Theo Bleak Interview

By Ashvin Gupta

Theo Bleak is an artist whose honey-like voice is comparable to the best of the best. Fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams, and Lorde are bound to fall in love with Bleak’s new reminiscent record Pain. I got in touch with the rising star, hailing from Dundee, as she was preparing to play a show at Chamber East in Dundee. What drew me to Bleak was her vulnerable, yet striking work, with lyrics like “If i have to be here then i wanna feel it//Absolved of the meaning the words as i hear them and I am staring on Purpose” from I Look Like A Fool To You. Bleak has a knack at clutching the innermost thoughts of an insecure lover  and yanking them out, showcasing vulnerability in a way only a small selection of artists seem to be brave enough to do. As we move into the new year, Bleak is to be watched. Her vocal and instrumental skills are hard to come by often…

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Hearing Aid: What or who has been your most prominent inspiration whilst creating music?

Theo Bleak: Movie soundtracks, Jeff Buckley, my life experiences and literature are my biggest inspirations. I’m extremely retrospective and I love any art form which evokes retrospection.

HA: How would you describe your music in a sentence? Would you say that you listen to a  similar type of music to what you produce, or does that vary?

TB: I think there are elements of alt-rock, indie and folk-rock in my sound. I think there is a real sadness within the songs. I think to me the music sounds like home, but I think it is easier for others to identify the more visceral influences. People have likened me to The Sundays recently which is a huge compliment.

HA: On the music scene – whether mainstream or up and coming – who do you dream to collaborate with? Producer or singer(s). why is that?

TB: I would love to work with a producer called Mk Gee, James from the Twilight Sad, and Bon Iver.

HA: In your opinion, where does music find itself in the current state of affairs in the world? 

TB: Art always reflects society, so it’s always important to look at what musicians are saying (or not saying). Music is currently extremely over saturated by ‘content’ which makes it really hard for artists and also trivialises art in the current frame of late stage capitalism. Lol.

HA: Your EP Pain has been out now for some weeks. Talk me through the process – what was it like to pen a record? What are some of the things you are proud of? Anything you would like to experiment with in the upcoming project(S)?

TB: Pain was a long hard look at myself and how painful I’ve found love to be. There were times recording it where I was so tired of it and the process I considered scrapping it but I knew it was difficult cos it was meaningful and I cared. I’m proud I lived through the things that enabled it to exist. The next EP I’m working on is going to be lighter in subject and I want to create more warmth in the sound. Mainly just working more on what I’ve already been creating. I’m always chasing something that I still haven’t quite created.