Q&A: Rlyblonde on Queer Awakenings and Romantic Fantasies in New Era of Music
AS THE SAYING GOES, '“HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED,” — and rlyblonde – the project of Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Carina Allen – proves that with her newest singles “Your Angel” and “Girl In Your Story.” Both are cathartic releases packaged into anthemic alt-rock bangers that are the first new releases since her momentous debut EP Fantasy released earlier this year.
“Creating music, for me, was always something fueled partially by anger; an anger at my life not being what I wanted, of being jealous of people around me, of feeling trapped or stuck,” rlyblonde says. “So this song really sums up all of those angry, rebellious, teen feelings, while also tapping into something a bit darker – what it really feels like to have a trauma response to someone or something, and what to do with those complicated feelings.”
The B-side to her electrifying alt-rock anthem “Your Angel,” “Girl In Your Story” uncovers a more sincere and tender side to rlyblonde’s artistry. While a sonic contrast to her previous work, the dreamy rock ballad continues to expand on the themes of identity, femininity and romance that she has long explored in both her music, photography and videography.
The songstress heavily experiments with the ideas of female stereotypes, especially through the lens of old Hollywood glamor. “Girl In Your Story” continues that exploration of rlyblonde’s identity through performance by embodying these feminine characters.
“Girl In Your Story” emerges as a continuation of rlyblonde's artistic journey, using performance as a vehicle for self-discovery and expression. The deliberate embodiment of various feminine characters within the song demonstrates a keen awareness of the performative nature of gender identity. Each character portrayed becomes a canvas for the artist to paint a vivid picture of her own experiences, challenges and triumphs as a woman navigating a world steeped in preconceived notions.
“At the end of the day, behind every scorned woman is just a hopeless romantic,” rlyblonde says. “Nothing consumes quite like a crush… and while it was devastating to realize my tendency to fantasize was not limited to men, it was also a very affirming moment in my queer journey to realize I could imagine my life with another woman.”
By subverting and experimenting with traditional notions of femininity, rlyblonde invites listeners to reflect on their own perceptions and expectations, fostering a more inclusive and open dialogue about the diverse and multifaceted nature of the female experience. The song becomes a canvas for self-discovery, a celebration of individuality, and an ode to the fluid and evolving nature of identity.
LUNA: Welcome back and thank you for talking to Luna again. It's super exciting to have you back since the last time we talked about your single “Spiltmilk.” I would love to catch up and see how life has been treating you and what have you been up to since the last time we talked.
RLYBLONDE: It's been a whirlwind of a year putting this music out and it's like a moving train like once you get all in, it doesn't really stop. This has been the year of big transition for me and letting everyone know that I am pursuing music and the creative work I’ve been doing. You have to have a certain level of delusion or self-confidence to be a musician in the first place, and I have that in me, otherwise I wouldn’t have landed here. It’s hard to have that be your driving force 100% of the time because I also get insecure, but I have a business to run and this has been a dream that I’ve been plotting for over two years. I feel so proud looking back at all the work I’ve accomplished this past year. I’m starting to work on new music that has a different sound. I’m excited about the next EP and I finally have a chance to breathe. I built my foundation and I can really hone my sights on what my goals are for the next year and make them happen.
LUNA: You just released your latest single “Girl In Your Story” that expands on your previous themes of romance and femininity in both your music and photography. What is the inspiration behind the single and how your personal experiences shaped its creation?
RLYBLONDE: It’s an unrequited love song, like it's my sad girl gay moment of realizing that I had feelings for someone and that was not reciprocated. Throughout Fantasy, I felt comfortable putting it out because it had a sense of humor to it and lightheartedness which encapsulates my approach to life. It was important for me to maintain that voice and have a security blanket of being sarcastic. In “Girl In Your Story” and “Your Angel,” I had to drop the humor facade and wanted it to feel more authentic and more personal. I am at a point in my songwriting where I want to express how I'm feeling. It's really like alchemy. It's like I'm feeling a way and then I'll be sitting at home feeling crazy and then write a song about it, and feel fine afterwards. I'm very heart on my sleeve. This song is really my queer awakening, and I was questioning my sexuality for a while which is common for so many bisexual women to go through. I had a major crush on this girl and it took me a little by surprise by how strongly I was feeling about her. I had butterflies around her and was fantasizing about dating her. It was a queer affirming moment of this is actually how I could imagine my life to be.
LUNA: “Girl In Your Story” also has an accompanying music video. What did the creative process look like and how was your experience filming that?
RLYBLONDE: I am very much a one woman show so I am directing and producing all my own stuff. I wanted this to be a fantastical, romantic fantasy that I play into the romantic tropes. I love playing feminine characters and taking inspiration from the classic 50s Hollywood culture and fashion. Everyone on the crew did a fantastic job with it. We were riding this line between reality and fantasy, and also riding this line between classic Hollywood glam with modern styling. I wanted it to feel like a daydream, like a fantasy.
LUNA: Aside from “Girl In Your Story,” you also released “Your Angel” which captures a darker and more alternative side to your artistry. What is the inspiration behind the single?
RLYBLONDE: Honestly, just hating my ex-boyfriend. But you know, I think the origin of many great songs. I went through this whole breakup that sparked some songs on Fantasy, which I kept lighthearted and I felt more self-conscious about naming names. At this point, I’m living my life and I’m happy, but at the same time, I was really damaged by this person and it affected my self-confidence and the way I thought about my identity and it took me a long time to find myself again. Fantasy was the process of me figuring out who I was, what I wanted to say and what I was feeling. “Your Angel,” I wrote it around a similar time and felt like it was a bonus track that didn’t make it onto Fantasy, and I think because it was darker and that anger is very powerful. I also felt like I got very frustrated as a woman, seeing the way some people carry themselves and people telling me ‘well, you shouldn't stoop to that level’ and you ‘don’t have to fight fire with fire.’ Why is it my job to tolerate awful behavior when this person is doing damage to my life? I try not to fight fire with fire, but I will write a bitchy song about it.
LUNA: How do you feel your music has evolved since the Fantasy EP and what can listeners expect from you in this new era of music and storytelling?
RLYBLONDE: I'm slowly starting to work on new music. These two singles both have visuals that are telling two sides of a story or two sides of a character. Fantasy was my pop-punk, bratty teen, rebellious era. Now, I’m moving into a more indie-rock, shoegaze sound. I’m giving myself the freedom to try new stuff and keep pushing my songwriting and challenging myself to understand production better and be more hands on in the studio. I think that a lot of this year is going to be playing shows, and trying to expand my reach and find my fans.
LUNA: I know that visual storytelling plays a huge role in your music with your work as a photographer and your production company HOT CREATIVE. What can fans expect from you in this new era of music in terms of visuals and aesthetics?
RLYBLONDE: I've got a huge vision, the sky's the limit with me. I'm imagining a different life, like what would that look like and how can I create that around me? I think the new era has more confidence. Before I was daydreaming about what I wanted my life to be, and now I woke up and I did it. I want to step into that more aggressively and craft the world I want and be my own star of my own show. It's keeping visually and thematically the ideas of exploring my identity through romance, through my aspirations, playing off these classic Hollywood glam aesthetics. I'm also leaning a lot into the reflection on fame and what success means to different people and what that means to me.
LUNA: “Girl In Your Story” and “Your Angel” are your first releases since your debut EP. How does your past influence your artistry and the themes you explore in your music and storytelling?
RLYBLONDE: I think it's definitely feeding off the past. The process that I go through as an artist, and just for my own processing, and I think that I do best when I have a concept. This new era of music helps me build my character identity more in a way that’s authentic to my real life. I’m romanticizing my life and making everything bigger than it really is. I’m finding ways to stay present and have fun with everything. How can I embody that energy in what I have right now? It's kind of like blurring that line between my real life and aspirationally what I would like my life to be. I'm going to dream big and see what happens, so it's the same sort of process for me but different material.
LUNA: Earlier today, I was reading through our first ever interview together and I remember asking you about your debut performance at Heaven Can Wait in New York and I can't believe that was literally earlier this year and experiencing that evolution must be so rewarding.
RLYBLONDE: That was one of the best nights of my life. I stay dreaming big, so I try not to get too cynical about it, but I'm like wow, it’s so hard to come out the gates so strong, and then be like, how the hell do I top this? It was my dream to play little shows in East Village and that's what the music is about, so it's very rewarding to be on stage in the Lower East Side singing about dreaming about shows on the East Side. I do get a little emo at the end of every set being like, we made it. I'm glad I had this chapter of living the dream and feeling really proud and being really happy. I'm trying to balance all of those feelings and face the journey that I signed myself for. I'm excited to grow and keep performing.
LUNA: Say if someone hasn’t heard of your music yet, which song would you introduce them to that encapsulates your style and maturity the best?
RLYBLONDE: “Fantasy” is my default because she’s like my baby, but I really do love “Girl In Your Story” because it’s my best songwriting and more musically advanced. I think my favorite and most underrated song from the EP is “Alone” and it remains my favorite song to play. I open all my shows with “Alone” and I just fucking love that song. I love a good catharsis and screaming about it.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the upcoming year look like for you that you would love to share with Luna?
RLYBLONDE: I'm deep in transition. I feel like this was a big year of building the foundation for everything. I had to say goodbye to my photo studio which was emotional for me, but I had to do it in order to respect my own capacity and energy level at this time. I'm really excited for new music and to keep working on this new era of sound. I'm also really excited to redirect my energy that I was spending on photoshoots all month, and more towards really intentionally working with artists in the same way that I treat my own work of full project, visual creative direction, full video production. It's about me finding the right people that resonate with that philosophy and that have a project that requires that kind of world building. I feel like I've cleared my plate so that I can open some new doors. We're hoping to get on some tours this year, play in different cities and try to push our boundaries a little bit more.
