IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Pip Blom

In no time, people will not only be saying the name “Pip Blom,” but also talking about their upbeat, yet pleasing electric sound. Pip Blom, formed and based in Amsterdam, highlights the voices and talents of Pip Blom (lead vocals, guitar), Tender Blom (guitar, vocals), Darek Mercks (bass), and Gini Cameron (drums, vocals). After releasing a handful of singles, they released their debut EP, Paycheck, on October 30, 2018 via Persona Non Grata. Just this past May, they put out their debut record, Boat, via Heavenly Recordings / PIAS. They have shared the stage with artists such as Franz Ferdinand and Weird Milk, and have also performed at music festivals including Corona Capital in Mexico City.

Pip Blom recently wrapped up a short North American tour, making a stop at Rough Trade on November 22, with support from The Britanys. Just before the show, the band kindly shared some of their time and thought to chat about the process behind making their newest single, their tour essentials, and artists currently on their music radar, along with posing for a few band portraits.

What’s the story behind the formation of Pip Blom?

PIP: It started off with just me because I really wanted to be in a band, but I couldn’t really find people. I asked a couple of friends I knew, but they didn’t really feel like. After one point, I asked my brother, Tender, and he said yes. Since then, we’ve had a couple of different lineups; Gini has been with us for nearly two years, and Darek has been with us for about a year. This is the longest lineup I think we’ve had, and it’s probably the last lineup.

What was the first instrument (musical or non-musical) you started making music with?

PIP: For me, it was the guitar.

DAREK: For me, it was also a classical guitar or something. My parents bought me an ukulele because they thought it was cool, and then bass almost immediately, actually.

GINI: Drums. I started with guitar at the same time, but never went through with it.

TENDER: I was in the same household as Pip, so it was also guitar.

You released a new single, “Freckles,” on September 9. What was the process of writing, recording, and producing it?

PIP: I think this one was the wild card when we went into the studio because the recording was a bit weirder than the rest. We recorded it with the album, but the demo sounded a lot rougher than the other tracks. We really wanted to keep the sound, but record it in a proper studio. We used a very weird thing with the guitars.

DAREK: I’ve got this old Silvertone guitar, which is hollow. However, it’s not an acoustic guitar. We put the mic directly to the string, so we had this acoustic, percussive sound.

PIP: We tried to use and do some funny stuff to make it a bit quirky. The guitar essentially had two functions in one. We recorded it at Big Jelly Studio which is in Ramsgate (UK) with Dave McCracken, who also produced our Paycheck EP. We mixed it with Dillip Harris, and I helped out a lot with it in England.

While on the road, what are some of your essential tour items?

GINI: Headphones. A pillow anytime we go in a van. It’s number one, and if I ever make a list, I usually write it five times. I’m frightened to forget it.

TENDER: I brought my pillow once, and I lost it.

PIP: I always bring my two stuffed animals. They are just my life essentials. They smell like my home, and they comfort me a lot. They help me fall asleep, since when you travel a lot, you never really feel like you have a home except for the van. When you have a familiar smell, it can be really nice.

What are you currently listening to?

PIP: I’m really looking forward to the album by La Roux. She is very cool; I think it will be released in the spring or summer. I think everybody knows her song “Bulletproof,” but I think she has made a lot more cool songs. One of my favorite Dutch bands is Personal Trainer: I really like that band.

DAREK: I’ve been listening a lot to new album of (Sandy) Alex G, which is really good. There are a lot of Dutch bands that are really cool.

GINI: I’m kind of really looking forward to the new Bull song, “Bedroom Floor,” which comes out in about a week.

TENDER: I still really like the Lana Del Rey record, especially when you’re in America (and it’s even better). King Princess, and the Frank Ocean singles are pretty good as well.

What’s your favorite food and/or restaurant in NYC? Any places back home in Amsterdam?

PIP: This is only our second time to New York. My favorite food would be Italian or Mexican. I’ve got a really hungry friend next to me, though.

DAREK: Yesterday, we went to Cafe Mogador. Coincidentally, the last time we were in New York, we were there.

GINI: We didn’t know it was the same place we had gone to last time; it was the only one that was open.

PIP: I don’t really eat out in Amsterdam. I really like cooking because we’re away that much.

DAREK: I would say 4850 on Camperstraat. I think I had dinner there once with friends who were also working in restaurants. They had this crazy dessert that was a honeycomb thing; they grated honey and put it on our plates. It was really fresh and definitely worth it, but it was the most expensive dinner I’ve ever had. I could talk about this all night.

If there were a pizza with the name “Pip Blom,” what toppings would it feature?

PIP: If it were by me, it would be a Pizza Bianca with cheese and lots of garlic.

GINI: How about truffle oil?

TENDER: I would say this is a crime against humanity, but the record has a tropical vibe. I would say Hawaiian/a little pineapple?

Who is your favorite superhero character, and why?

TENDER: I mean The Flash is obviously the most broken one because he’s like the fastest man ever so nobody can beat him. If you’re that fast, then it’s implied that you’re faster than everybody else, and your brain is faster as well because you can comprehend everything faster as well. A little shout out to Batman because he’s just a random dude with expensive stuff. A shout to Spiderman for New York.

What’s a question you have wanted to get asked in an interview, and what’s the response to it?

DAREK: What is the best type of interview? In Mexico, we had a lot of quizzes that were games combined with questions. I thought they were really funny.

PIP: There isn’t really a specific question, but I do really like it when people come up with questions which I haven’t answered before. On press days, we get the same question about ten times. It’s nicer for a journalist to make an original piece.

A huge thank you to Sally for coordinating, and to Pip Blom for their time and thought to respond to the questions!

Keep up with Pip Blom by following them on Twitter (@Pipblom) and Instagram (@pipblom), and liking them on Facebook (/Pipblommusic)!