Blonde, a rising band hailing from Arizona, has spent the past two years carving out their identity in the indie music scene, recently undergoing a transformative rebrand that marked a turning point in their creative trajectory. With the addition of new members who injected fresh energy and perspective, the group evolved into a fully collaborative unit where every track emerges from collective vision rather than individual direction. Their songs defy formula, each standing alone with its own sonic fingerprint—some steeped in gritty textures, others built around moody melodies or rhythm-forward experimentation. This newfound synergy has sharpened their artistic voice and now fuels their drive to bring that dynamic presence to more live stages, where the raw chemistry that defines their process can resonate face-to-face with audiences.
KB: Hi! Thank you for reaching out to us- please introduce yourself and your role within the band?
CJ: My name is cj, I go by 14 hearts and i am the lead singer and rhythm guitar for Blonde.
KB: Its nice to meet you- so who all makes up Blonde?
CJ: We have Jacob Porter as lead guitar player, Cnote as the lead bass player, Tanner as the drummer and Sleaze as production and photography.
KB: A cast of their own accolades is surely something to be proud of- how long has BLONDE been in formation
CJ: This will be our second year
KB: With a lot of changes in the works, one moment of continuity are the roots they have in Arizona. How has Arizona shaped your sound and your journey so far?
CJ: I am actually the only member who is not from Arizona. I am from New Mexico, so the other guys are born and raised. I moved out here looking to start something new. I came out here for a fresh start and came across these guys. We’ve been growing with each other ever since. It was a cool coming to a bigger city; Meeting new and like minded individuals and other bands in general. Meeting these musically inclined people – it was just eye opening to be around that.
KB: Being the odd man out – in terms of your origins – How has life been moving from New Mexico to Arizona?
CJ: In New Mexico its very closed off, it’s more of a tight knit scene. I haven’t been back there in a while. There is something everywhere. Here someone is always showcasing something their talent so I think its cool just being in a bigger city where you can see just raw talent in every part of town.
KB: How do you guys keep your fans engaged and excited about what’s next?
CJ: We really like to kind of go above and beyond. When a single or project is done, we sit down as a group and brainstorm alongside the story board. We use alot of cinematic features and bring a more professional vibe then what is expected. We pull inspiration from productions like A24 to bring a different level of cinematography into things.
KB: Prior to the rebrand these high-quality production pieces and flyers brought a lot of eyes onto you; Blonde recently surpassed 20,000 streams on Spotify. Congratulations! What did this milestone mean to the band?
CJ: Thank you! It’s crazy man- we are a pretty young band. Were very new onto the scene, so to hit that was pretty surprising to us. We kept promoting, promoting, promoting and it caught the right people who relate or like the song. It was a huge accomplishment for us! As a smaller band, hopefully we keep reaching our target audiences and those numbers keep reaching the right people.
KB: Well said! Two years into the game, which song hit that milestone first?
CJ: “Watching Me” was the first song that we started to see a lot of traction on- following that is our single “she”
KB: What makes your music resonate with your listeners?
CJ: I think it may be the up-tempo beats behind the songs, the catchy hooks. it gives off a “Throw it on and just vibe” feeling.
KB: We spoke of a rebrand earlier in our conversation, what was the biggest challenge welcoming new members into blonde?
CJ: The albums been in the making for about a year- we had been pushing to, get it done and had to take step back. We had lost some members and were like ” Where do we go next”. Instead of forcing this music and rushing something to push out, we said, “let’s take out time and create an actual beautiful piece of art and then well focus on the social media aspect of it”. So, we cleared the Instagram (@BLONDEISNTBLONDE). With the mew guys in the band, its different. It was definitely different bringing in a new drummer and a new bass player. Them coming into the band forged how our sound is now. We were looking for this sound with the first three singles; We hadn’t settled on a singular genre yet. Now that we are here and everyone is all in… We found it and are excited to share it.
KB: With your newest members bringing together the sound that BLONDE had previously wavered on, what do they bring to the songwriting process that was missing?
CJ: It’s always good to have different set of ears and those guys bring in a completely different vibe and sound to the band. It pushed that sound we were looking for. I’m happy with where we are at right now- we all have a really good chemistry together when we play.
KB: Previously, you teased a new single- What can you tell us about the story behind this track and will this be releasing before the outlaw?
CJ: Yes, our newest single will be coming out on the 27th. We wanted to do something that showcased the newer sound we have been leaning into. it’s a little different, it’s more alternative rock. It’s up tempo and about wanting something or going to a place that you can’t reach anymore. A memory.
KB: How does this single introduce the themes that are recurrent in your album?
CJ: This single shows how hungry we are. It’ll definitely be different from “SHE”.
KB: Walk me through which moments in your music your most excited for your audience to hear?
CJ: The hook is really gonna catch people with how it flows in with the drums and lyrics. We took a different step in how we are going to write music. It helped me a lot as a songwriter. The hook is stand up to me.
KB: Looking into your production settings, we saw that youve collaborated with C.R.A.S. studios- was this album produced there?
CJ: This was our first time, as a band, being in a actual studio. Everything weve done prior has been on our own the best way we could. We capitalized on this moment, working with some great engineers over there and having Sleaze (@goodbyesleazzus) mix and master everything.
KB: As the lead singer of the band, what does it feel like to move into a new realm of production- bringing yourselves to a more professional level?
CJ: At first, it was a little intimidating- i had never been in that type of environment. It felt right- it felt like that was the next step we needed for this new body of work. It really helped push us a little more especially being in that environment. We gotta make the best we can.
KB: When creating new music where do you usually find inspiration?
CJ: It really comes from a little a bit of everything. I like to pull from my life. With this project we incorporated everyone. We kind of write the songs together- so it’s not just my story. It could be anything from life or something from the past. Well just all be together, jamming and we will come up with something. So, it’s a little bit of everything and I think that’s what makes it super unique. It’s not just one person telling the story- its coming from all of us.
KB: What are some of the artist or bands that influence BLONDE and the sound you’ve finally achieved?
CJ: As a songwriter and vocalist, one of my biggest inspirations is Jeff Buckley. As well as some older alternative bands from the 80’s and 90’s. The neighborhood is one of my all-time favorite bands and also bands like Title fight and Citizen. Alot of the guys are movement fans as well. Were huge into the punk scene as well. It’s a broad spectrum. There is a lot of stuff that we are writing that sounds completely different from what inspired us. No song on the album sounds the same which is a really cool aspect.
KB: You speak a lot about versatility, do you ever feel as though BLONDE is being boxed into a specific genre?
CJ: Yeah, I dont know. I dont really think we’re boxed into a single genre. I dont really know where to put us under honestly. Maybe with the other songs there would be something to categorize it under. With this new stuff I’m having a hard time putting my finger on where to put us. It’s just unique and really cool.
KB: As we move towards the end here, what do you want your listeners to feel or take away from your music after hearing both the new single and the album.
CJ: I hope that people can relate to it or garner some emotion to it. Thats the whole reason I make music. So, people can relate to something they’ve gone through or someone. I just want people to be able to be like, “yeah that song helped”.
KB:If you could use three or four words to describe this album, what would they be?
CJ: Energetic, New, Emotional, and Exciting
KB: Looking ahead, you’ve reached a few milestones in your two-year journey, Whats one thing fans should watch for in the upcoming months?
CJ: Once the album is done and pushed out, expect us to be playing shows. We want to travel and get out there and play everywhere we can. We are super hungry to step into the scene and go full force- we arent letting up on the gas.
Kb: Who are some people behind the scenes that are truly supporting the band and everything BLONDE stands for?
CJ: I want to give a big thanks to all of our friends and faily who are supporitng us in this big drem that we have. We are just diving straight in. Its all or nothing, to have tht backing is really cool. The great people whove taken a chance on us an supported us; psy, and Riah big shout out to you. The guys to, putting their trust into one another- we wouldnt be where we are now without that.
BLONDE – 2025
We are super young into the scene.
Within the next couple of months
everyone who hasnt heard BLONDE
– is going to start hearing our name.
As Blonde steps further into more professional territory, their creative evolution is finding a new home at the renowned C.R.A.S. studio in Arizona—a space that reflects their growing ambition and commitment to elevating their sound. Harnessing the studio’s resources has allowed them to push their production to cinematic levels, maintaining a standard of detail and atmosphere reminiscent of the immersive quality found in A24’s storytelling. Yet, beneath the polish and technical growth, the band remains grounded in something more personal: the unwavering support of family, which has been the backbone of their journey from the beginning. It’s this foundation—equal parts love, belief, and sacrifice—that continues to fuel their pursuit of what some might call an impossible dream, turning bold ideas into tangible moments, one track at a time.
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