Blake English Exclusive Interview | HeyBoy x Vanity Teen
Instagram : blakeisenglish/ Photographers : rowan_daly
You have a new single out called ‘Cool’. This song has a much lighter feeling to your last single ‘Sad Girls Dance Party’. Can you explain a bit about the inspiration for this song and what it means to you personally?
I’d say a common thread through all my songs is the use of opposing forces to tell a story. Classic Gemini here. Haha. “Cool”, on the surface, is a very repetitive pop song with softer vocals and production that just makes you feel good. The lyrics, however, tell a much darker story. It’s about all the crazy things I’ve done to pander to the fame life and keep up with my very successful friends. Looking back on some of those experiences, even when I was uncomfortable, I put a smile on my face and pretended to not let it bug me when deep down I was being eaten alive by anxiety. Hence, the use of wrapping the dark story in a nice, fun, easy listening package. It reflects exactly what was going on with me at the time.
The music and the music video for “Sad Girls Dance Party” was honestly nothing short of amazing! So much imagination was running through this video it had us instantly inspired. You have said you were influenced a lot by artists like Lady Gaga, Marilyn Manson, and David Bowie! What about these artists do you find your self most drawn to?
While filming the “Sad Girls Dance Party” music video, I came to the conclusion that I am, most literally, a culmination of all of my favorite things. Artistically, I feel as though, I wouldn’t be an artist if it weren’t for entertainment juggernauts such as Gaga, Bowie, or Manson paving the way. The cool thing about them is that they not only inspire artistically, but they push me to be the best version of myself personally. I remember when I was 10, I saw the movie Labyrinth and wanted to literally be David Bowie after that. He helped me feel the courage to be authentically me. He gave me someone to look up to that I otherwise hadn’t had because of my very conservative Christian upbringing. And that’s what I want to give to others. These artists gave me the amazing gift of freedom in my authenticity and now I want to help inspire others to find that within themselves.
At what age did you realize that you wanted to take a more alternate path in life and stray away from the norm of how society expects you to grow? – What do you think you might be doing if you did not decide to peruse your dreams?
Haha, well…I have always been outside the normal of scope of what’s expected from a kid growing up in conservative Georgia. When I was 12, right before going trick or treating for Halloween, my neighbors put on Rocky Horror Picture Show, which I stealthily watched through their screen door waiting on my friend to come outside. I fell in love with Frank N. Furter and I guess it was at that point that I knew I probably wasn’t going to pick up the family business of owning a construction company. It wasn’t till my mom made me audition for a community theatre’s production of Grease, that I knew I wanted to be a performer. I became obsessed with musical theatre and performance in general. At that point, being an artist was the only option I allowed into my psyche. I suppose in another life, I would be a marine biologist. I have a specific love for sharks and it’s one of my dreams to swim with great whites.
We are currently living in a strange world; everything has seemingly been flipped upside down. There is a lot of positive coming out of this, but also a lot of negativity. What have you been doing during all of this to stay motivated, informed and to honestly just upkeep your creative energy?
My goodness 2020 has been a wild ride, hasn’t it?! I’d say, in a weird way, I was training for this craziness without even knowing it. 2019 was a VERY hard year for me. I was at the peak of a depressive episode and riddled with anxiety. I had to, during that time, implement some pretty strict rules for myself to ensure my health and well being. Things such as meditation and yoga have tremendously helped. Freeing myself of an onslaught of daily negative self talk was HUGE. And I’ll tell ya, limiting myself on social media was probably the number one thing that got me to the light at the end of the tunnel. All of that, I carried into 2020 which has kept me relatively stable during even the most troubling parts of this year. That doesn’t mean I don’t have my moments and when those moments arrive I’d say a glass of wine and a few hours playing Mario have been the best medicine haha.
If you could explain in a sentence or two what you hope each listener gains after hearing your music, what would you say?
I think as I’ve grown as a person that answer has changed and will continue to. Right now I’d say I want to give my audience an escape. Especially during these crazy times, everyone needs that immersion into a different reality even if it’s just for 2 to 3 minutes. That’s exactly what all my favorite artists provided me with and I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here today without that.
Is there one thing that you have experienced in the music industry that you wish would change for the better?
The music industry often times feels like the wild west. While other parts of the industry are brutal as well, nothing quite matches the level of crookedness I’ve experienced in music. I think if I were to change anything it would be to come up with a better way to fairly compensate songwriters and producers for their work. Music is a universal pleasure enjoyed by everyone and yet the creators still get the shit end of the stick monetarily. It’s not right and hopefully is on it’s way to changing.
For your fans that want to professionally pursue music… Is there any advice you can share which you wish was given to you a bit earlier that would have made things easier on you?
I think staying true to yourself and what makes you, you, is the strongest asset you can bring to the table in pursuing anything in life. It sounds cliche but it’s a cliche for a reason, BECAUSE IT’S TRUE. The thing is it’s a very hard commitment to hold for yourself as more and more pressure comes in. Often times loosing who we are isn’t really a conscious choice, it’s just something that happens over time. Commit to honoring the beautiful version of you that has been sculpted by your own experiences and your art will flourish.
For your fans that want to professionally pursue music… Is there any advice you can share which you wish was given to you a bit earlier that would have made things easier on you?
I think staying true to yourself and what makes you, you, is the strongest asset you can bring to the table in pursuing anything in life. It sounds cliche but it’s a cliche for a reason, BECAUSE IT’S TRUE. The thing is it’s a very hard commitment to hold for yourself as more and more pressure comes in. Often times loosing who we are isn’t really a conscious choice, it’s just something that happens over time. Commit to honoring the beautiful version of you that has been sculpted by your own experiences and your art will flourish.
The Pandemic has brought scary emotions out of people. If you could wish for one thing people could start seeing in their day, what would it be?
Oh, I wish people could see how beautiful they are. I wish everyone could look in the mirror and be proud of who’s looking back. At least in my life, self love has been key in me learning to truly love others and to see the world around me in a positive light. I would love to give that gift to as many people as I can.
Check out the AMAZING music video for Blakes single “Sad Girls Dance Party” Below.