LOTUSBLISS

Beautifully striking music; lead singer Josh from Lotusbliss talks about the overall music industry, the history of the band and their future as we take a deeper dive into their single "The Horror" and its music video.

How did you all get into music, was it something you have all been into growing up or was it something more recent?

​"We’ve all been very keen on playing, listening and learning music for a long time - each of us started on more classical instruments before moving onto contemporary ones. Seth and Josh both learnt violin and sang in choirs, and Adam learned Saxophone before picking up piano. Our household was fairly musical - Mum sang and played Clarinet (rarely - though she was very good!) and Dad loved his acoustic guitar, so there was always music around either being played or listened to".

Out of all the instruments what made you choose the one you are currently playing?

​"This is a hard question! I (Josh) can probably only answer for myself, but honestly I started playing guitar around 14 as I thought violin wasn’t cool enough! Slightly embarrassing to admit - and I’m gutted I stopped playing the violin!"

​How did you all come together as a band?

​”It was a bit of a joke at first really, we were all having breakfast one day and had made pancakes. There were a few different sauces and spreads going around, including Lotus Biscoff spread. One of us lathered up a pancake in it and after taking a bite exclaimed “I’m in lotus bliss!”, to which someone else said “that’s a good band name”. The thought kind of stuck, and we decided eventually that it would be worth trying to write some stuff together.”

What is the music scene like in your home town?

​"We haven’t had lots of great experience with it, though this project only really came about once we’d each moved away from Canterbury. Whilst it still very much feels like the place we’d most associate with our band, we haven’t actually played a gig there as lotusbliss!"

​Do you want to keep the 'home studio' elements to your music or would you rather start moving into high budget studios? 

​It's hard to tell on this - we've always made the music out of our homes and in a fairly DIY way, whilst trying to maintain a high level of professionalism. I think we'd love to try the studio thing but maybe we wouldn't get on with it and would run back to living rooms and home studios!

​Do you plan to challenge your song writing, is there a style of writing you go into or are the ideas you want to try? 

​"We’re all very keen to make sure we don’t just repeat ourselves, so there’s always as challenge to create something fresh. It’s hard to not think about ‘will this work, will that work’ but ultimately our goal is to create something authentic that we love."

​Have you made music on the road outside of a studio if so, where is the weirdest place you have made music?

​"Our song "Carpet" actually came from blowing into two different bottles with different notes whilst in an indoor carpark, using the reverb of the space to adlib what became the versus and chorus!"

How would you describe Lotusbliss' sound?

​”A soft lightening cutting through the clouds at sunset"

​What other musicians do you find inspiration for in terms of your sound if any?

​"We like indie rock staples like Arcade Fire, Foals, Haim, The War on Drugs etc and they’ve certainly influenced the music - we particularly love the blend of ethereal and energy you find on a The War On Drugs record. We’ve also taken influence from Ben Howard, Novo Amor, The Japanese House and The 1975. On a more subtle and intangible way, the break-the-mould artistry of the likes of Bjork and David Bowie is very inspiring."

​Are there any other music genres you would like to venture into?

"I (Josh) love harder rock and metal, and have always fancied laying down some screams on a gritty track. Seth occasionally makes Sad Boy Trap, largely ironically (he says) but occasionally it is pretty catchy! I can imagine Adam making a dreamy instrumental synth record that will gently rock you to sleep."

THE HORROR

I was introduced to Lotusbliss from their single “The Horror” being in my Spotify Discover Weekly back in Jan 2021. I really loved the song and so i’m going to give my perception of the song and have Josh reveal his perception of the song he wrote.

The song itself sounds like a battle with one's self as they admit that they are the cause of the breakup and hard times within their relationship.

With words such as “I know it’s all my fault” and “Behind this fake smile, I’m suffocating still”. The person is aware of their mistakes and sabotaging nature and it is eating away at them. This is also shows in the next lines “If I let you in, then I’ll let you down again”. I personally love this take on a love long as it shows that one can self sabotage and hate that instead of being another song about being the victim and another person hurts you.

“Every word unsaid is a prison cell”. In my view this shows the person and their lover are very open about their issues and when they keeps things hidden, it hurts because they only want the best for each other as well as they can’t handle distance and in a way needs contact because without it, it feels like a prison. The line also sounds like guilt. Sometimes when you know something and someone you love doesn't you keep it in to protect them but in doing this, it kills you. Is ignorance bliss for my partner or should I tell them the truth knowing it will fuck us up? Although you should always tell them the truth.

“Oh heartbreak, how did I get here again?” This is a very interesting line to me. On one hand it clearly shows the person is so used to going through the same bullshit and ending up in heartbreak left confused because they're trying to be better. A typical recipe for self sabotage. On another hand I also read it as the person has gone through this so often that they are starting to personify heartbreak and ask it for help; "How did I get here again? Help me to never come again."

“The horror, I fall for anything”. This is another interesting line to me. I feel like the person calls for affection and a relationship, the “anything” the writer can fall for could be the excitement that a new person has come into their life. Mistaken for a new chance, a new beginning that ends up being a façade or they could fall for the promises they made for themselves; that they will change and wont repeat the same mistakes but always end up doing it.

“You see a man but I see a monster". This shows the innocence that their partner has, despite the hardships, mistakes or even warnings the writer has given; their partner still sees them as a man whilst the writer sees himself as a monster. Maybe it isn't innocence but strength and love that makes their partner see through the trouble and still value him as a man, only showing more why the writer is so broken from this situation.

“You know you might find, The consequences grow, You tell me you’re fine, But I can’t see past the cracks that scar, the recklessness and hurt”. This verse shows that the writer is aware their partner is damaged and upset but keeps a strong face and says they are fine to not ruin anything but in doing this, the consequences grow because it will only lead to a harder breakup with more pain or more time for the writer to keep making mistakes. Regardless, they are aware of all the bas possible outcomes as they cant see past the affects of their actions proving the immense guilt that is felt.

Josh replied: "I love this unpacking of the song - honestly don't feel like there's much more to add! As individuals within the band, we are all pretty introspective, and that introspection within a relationship can very often lead to an acute awareness of the fact that our actiojn have big ramifications on the people we love. Whether it's a thing like flirting with someone that isn't our partner or simple an act of poor listening, we can easily avoid them. We feel like monsters, even if it's not true at all, and possibly even long after the person we've hurt has forgiven us. Like you picked up on, "every word unsaid is a prison cell" - being open and honest with the people we love is the truest way to build something solid rather than ending up in a cycle of self-loathing."

The music video has a lot of reflective imagery. The main character is always wandering around as if it is looking for answers. There is a lot of glass buildings or windows in the areas. The character bears a chromatic helmet covering their face and even behind the band performing, there are mirrors. To me this links to the overall theme of self-reflection and noticing your own flaws. The character goes into water which to me is like a baptism of sorts, they are looking to cleanse their previous sins and want to change. The character even finds a mirror in the forest where they examine the mirror, they finally found what they were looking for and it’s stunned them, they are shocked at how they really look.

​Josh replied: "As you’ve pointed out, a reflection gives you the opportunity to see a version of yourself, with a mirror being the clearest representation of that. I wanted to expand on the subject of the song, and using these reflections helped reinforce those ideas. There isn’t a reason per se that the large mirror was in the forest specifically, but coming from scenes where, as you say, there was reflection in the glass of the buildings, and in the stillness of the lake, the forest provides a contrast - a scene that entirely jagged and irregular, disturbed by the rigidity of a rectangular mirror. It draws the protagonist (and the viewer) in where, for the first time, they get the chance to clearly see themselves and instead of seeing anything clearly only find an infinite reflection seen through their mirrored face and the mirror opposite."

MUSIC VIDEO

What do you want to see more of in the UK music scene?

It really feels like the UK doesn't value the arts from a government level. If you look at many European countries, the amount of financial support available in enormous compared to the UK. The arts are integral to the functioning and flourishing of society, and the constant message from the UK Government is that what really matters is corporate profitability. Watching huge barriers to touring Europe post-brexit and the infamous government advertising campaign encourages those in the arts to move into 'proper jobs' during the pandemic, it is really disheartening - there needs to be an overhaul. 

What do you want to see more of in the music industry?

More open doors and less gate-keeping. It often feels like some arenas are very tightly guarded and it takes a long time for you to find routes in if you aren't on a big label etc. The other thing would be to see more groups and artists breaking through the top of the game that aren't white, cis, male - particularly women in the indie / rock scene which has been pretty traditionally male dominated. There's tons of artists out there that fit the bill and it's exciting to see trend on the incline. 

What advice would you give to other musicians and creatives

​"Work hard, pace yourself and find people to collaborate with who value both what you are doing and you as a person. Make what you love, don't create based on what you think will be popular but stick to what feels most authentic. If you do the latter you'll end up chasing approval, which doesn't lead to good art or, ironically, much success. There's a lot of noise out there, and it's the realest stuff that will cut through the rest."

Our last show of the year was on the 26th November at Elsewhere in Margate, and now we’re retreating into the shadows to work on new music that we’re excited to pull together. It’ll be out sometime in the first half of 2022 - watch this space!

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