Things change: relationships, musical tastes, the ways we create. Max Bloom knows that. After eight years as part of Yuck, touring with the likes of Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Alvvays, and playing festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury – things changed. Bloom’s own taste was moving away from the ‘90s indie rock that had informed his songwriting with Yuck, and the breakdown of an eight-year-long relationship was the catalyst for him to start making his own music in 2017. Facing severe depression, the end of a long-term relationship and a migration back to his family home, Bloom started crafting solo material as a way to process those changes. Writing without the pressure of an established audience or a predefined sound allowed him to explore different ways of creating. Taking cues from classic songwriters like George Harrison, Elliot Smith and Harry Nilsson, Bloom began experimenting with more expansive instrumentation, rather than focusing on the distorted guitar sounds that characterised his work with Yuck. Writing with the kind of new perspective that only emotional upheaval can bring, Bloom’s lyrics are open, honest and conversational, resulting in a new sound that’s full of intimacy and truth. Sometimes change can be good. |
