SAE is delighted to be hosting a stage at this year’s Sound City event in Liverpool.
Alternative rock band BL!SS will be joining Red Coven, Pomona and the Drivers Club to perform.
BL!SS features Tom Cribb, Mason Coakley and Charlie Anderson and have steadily built a fan base in Merseyside. The band will be releasing a new track called Kerosene around their performance at Sound City while Tom will be joining us as a student in September.
We caught up with Tom and Mason from BL!SS to find out more about the band and their connection with SAE.
Get to know them in our interview ahead of this year’s Sound City festival on 4th and 5th May.
How did BL!SS start out?
Tom: It’s a bit of a weird one, we were going to start a hard rock, kind of hair metal band. We got a line up together, then it fizzled out.
Me and the drummer kept talking, we decided to start our own project but go down the route of grunge. We were inspired by Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, then some thrash inspirations like Megadeath and Metallica, then drum work inspired by the Police’s Stewart Copeland.
How long have BL!SS been a band for?
Tom: We started in late 2022, we were a two-piece for a while, and made a demo. We didn’t do too much until November 2023. Then we had Mason join as a bassist, and we’ve been doing more gigs and social media work since then.
We’ve been getting more traction, we’ve now got people coming to us to see if we’ll play their gigs so it’s been great.
How have you developed a fan base?
Tom: For us, we’re just getting used to using social media. Our audience has mainly been from live gigs and a demo which has really helped us push our music forward. It’s definitely been the gigs and word of mouth, having promoters posting about us.
Mason: It’s so important to have social media profiles. We’re trying to find the right blend of being professional but also showing our personality at the same time too. It’s about achieving a nice balance on there.
Tom: We’ve been working with a photographer too who has been taking shots of us, working with an artist who has done the album art for us as well. Forging these industry links has been so helpful in creating content.
Are there any key venues you’ve played at?
Tom: Our first gig was at the Saddle in Chester. Further afield, our band development has come through open mic nights at the Waterloo in Blackpool, these were monumental in us developing our sound without the pressures of paid gigs.
Even though we’re based in Liverpool, making the trip there has been worth it, it’s led to other gigs with bands like Attic Theory. In Liverpool, we’ve now played Zanzibar about four or five times now.
The Stock Room is really important, Jacaranda and Arts Bar are monumental too, both are great for local bands.
Are there plenty of spaces for new bands to find?
Tom: Yes it’s mainly positive, we’ve come across lots of people who are really supportive. A lot of people have the best interests of the artists at heart. In the music industry in Liverpool, we fit in the middle of alt rock, grunge and metal bands.
We’ve noticed that there are singer songwriters around bars, indie rock, scouse indie is becoming massive, then metal bands and more heavier bands. There’s also hair metal and glam rock too. We fit in between these different bands, and I think there’s room for all these acts here in Liverpool.
How did you connect with SAE?
Tom: The connection is mainly with me. When I was at school, they came in for a careers day, I was interested in Design at the time, I spoke with Graham Lysaght and he just chatted to me for ages. We stayed in touch, my interests changed towards music, they did the Audio Production courses. I got in touch with Graham about recording guitar and vocals. Ever since, the relationship has grown – for open days, we’ve been invited to take part in demonstrations, and we’ve just carried on talking.
I’ve been offered an Audio Production place so I applied and will be joining SAE in September.
How are you preparing for Sound City?
Tom: We’re been rehearsing, then prepping a new track, Kerosene.
We want to use the chance to play at Sound City as a way of finding plenty of new fans. Sound City is a great opportunity for us, and we really want to make the most of it.
Visit the band’s website to find out more.
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