Digital Cover: THE BLSSM

Photographer: Tara Tajdini

Styling: Rumsha Hassan + THE BLSSM

THE BLSSM is one of the most boundary-defying artists we’ve seen in years.

Being a jack of all trades comes easily for Lily Lizotte aka the creative entity that is THE BLSSM. Describing themselves as a maximalist, they activate the maximum version of themselves to explore difficult subject matters as overtly and self-aware as possible. Colorful and vibrant, THE BLSSM immediately demands the listener to get swept up in their world. Capitalizing each letter in their song titles - this intention and attention to detail demonstrates the magnetic force of THE BLSSM. Writing in their bedroom, often alone, they’ve explored hip-hop, grunge, shoegaze, and alternative pop, laying the framework for their eclectic range of sounds that meld together seamlessly. THE BLSSM manages to be eccentric and unique all at once. 

On their latest EP, PURE ENERGY, the ever-changing artist showcases themselves wholeheartedly. Pulling influences from multiple different places, the project manages to be strikingly cohesive yet undeniably unique. The songwriting teeters on the border of soft familiarity and unapologetically edgy, allowing them to fully be themselves in their music.  As their growing discography expands, THE BLSSM makes use of energy and intention as guiding principles.

I haven't spoken to you since like 2019. It's just so amazing to see how far you've grown.

Yeah. I'm really beyond grateful, I have to pinch myself every day. I get to do this for my job. So I'm so thankful. 

Today is the release of PURE ENERGY! Congrats!! How are you feeling about it? 

You know what it always feels kind of anti-climatic like, I'm really excited, most of all for my fans and close communities that they get to share it and then they get to like immerse themselves in it, and for me it’s kinda like okay now it's everybody else's. More of a celebration of my community and the people that were involved in making this. It's such a special project. I really feel like there's nothing else that sounds like it. Not because it's like this new sound, just like what pop is to me.

And it's a very maximalist pop sound, which is kind of going against the grain of what's out right now. So I'm really proud of everyone, not just myself, but mostly everybody for really elevating my vision of it being an extension of my personality. 

I feel like you've evolved within your sound. When you first started, it felt more hip hop and electro-inspired, and now it feels like super grunge in pop-rock. Can you tell us more about your evolution? 

So my last EP 97 BLOSSOM because I collaborated with BROCKHAMPTON and we did that over COVID together.

It was so great to work with them, just the most amazing friends, most amazing people, and such influential artists and producers and you know, culture creators and world builders. It was really special to collaborate with them and we share the same approach to making music, where it's all of my influences are up for grabs. They center themselves as a rap group; I really got to pull from my influences from rap and hip-hop and merge them in with everything that I was doing at the time.

So this project - I think on the first listen isn't as influenced by hip-hop like sonically. But the approach as far as I'm using Auto-Tune rhythmically, I'm layering all of the live kits and all of the drums with 808's and I used a lot of live drums on this EP (PURE ENERGY), but I wanted them chopped up to have the movement like rap drums to have the movement and to have the sub and the bass like you would feel initial affection for that when I listen to rap and hip-hop.

It's like oh shit like this hits hard because of the center point being the drums. It being so heavily rhythmic as well and you can hear it on something like “I HATE SUNDAY” where I've used full autotune for my voice and I like chopped it up and had it be very rhythmic and almost like, rap centric.

So there are still notions of that, which will always be there in my sonic fabric in whatever song I'm writing because it's just the natural inclination for me because those are my influences. So, I think it's a little less obvious than the last EP (97 BLOSSOM), but I'm still finding ways to re-contextualize those influences.

If you could, how would you describe your current sound in three words or less?

I would say maximalist! Like I am a real maximalist when it comes to production. I think there is a lot of power in being a minimalist and having minimal elements to create maximum impact. It can still be a maximalist approach project, even though sometimes there's minimalism in the layers of production.

So that's what I want to do. So something like “LITTLE KING” it's minimal production but still has this maximalist approach. And then for something like “I HATE SUNDAY” and “EVIL TWIN,” it's like a lot of layers of production, but the minimalism is in the pop writing. Pop writing to me is big melodies, big hooks to the point, potent. But, um, you know, but it's the simplicity that, that ends up being really big. 

I feel like you can hear that referenced on "DIZZY." I've been obsessed with that one. 

“DIZZY” definitely is a classic combination of like the writing is straight to the point. It's not cryptic but it's abstract enough to let you think and feel for yourself but it's also very guiding which is what pop music does for me and what I want it to do for other people. Then the production is just like the perfect blend of all of my influences. 

Maximalist is such a good word to describe it. I think when people first hear the term or think of the term maximalist, it's just a lot but not cohesive. And I feel like PURE ENERGY is super emotional, but still very cohesive.

So that's what we were really going for and that's why it's called PURE ENERGY, we wanted it to be a maximalist feeling production, but everything is so focused and hit, not because it's the loudest thing and not because it's the most, it's just because we went for it and we executed it, I wanted it to be a really bold project where there's a lot on a song and you can hear almost everything.

Everything has a moment and that's what pop music does so incredibly well. It wants you to hear everything and it wants you to be right there in the center with it. In this pop alternative space that approach gets lost because people are approaching a project with, how can I make this sound the most unique or the coolest?

And I'm not hiding behind any of those. I wanted to keep it bold and have a grungier production but have it feel like pop. Even my vocals are very upfront and present in the songs.

It's super refreshing to hear. Which track from pure energy would you say represents THE BLSSM the most?

I think “I HATE SUNDAY” right now and it's just so fulfilling to me but it changes every day. 

Yeah, I feel that. You're embarking on tour today, right?

I've been on tour for the last couple of days! Today is the third show we're playing in Houston tonight. I'm excited. This is my first time in the south. Last night was the first night I got eight hours of sleep! So I feel like a reborn baby!

How are you feeling about the tour? Which songs are you most excited to perform live? 

I just love playing live. I've just got the best band. We all just have so much fun. I'm so lucky. I think that stage is honestly where I feel most comfortable. It's also challenging for me. I really like to be challenged.

I like to feel different things about the songs. Sometimes the songs will feel like I have to drag them. Sometimes the songs will make me feel like I'm flying and I'm soaring while singing them. I like that because I like to be confronted with what I've made in a different place outside of the studio and outside of streaming, you know what I mean?

I just get to play a character on stage, it's a challenge to be yourself on stage because you have to be really vulnerable. I like pushing myself to really share and connect with people even when I am feeling a little bit vulnerable or I'm feeling anxious.

I just like to be in that environment. I like that environment where it feels like you’re metaphorically jumping off a cliff.

Most of your music is very vulnerable and you show so much of yourself. Does that ever get challenging or maybe a little scary sometimes?

Yeah, it does. I mean, on my last EP (97 BLOSSOM), I had some pretty heart-aching songs one song called “BLACK EYE”. On this one, I'm talking a lot about my mental health issues, a lot of really personal things in my life that I think everybody goes through. So yeah, it does. I've had a lot of sessions where I'm crying.

I get a little scared to say what I want to say, but also it's like I don't really feel like I have a choice. I feel like I have to write the songs that I'm writing otherwise I won't be fulfilled. A second of uncomfortability is worth hours, minutes, and years of this song helping somebody else or making someone feel like they're seen. I grew up listening to Kid Cudi and he was the only one talking about how you were thinking, feeling, and mental health. He was so overly self-aware that it was painful and aching and that really connected to me when I was a kid. Another one of my favorite songwriters is Elliott Smith.

Lyrically it's not about saying how sad you are or how hard life is. For me, it's finding out how to sing about the things that make us uncomfortable, but in a poetic way. Cause that's like really all life is to me is just finding the poeticness in how we live and it's quite painful to be alive in the best way. I mean, it's sad. You have to live and die. The whole thing is just tragic. So I just try to find the poeticness in everything. 

That's such an interesting perspective. Do you ever feel that you have to separate yourself from the entity that is THE BLSSM and who you are as Lily?

Never! I'm really just completely myself with my project. Like my project is an extension of me. I think it's a hyper exaggeration of my personality. My closest friends understand the complexities of my personality and the loving frustrations that they go through with me.

I really just got to be completely myself and I feel so comfortable with that. I just want other people to feel comfortable with themselves.

What do you think were some of the lessons you've learned while making this EP?

Honestly, just to trust my instinct. When I was choosing songs for the EP with my manager and executive producer, William Morrow, he was kind of my compass and instilled confidence in me in which tracks I should choose. There are so many ebbs and flows of the creative process. I was like, I don't know about this all being on here I just trusted my instinct and I listened to it for the first time in full - would you believe this morning? I was really enjoying it. I was like, all right, cool. This isn't mine anymore. It's everybody else's. This is awesome.

And I made decisions based on instinct. I think that that is a really rewarding thing. 

Trusting your instinct is probably one of the most rewarding feelings. What do you hope that listeners will take away after listening to PURE ENERGY? 

I really want them to feel more communicative with themselves. That's what I want. I would really love for anyone to listen to this project and hear me communicating with myself and maybe communicate with themselves better and connect with themselves. Also if they can have the confidence to share anything that they're making, anything that they're thinking, anything that they’re dreaming and wanting to do. It brings me nothing but more joy and fulfillment when other people share what they've made.

I just think everything sounds depressing. I think everybody needs to express themselves and it's a privilege to express ourselves. So I really hope that someone listens and can take that away and think "I can do this too." 

What's something that's inspired you recently?

I'm feeling really inspired by people, the team, that I have around me. I have my band with me. I have one of my best friends on tour with me right now. I'm really inspired by people that, you know, choose to do this. 

This shit is not easy. It is really grueling and it's really hard. I'm really inspired by people that do things for themselves because it feels good and they chase that feeling of something feeling good and feeling rewarding for themselves because it's hard for me to reach from that well all the time.

So when I'm seeing other people that are doing that for themselves that are around me. That is a part of what I do that pushes me. Like, I don't even want to be told that my project is good and oh, you agree. This is whatever that is, that's amazing. I love that validation, but what is more validating to me is seeing other people do things for themselves, like wake up and choose to do what they want to do.

And then I'm like, oh shit. Okay. I can keep on going to 

Lastly, what are you currently listening to? 

Okay, so. I just tapped into Harry Styles. For a long time, I kind of just sidelined him, and lately, I've been like, oh my God, there are some really good songs. One of my favorite songs of his right now is "Cherry," it's a beautiful song, it's off his last album and "As It Was." So we have, Harry Styles, and Turnstile which is one of my favorite bands. I saw them play at Coachella. That really turned me into a fan.