London-based glam-goth alt-rock band The Bloodstreams just released ‘Columbine’. The single takes us on a juxtaposed journey through genre conveying the two sides of love and hate. The band are led by the vocal harmonies of Danny, James and Jasmine who make for a performance that displays the band's storytelling, surrealist perspective.
Originally written by their guitarist James, the band decided to hunker down at Studio 7 in Tottenham Hale to piece ‘Columbine’ together pre-lockdown. Covering themes of isolation and anxiety the track evolved in the creative process into something more complicated than the band originally intended. The poetic and powerful message behind the track's title captures the notion of the giving of flowers, usually in situations of high emotion. In this instance the Columbine flower is representing our way of expressing ourselves and shows that in a desperation of faith, positivity can thrive. The lyrics of the track depict the two sides of good and evil intertwining into a powerful overall message. This is also evident through the sonic landscape of the song as it starts as a classic slow-paced rock record but gently moves into a dramatic half-time gospel outro. The Bloodstreams say “Whether you believe it or not, religion has defined culturally and historically the world. We want to make people dance. This is our religion.”
Sounding similar to The Fat White Family, the overdriven guitar and chanting repeated in the second half of the song builds to almost biblical proportions “It's very abstract and meant to be heard as a universal evangelical love story”. The band’s other more classic influences include The Beatles, Bauhaus and Siouxsie & The Banshees. This is evident through the energy and melody The Bloodstreams bring to their music. The track completes with one last shift to a melodic keyboard solo which rounds off the song perfectly.
Music News caught up with The Bloodstreams to find out more...
So, Bloodstreams, what's up? What's on your mind? It's hard to express one's self without time-stamping feelings to the heavy zeitgeist. Lots of defining things happening and we're trying to be one of them. We've just launched our debut single and mastered the album. Very much looking forward to a Christmas break and then a busy 2022. Looking to the future a lot right now. Eyes on the horizon.
Tell us everything about your new single ‘Columbine’? JAMES: Columbine is a song about life and death with religion as a conduit as it nearly always is... For us it conjures a feeling of loss and hope simultaneously. A journey through the valley, a walk through life which culminates to a precipice at a point of letting go. Musically we wanted to represent a locomotive movement and a shift of time at derailment. The slow gospel progression providing an elevating lift to a desperate preach, which literally screams fear and optimism.
When did you start writing music together? JAZ: We all started writing together as The Bloodstreams nearly 2 years ago. Danny (bass) & I (keys) had been in bands previously as did myself and James (guitar). James is my Brother so we've pretty much musically grown up together. DANNY: The 3 of us (James, Jaz and myself) are all writers so when we synchronised as a writing trio it was like some mad chemical reaction that we didn't know was possible. It's a very emotionally, highly charged process with a lot of mania running through it. Seems to be present in the product.
Really liked the video for ‘Columbine’. Share with us the concept behind it. Jaz: It really mirrors the concept of the song. We wanted to make a slick, somewhat traditional performance music video and backdropping it with the stark white emptiness of the setting displays that kind of stuck in purgatory feeling, between life and death. Intercut with projections of religious and pentecostal footage elevating to the end of an impassioned sermon. As a visual it also has literal connotations that religion is over everything in the modern world, culturally and historically. The way the flashing images and hidden messages pop through show a glitch in the balance of everything.
Who are your musical icons? JAMES: Roxy Music, Bowie, Iggy Pop JAZ: Cyndi Lauper, Bjork, Bowie DANNY: Frank Zappa, Mike Patton (Faith No More), John Cale (V.U) NICO (Drums): Alice In Chains, Deftones, Slipknot
What was the first album you purchased? JAMES: Marshall Mathers LP by EMINEM. JAZ: Debut by Bjork. DANNY: Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn. NICO: Songs for the Deaf - Queens Of the Stone Age.
Which artists are you listening to right now? POZI PigsPigsPigsPigsPigsPigsPigs JOHN Fontaines DC Thee Oh Sees King Gizzard
How would you describe your sound in 3 words? Melodious Grit Gothic
What does the new year hold for you? JAMES: Follow up single : "Clockwork Man" in the coming months and our debut album mid 2022. A ton of live shows. An experimental art-driven concept album to record. Anything we can get away with!
