INTERVIEW: Len Blake

Len Blake: Taking the Reigns

Up and coming Wellington musician Len Blake sat down with Max for a chat about inspirations and upcoming music.

Tell us a bit about yourself? How and when did you start getting into music?, what kind of inspirations did u have growing up?

I was very lucky to grow up in a very musical family! My grandpa was a classical music teacher and both my parents have played instruments all their lives and continually inspire me! I started playing guitar in my first year of primary school and have been strumming away ever since, alongside some piano and drum lessons. During my high school years I loved doing the school musicals and singing in choir etc. which inspired me to try out writing my own music. I remember listening to a lot of really inspiring female jazz and soul singers growing up which I still listen to now by the likes of Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Esperenza Spalding, Lauren Hill, Corinne Bailey Rae etc. I’ve always appreciated how they can create such beautiful sounds which carry a lot of strength at the same time.

So you dropped an EP last year namely ‘Honey Blood’, what was the meaning behind that project?

Honey Blood was a collection of old and new songs. The underlying themes throughout the E.P. is friendship and sort of coming-of-age I guess… I was having a lot of big thoughts about life (as one does at this age) and was writing a lot so it sort of takes you on a journey of some of the feelings that young people have as they navigate independence in the changing world. My friendships and relationships inspired a lot of the music, with a specific focus on the strong female role models I am lucky to have by myside.

On the topic of dropped music, what can the fans of Len Blake expect this year? Are their any projects in the works?

I have a new single, coming out on the 20th April which has been in the works for a while now! Very excited to share this new track as it means a lot to me and is directly inspired by the year I had flatting with my best friends!! I worked with Nikau Te Huki from Casual Healing on this one and it was super fun to create!

Last but certainly not least… What’s a message you want to send to your fans?.

It’s so lovely to see people listening to the music and hopefully enjoying it! Thank you for supporting me throughout this exciting new adventure. The positivity has been highly appreciated, as releasing the art you are creating publicly is quite a daunting prospect and certainly makes you feel very vulnerable. Keep an eye out for the new track coming out soon.

Interviewed by Max Hackshaw