a conversation with… BLOXX
Emily had a chat with vocalist Ophelia ‘Fee’ Booth of London’s BLOXX about their latest record and surviving the difficulties of the global pandemic.
From touring with The Wombats and Pale Waves in 2018 to releasing their debut album amidst a global pandemic in 2020, BLOXX are a striving force to be reckoned with. Editor Emily caught up with vocalist Ophelia ‘Fee’ Booth about the future with Lockdown #2 among us.
Despite having to quarantine for a good potion of the year, the London indie-pop band managed to have a lucky escape after having finished their debut record the year before. With it being almost five years since BLOXX first came onto the horizon, it’s inevitable that their sound has changed throughout their time together as a band, with general experimentation being a thing they enjoy most.
“I think the crux of BLOXX is still there, like our guitars and stuff. There’s a bit of experimentation on the first record; we tested the waters a little bit, but we’re kind of going back to our grassroots with the next bit of music,” Booth explains. “For a lot of the writing processes over the period of the first album, I was very young. I’d never done writing sessions before. I think that’s probably why the record is as poppy as it is, but the second record is very much in old BLOXX world. I feel that the stuff I’ve been writing recently is some of my best work yet.”
Booth has always been very honest with her song writing, covering topics such as relationships, heartbreak and attraction. Having written the bulk of BLOXX’s lyrics over the span of four years, starting when she was just 18, Booth feels as though their debut album is less of a coming of age album, and more of a breakup storyline. “I went through big breakups in those four years. It’s a lot of self-growth that I experienced when I finished writing and recording the first record,” Booth shares. “I listen back and I’m like ‘ooh, I was bitter for no reason’. I think it’s evident in how far I’ve come as a person and how far the band has come in terms of our own personal lives.”
Her honesty only materialises into the music she’s been writing throughout lockdown, with key issues such as the US election and Black Lives Matter protests being a prominent conversation across social media and day-to-day life. “We use our Twitter to try and talk about these things a lot. We’re here as well, we go through it too. It’s important that we use our platforms to do that sort of thing. It’s really important because of what is going on with the government; I try and raise awareness of it on Twitter but also show how angry we are about it. There are quite a few tracks I’ve been writing recently that kind of delve into the whole prospect of how messed up the world is right now which is cool because I’ve never done that before. It’s nice to go into that realm.”
Though it not hindering on the recording process for their record, COVID has certainly impacted the band’s finances throughout the year. From having to postpone their tour supporting Twin Atlantic, to losing out on the album launch they would’ve ideally liked to have, as Booth says, it’s been a shit year for everyone.
“I’m not very good at looking after myself, I’ll be honest with you,” Booth admits before discussing what she has been doing for the past few months in lockdown. “I’ve been writing a lot more serious stuff, trying to keep my head into my work. If I didn’t write music, I don’t know what the hell I would be doing at this point in time. If you’re struggling, find an outlet, write a journal, put how you’re feeling into words,” she suggests, adding that it’s incredibly important to talk to people. “I’ve realised that lying to yourself about how you feel is definitely not the right thing to do, you can’t be in denial. You’ve always got to be truthful with yourself about how you feel. Reaching out is really important. I’ve realised that recently I’ve been reaching out a lot more than I used to, and I feel a lot better for it.”
With the future of live music feeling incredibly uncertain given the current circumstances, Booth shares that she’s feeling scared for what’s to come. “It’s daunting, it doesn’t make much sense. We have a tour in April, and I want nothing more than to go out and play a show and tour.” Despite the hopes of this happening, it’s looking more and more as though this may end up getting postponed due to the lack of reassurance from the government. “The way that the government has handled everything, and the way that people are selfish and are actively spreading the virus with absolutely no means of care or consideration for anyone else is just insane. It will change concerts and everything. It’s something that has to happen for us to be able to get over this thing. Hopefully music comes back, and if it does and it’s socially distanced, that’s cool too.”
Having supported Pale Waves at Guildford’s key grassroots venue, The Boileroom, back in 2018, the current lack of support for the arts and venues hits close to home for BLOXX. “We would be nowhere without them,” she sighs, adamant that we need to support local venues more than ever.
“I’ve seen so many of my favourite venues close this year and it’s really important because that’s our bread and butter. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I do honestly believe that this is a perfect opportunity for them to forget about an industry that is craving and begging for help. It has for years now, and this is the government’s opportunity to leave us out to dry. It’s annoying and unbearing, we’ll fight to the death, sign petitions, go on marches, do whatever we can. Come to shows when they come back on because they’re going to be the best shows of our lives. I’m looking forward to it.”
Though the future seems uncertain, plans for the future of BLOXX are anything but. With new music already on the horizon, it’s evident that the band have even greater things ahead of them.