.png)
Interview By: Ezzah Rafique
Q: How have you been so far into the year? Tell us about yourself! What inspired you to pursue music?
My name is Emily Mest (aka Box Blonde) & I am a singer & actor based in LA. I am beyond excited about this new music & have been writing for this project for the past three years. I’m just so happy that this year I finally have been able to start releasing the music & the visuals that I’ve been holding onto for so long. I was inspired to become a musician because I was surrounded by music growing up. My parents were always playing the music they loved & never babied my brother & I when it came to art. I was moved by Stevie Nicks, Carly Simon, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Wings, Abba, Nirvana, & so many more of the artists my parents were listening to. I started playing guitar & writing songs at 16 & I’ve never stopped.
Q: How did you choose the name Box Blonde? Is there a story behind it?
There’s a bit of a double meaning to the name. There’s the obvious meaning of box-dyed blonde hair, but there’s also this concept I’ve been drawn to around not putting a blonde in a box. It’s also whatever you want it to mean.
Q: To someone who hasn't heard your music before, what do you hope they take away from it? What atmosphere are you trying to create with your music?"
I hope they feel everything. I hope they feel sexy, joyous, heartbroken, contemplative, nostalgic… The atmosphere I want to create is a sense of safety to feel whatever you want to feel. I think that music can also feel cinematic & I hope people feel that way listening to my music.
Q: Every artist has a different method of making music, how do you tackle a project? What's your creative process like or how would you describe it as?"
It varies with every song, sometimes starting on the guitar or the piano & then writing lyrics or vice versa. Very rarely do I write to a track for myself but sometimes that happens when I write for other artists. Sometimes I will start with a song title/concept & write around that & others I will just free write (usually when there’s a lot of feelings and I haven’t sorted them out in my head yet).
I am one of those people who experiences their most creative moments (& my deepest worries) late, late at night, which can be frustrating for a sleep schedule! But whenever the ideas come, I just have to jot them down because I’m always grateful to be inspired.
Q: What is the backstory to your most recent single, 'Warmer'?
I’d like to keep it open to interpretation, but it’s a song about self-love ;)
Q: As a songwriter, you have a favorite lyric or verse from ‘Warmer’?
I wrote this song with my friends Zach Palmer & Alex Kinsey and I think we all really love the lyric “Cupid’s drunk, it’s such a bummer.” I loveeeee a cheeky lyric, & Cupid deserves some bad press.
Q: What was it like for you creating the music video for ‘Warmer’?
As an independent artist, it was such a fun & challenging experience. Playing so many roles at once, from stylist to prop designer to producer, I learned a lot. I even spray painted a treadmill all white, which was a journey in & of itself! Luckily, I have incredibly talented friends who wanted to be a part of it & I wouldn’t have been able to make a music video without them. Many of the same team of friends worked on my second music video for the stripped-down version of “Warmer.” I directed this video for the first time, & it was such a juicy experience as a control freak. Having control over every aspect from conception to editing the video was truly a dream come true for this Virgo. I plan to continue to make visuals for most of my songs because I find them very important to telling the story & I hope to direct most of them.
Q: Do you have a dream collaboration or dream project you’d love to work on in the future?
Oh my goodness, the list is quite long, but a dream in the next bit of time would be to open up for an artist I love & be able to go on their tour. I would love to be a 4th Haim sister for a day or be in the studio with The Japanese House—can you imagine?! Also, I could die a happy woman if I ever had a chance to work with Stevie Nicks.
Q: What was the process like for you when it came to creating ‘Warmer’?
This was one of those times that the song started with a concept & came together quite quickly. We were building an instrumental track & writing melody/lyrics at the same time & it came together fully written with a demo within a couple of hours. I had some great reference tracks for us because I knew I wanted a groovy, sexy vibe since most of my songs can be quite sad. My dad calls many of my songs “lover’s laments,” which I don’t dislike. I wanted something up- tempo this time, even if the lyrics are a little melancholic.
Q: Lastly, what can fans expect from you in regards to new music or upcoming projects?
More music & more visuals coming in the latter part of this year & the start of the new year. Hopefully some shows! Getting very excited about putting together what a Box Blonde show would look like & cannot wait to get out & sing these songs live.
Comments