The beauty of creativity is that there are little restraints. You can make art out of anything within your reach and change things up when it feels right. For Henry Blaeser that meant going from one style to another and in the process defining his voice and coming through on his latest single, “Of Love.” We talked about the sensual nature of the single, his current creative downtime, and more in this back and forth.
Kendra” What initially inspired you to try your hand at music?
Henry Blaeser: Music has been my one priority for as long as I can remember. But it wasn’t until around maybe late 2016 that I shifted exclusively towards production & making my original stuff.
Kendra: Your 2019 release alongside CoastalDives, “Divey,” was part of this double single/EP. It had a more electronic vibe void of lyrical content. Different from your latest single, “Of Love.” What caused the switch in not only overall tone but the choice to add your vocals this time around?
Henry Blaeser: After recording “Of Love” with an album’s worth of vocal material, I decided it was time for a change…and to throw some people for a loop. Producers I admire like Laurel Halo, Bibio, or Yves Tumor have more of a “portfolio” catalog occupying vocal music, instrumental/dance & score/composition realms. I wanted to keep the groundwork I set for myself as wide as possible.
Kendra: As someone who has dipped their toes in both sides, which do you feel is more emotionally cathartic to create, a song with or without lyrics?
Henry Blaeser: Both are equal – If the song is good! All elements of sound carry the potential to evoke lasting emotion during the creative process.
Kendra: Listening to “Of Love,” it’s got this sensual vibe to it. Is that something that has always come naturally to you?
Henry Blaeser: Hahaha I agree! It’s technically a love song. As I’ve boiled down which influences to embody as a vocalist, it’s felt natural to reference the crooner-ish or R&B-style approaches. My favorite vocalists are in a lot of other people’s “guilty pleasure” or “this guy is insufferable” category, but I felt I had to embrace it.
Kendra: For me, it’s been hard to be creative this year amidst all the coronavirus stuff. Has that in any way impacted your creative spark or are you relishing in the downtime?
Henry Blaeser: The crisis has gifted me with an extremely productive time. It somehow has helped me further reassess priorities. I’ve also entered the early stages of a new project of which I have excessively high hopes for.
Kendra: Usually, this is where I ask people what they have planned in the coming months but with the world in a strange place right now, plans aren’t as concrete as they typically are. You can go ahead and let us know what you have tentatively planned but can you also share a song that never fails to get you through when the world around you feels like a mess?
Henry Blaeser: I can definitely say that my next release(s) are unwaveringly in motion unless the internet somehow crashes due to overuse amidst the crisis. And I have a playlist dedicated to combating less-than-optimal days/moods. The spearhead track is 2005’s “All The Wine” from The National. Never-ever fails!
