Writing back in 2021, we described how Austin shoegaze quartet Blushing had signed with Kanine Records for a new album, Possessions, and how the record represented a newly collaborative step for the band. Nowhere was it clearer than on lead single ‘Blame’, which sees 90s shoegaze stalwart Miki Berenyi lend her ethereal croon to further lift Blushing’s throwback style. The song is rooted “firmly in the hazy shimmer of the early nineties,” we described in the preview. “A lush and immersive soundscape which invites the listener to submit to its ambiguous charms.”
More than capturing this mood, the repeated refrain which closes ‘Blame’ acts as a kind of pledge for the rest of the record. “Stick around, find out.” A lure, a promise. Because Possessions is not some nostalgic pastiche or cheap copy. It is a continuation of a conversation which started over thirty years ago. A clear message that the styles and sounds established then are not only persevering but capable of innovation. Shoegaze is alive and kicking. Blushing are here to prove it.
We took the opportunity to ask Blushing a few questions, so read on below to find out more about their love of nineties shoegaze and the honour of working with your heroes.
How does it feel to have a new record out in the world?
Amazing. We have to keep reminding ourselves that for everyone else this is the first time they are hearing these songs. We’ve had them in our lives for over two years and so for them to finally be out in the world feels like such a huge accomplishment. It’s a milestone we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time so we are thrilled the time has come.
I’m interested in the balance between lightness and weight on the record. There seems a coexistence between the soaring dreaminess and heavy textures of the songs, as though neither could exist without the other. Could you talk a little about this sound, and how it relates to the themes of the album?
The lightness and weight of the album seems to be directly connected to our experience when we were creating and recording it. It was (and still is) heavy times. There was an overall sense of chaos and despair in the world which can certainly be felt in the album but we also didn’t want to lean into that theme too much, instead choosing to go to the opposite direction with a few sparkling, shimmering, pop choruses. I think we are happiest with our sound when it’s able to exist in both of these spaces.
Collaboration seems an important part of Possessions, from Miki Berenyi’s appearance on ‘Blame’ to Ride’s Mark Gardener mixing and mastering the songs. Why did you look beyond the band this time around and how do you think these outside influences shaped the album?
Who wouldn’t want to collaborate with their idols! Our partnership with Miki really came about unexpectedly, we had no preconceived notion that she would have any interest in collaboration but to our surprise she was on board and enthusiastic to join in. Once we started working with her on ‘Blame’ it gave the band a renewed sense of energy and drive during the rest of the lengthy recording process. To get her approval and have such a respected artist tell us how much she liked the song and then return a stellar contribution gave us the confidence we needed to push ourselves even further for the rest of the recording process.
We had known about Mark’s OX4 Sound studio for a while and of course are huge fans of Ride, so we decided to reach out and see if he would be interested in mastering the album. We felt confident he would understand the overall sound we were wanting to achieve. He was excited to come on board and was really easy to work with. When we were recording ‘The Fires’ we just felt the song had a different vibe and there was something about it that Mark could bring out in the mix. So we asked if he would like to do the mixing work on ‘The Fires’ and he was happy to oblige. Sure enough both the mixing of that song and the overall mastering came out incredible.
We are really pleased with the entire album as a whole and another huge factor for that is teaming up again with Elliott Frazier, who also engineered and produced our last album. He understands the sound we want so well and knows exactly what to do to achieve that sound. He also just has great ideas. Some seem really wacky at first and then once executed end up becoming our favorite part of the song.
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Even beyond Berenyi’s influence, there’s a palpable nineties feel to the songs, one which feels very much part of a wider turn back toward that decade. What is it about that period of shoegaze and dream pop that is so appealing? And, more generally, what exactly do the nineties represent for you?
I think music in the nineties but more specifically shoegaze and dreampop at that time represented a lighter, less serious, uncomplicated place to just get lost in. There was some heavy stuff going on at the time just like now and some music is made to address those things and some music is made to escape them. Both are extremely valuable. I think people turn to music as a way to comfort or distract and what better way to do that than with a warm fuzzy blanket of sonic texture or the soaring romantic voice of Harriet Wheeler. The nineties represent optimism and playfulness.
Finally, if a tweet inspired the collaboration for this album, let’s try and repeat the positive manifestation. Who’s next on your bucket list?
Haha, lets go ahead and manifest a future tour with The Smashing Pumpkins.
Possessions is out now via Kanine Record and you can get it from the Blushing Bandcamp page.
