self-importance and independence with a vicious, sonic tenacity. “Rockefe11a (F**k That To Be Honest)” is a ruminative piece co-produced with Hudson Mohawke, and emits a similar resilience while simultaneously zoning into a slightly somber landscape.

Tuning into a more rebellious and unruly character with billowing piano chords and deep, brazen synths, “Golden Dreams” is a carefree ode to drinking with friends and celebrating life in the moment, while “Hey Bae” is, in its truest sense, a love song.

Rounding out the project, the EP’s titular track, “Lover Like Me,” captures the incongruent psyche of self-expression and the credence to one’s selfish nature. The band reflects on the meaning behind the single and how everything isn’t black and white, and the ebb and flow of egotistical tendencies rides a thin line between self-love and hedonism.

“It can both be an extremely positive thing and self-confidence thing, but it’s also weird and very narcissistic and self-indulgent, there’s a lot of stuff in it and you can’t put your finger on it and what it means. And we thought this represents the songs and the feelings on the EP.”

The fire in the Off Bloom’s sophomore EP is hard to miss. Lover Like Me stands as another notch in the band’s blossoming career, a constant manifestation of unabashed emotion and talent. More recently, the team was one of ten winners for this year’s European Border Breakers Award, an annual prize that recognizes emerging artists who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year. Past EBBA winners include Adele, , Lykke Li, and Mumford and Sons.

With an entire bright year ahead of them, the group is far from finished from relaying their headstrong narrative that has been captivating audiences from across the world.

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