Vocal Warrior: Billie Blue Blackstone

An insightful interview with Billie Blue Blackstone, teacher, writer, vocalist and songwriter of the band Billie Blue & The Nowhere Men (BBTNM). BBTNM released their debut album in September last year and they're currently busy preparing for a music video and a tour in India.

What projects are you currently involved in?
Just my band – Billie Blue & The Nowhere Men. I have collaborated with other artists in the scene and would love to explore more!

How do you juggle between work and music?
I always try to remind myself that music is #1. The amount of heart and soul and time I give to any other work cannot overtake what I give to music. To be honest, I start to feel pretty blue when I’m away from music for a while, be it creating or performing. My day job is rewarding in its own way, and a girl’s gotta eat, but music just isn’t optional.

What's the inspiration behind your music?
So many things. I read a lot (or as much as adulthood permits) and literature has inspired quite a few of my songs. All of the craziness in the world also permeates into my music. But lately, I’ve been trying to look inward and put my actual feelings in song. I’ve never written a love song, and I’m trying to overcome this apprehension I have towards being vulnerable in my lyrics. It feels kinda silly because I’m so expressive and honest in real life. I came closest to that in my song “Old Friend”, which I wrote when I realized that I kept returning to a negative headspace because I began to find comfort in it. I guess putting your less-than-pretty feelings into song can feel like you’re sanctifying them. Giving them so much weight. And then when you perform that for people, you’re exposing all of these raw parts of yourself to strangers and friends. It’s a very singular feeling and I want more of it, but it’s also scary.

How's the writing process like for BBTNM?
Sometimes it takes hours, months to complete lyrics that I think are worth listening to. Sometimes I write 3 verses in five minutes. I have a lyric book and I have a notes folder in my phone dedicated to lyrics. Writing lyrics usually happens on my own. I might have loose melodies in mind, but they really only take shape when I meet up with Soheil. He either has some progression to show me on guitar or he’ll be noodling and I’ll be like “we can use this!”. Then I come up with melodies. I think about how the music makes me feel and we talk about where we can take it. I might use existing lyrics or I might write entirely new ones. Once all of those bits and pieces come together to form some semblance of something, we take it to the band, and the skeleton becomes a fleshed-out song.

Any plans for another EP or album?
We do have plans for singles, coming soon to your favourite streaming platform. I’m too exhausted to make another album and my head and back are still aching from the last album we made. *laughs*

That being said, making “Find Gold” was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. What had been a pipe dream for so long actually became a reality. It’s indescribable, and as much as the process kills you, it also helps you grow in ways you didn’t know you could. Ultimately, what you want is for your art to be heard, and if you have CDs and merch, to be touched and held. I’m getting ready to bite the bullet again, even if it's in smaller doses this time.

What are your main musical influences?
I guess if you wanna talk genre, a lot of the bands I listen to could fall in the category of some sort of rock or folk. My heavier playlists have a lot of psychedelic rock, prog, folk rock, blues rock, and everything in between. My lighter side has straight-up folk, folk blues, jazz and a smattering of indie. I often get called out because my playlists are apparently not “happy” enough.

Do you prefer performing solo, or in a band? Why?
I feel most at home in a band. I like the freedom of being able to just sing. But performing solo, or in stripped-down settings has its charms too.

How old were you when you first started singing?
I have always loved singing. But I did go through a weird phase in high school where I would lip-synch in my own room. I had become too self-conscious to sing. I finally overcame that when I was about 17. Then I started performing at 19. It’s been a process.

If you had a chance to either perform or record with one of your idols, who would it be?
Neil Young or Robert Plant, hands down. I would melt and you’d have to mop me off the floor. I respect them so much and they speak to my folky little heart. I want to believe this can happen.

What are the challenges in getting your music out?
I could probably write a dissertation about this, but I’ll try not to. You have to contend with the madness of this ever-changing industry. You have to know the right people. You have to find your audience and figure out how your music can reach them. Each band is different, and requires different treatment. The best you can do is to keep yourself informed. Consult people who understand how this industry works. There are some steps that are tried and tested, and could help you to expand your audience.

What's your message to young aspiring musicians, singers and songwriters?
Keep making music, whatever that means to you. With all of its challenges, if you love music, it will be rewarding just because you are doing it. Don’t compromise who you are, but embrace evolution. The best musicians in history are remembered because they offered themselves to the world in song. There’s someone out there who will dig who you are – no matter what that sounds like.