British Indie Rockers Blossoms: Sounds Straight Outta Class of '83

Share in the Synthpop Love With British Indie Rockers Blossoms Nov 2

The Beijingers | Nov 1, 2018 5:30 pm | Add a comment | 2246 reads

Synthpop is back, kids, and this time it's alternative! Sounding something like what your parents probably listened to back in the day if they were trying to fit in, or what they hated if they considered themselves alternative, Blossoms are proof that mainstream and avant-garde easily succumb and adapt in front of almighty time. Barely cracking their early twenties, these five Stockport, UK-hailing childhood friends have already quit their day jobs so as to dedicate themselves to music.

Consisting of Tom Ogden on lead vocals and guitar; Charlie Salt on bass, synthesizer, and backing vocals; Josh Dewhurst on lead guitar and percussion; Joe Donovan on drums; and Myles Kellock on keyboards, synthesizer, and backing vocals, Blossoms are so heavy on the synths that would have threatened to embarrass even the queens of the keys Modern Talking themselves.

The bands love and heartbreak-fuelled lyrics also would have certainly made a great soundtrack for flirting at the disco back in the late ‘90s. Despite all that, Blossoms don’t sound old, and instead hit a balance between unique and indie even in an oversaturated retro market.

We spoke to the lead singer Tom Ogden ahead of their Beijing gig at Omni Space this Friday, Nov 2.

You have mentioned that you simply “made music because it was something to do in Stockport.” Tell us more about your hometown, what was the atmosphere like growing up?
It’s an old industrial working class town, we’ve lived there all our lives. We were all born in the same hospital and lived 5 minutes away from each other growing up. Being so close to Manchester we always had the knowledge of Manchester’s musical history with us. Bands like Oasis, The Stone Roses, and The Smiths started only a few bus stops away from us.

We talk about the influence of other musicians often, so let’s talk about inspirations. Where do you draw your musical inspiration from? Personal stories, society, books, history?
Lyrically, I’m definitely influenced by personal stories of my own relationships and friends mainly. I do take a lot of influence for song titles from literature and movies, our song “I Can’t Stand It” was heavily influenced by the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I liked the idea of trying to erase someone from your memory during heartbreak and putting that into a song.

Now onto fashion. Blossoms on stage come out as a tasteful mix of light vintage and classy grunge. Any favorite labels or must-have items?
Levis, Gucci, Spring Court, Paul Smith, and we love vintage shopping when we’re on tour. Must-have items for us would be a great pair of white trainers! Spring Court and Novesta are our favorites.

I heard you quit your jobs to tour with the band. What were you doing before?
Me and Myles were working in a hotel bar, serving and waiting on. Joe was an apprentice tailor, something he thought he’d do for life. Charlie was in the building trade with his Dad. Josh was still in college!

What would you be doing if it wasn’t making music?
I would be trying to make it as a filmmaker. Either directing or editing. It’s something I’m really passionate about, and I still try and do it whenever I can with the band; in music videos of tour films.

What are your expectations for the shows in China? Do you feel that there is a strong Blossoms fanbase in Asia in general?
We get a lot of love online from China so we can’t wait for these shows. Hopefully, we’ll be back again soon too!