On September 9th, New York’s Blu DeTiger performed a DJ set of timeless funk and old school classics on the Electric Avenue Main Stage at Rifflandia Music Festival.
With a following of 1.4 million on TikTok, Blu’s music has found a strong following. The leader of the Bluberries last full length release was in 2021 during the pandemic. The project entitled How did we get here? can be found wherever you stream your music.
Joshua Szirmay-Corrales had a chance to speak with Blu backstage while Chromeo was taking the main stage. Sitting in her trailer while the sounds of funk rattled the walls, they spoke about her music taste, The TikTok following, her last album, Touring with Charlie Puth, Opening for Crystal Waters, her live band experience, and her lack of sleep due to New York Fashion Week.
Joshua Szirmay-Corrales: You just got off the Main Stage at Rifflandia, how do you feel?
Blu DeTiger: Amazing, Sick! I didn’t know what to expect really, it was such a good turnout, really beautiful scenery. When I started my set, the sun was setting, it was really nice!
JSC: It was incredible!
What’s also incredible is your music taste. From Kylie Minogue to Luther Vandross. Where did you get a majority of your music taste from?
Blu DeTiger: I started playing bass when I was really young at the age of seven. I was really into finding music and when I found funk music and old school disco, like late 1970s/early 80s, was when I found my thing in terms of bass playing. That’s where a lot of my bass playing is inspired from. I think I was just really into finding songs and players of the past that really inspired me. So I was just listening to a ton of stuff and learning the songs by all the different artists, all different decades. Then also deejaying, I started when I was seventeen. As a DJ, especially if you’re doing open format or a certain type of deejaying at the clubs in New York, you have to have a crazy knowledge of music history and the hits from every single decade. I think just deejaying and saying yes to all these random gigs, really forced me to like all these different types of music.
JSC: Wow, your knowledge on music history truly is phenomenal!
A large amount of your following comes from Tiktok. In your opinion, how important is it for artists to tap into reel based social media industry?
Blu DeTiger: I think it’s just how it is these days. The world we’re living in 2023. It is such an amazing platform for discovery, which is great for new artists like myself. Getting myself out there by being put in front of more people has a greater chance at people finding my music and listening to it. It’s really amazing for that. So it’s just really important for discovery and trying to find people through that.
JSC: A follow-up question to that. I think you’re at 1.2 million currently on Tiktok.
Blu DeTiger: 1.4 but whatever!
JSC: 1.4, whatever!
Blu DeTiger: Whatever! No one’s counting!
JSC: Haha! When you started to see the numbers go up, what were your first thoughts?
Blu DeTiger: It was pretty crazy because it was during the pandemic. TikTok was relatively new then and I’m grateful for when I started using it. I’m grateful for the time I jumped on the platform because it was new and exciting. Since it was during the pandemic, I wasn’t seeing anyone and I wasn’t able to go play shows or interact with fans in real life. So the fact that I had this space to do it online was so incredible. I remember I’d wake up, refresh the page and there would be a ton of new people. Just super grateful, though it does still feel weird every time! At least now I can go out and see real people, see how it’s affecting people in real life. So now there’s that translation into live shows which is cool.
JSC: Your last album, How did we get here?, released in 2021. What was the vision at the time when creating this album?
Blu DeTiger: So I made most of it during the pandemic. A lot of those songs were based on feelings I was having, like nostalgia, wanting to go back to a time before the pandemic or just moving on from it. So a lot of those songs feel like a memory from a time before.
JSC: Do you think that you’ll get to a certain point when you have a few more albums, that you’re not going to want to do too many songs from this album, just because it was during the dark times of the pandemic?
Blu DeTiger: Maybe. Well yeah but also this was my first full length project, so it holds a special place in my heart. But I also have different relationships with my songs like every other day, where one day I like this song and the next day, I hate it! You know what I mean? So it changes but they’re all my babies.
JSC: You recently just finished being tour support for Charlie Puth. How was that tour and is your festival tour matching the energy?
Blu DeTiger: That tour was really fun. I was playing live with my full band, which is really sick. Really big venues, probably the biggest I’ve been able to play. For context, big amphitheaters, we played Radio City Music Hall in New York which was amazing. Really high energy as we like to show our musicianship, on that Charlie Puth tour especially because we knew there’d be hardcore music fans there. Then the festival set I did at Rifflandia is like a totally vibe because it’s a DJ set and I’m kinda just playing other people’s songs that I love and then riffing on the bass over it. Both high energy but very cool.
JSC: Definitely high energy!
Your last single, Lipstick, released earlier this year. Could we be expecting a new full-length soon?
Blu DeTiger: For sure, for sure. Yes! Stay tuned!!
JSC: Alright! Stay Tuned! Easy, said, and done!
Blu DeTiger: It’s finished, It’s finished! So yes, stay tuned!
JSC: A couple nights prior to your performance at Riff, you played in New York with the legendary Crystal Waters, who was in your set tonight. Any memorable moments from the night?
Blu DeTiger: I mean, she’s such a legend and an icon. I opened with a DJ set right before she went on stage. She was amazing like her commitment to the performance was incredible. She brought out her dancers. Everyone screamed for an encore and when she went back on, she sang one of her songs again like the same song, 100 percent pure love AGAIN! It was just so cool. You can just tell she really loves performing and she loves music. She was really grateful to be there, which was really cool. I met her after and she was super nice! Would’ve been sweet to get a photo but It’s fun to be in the midst of someone who you’ve played in your sets, like I’ve been playing Gypsy Woman and a bunch of her songs in my sets. My sets are so long and to be able to tell her that is always really cool. So yeah, pretty dope!
JSC: I saw the footage from that show on your story. Seeing her dancers and then her joining in with her dancers was super cool.
Blu DeTiger: Sick right?! Then she had people come up on stage. She was just having a really good time which I always appreciate from these legends. You never know how they are, what their feelings are towards their music from 20 to 30 years ago, so it was really cool to see that.
JSC: You were booked for a DJ set at the festival this year. How does performing a DJ set compare to playing in a full band?
Blu DeTiger: I mean, a full band is a full band. Kind of self-explanatory. I’m also singing, playing bass, playing my own music. Whereas my DJ sets, sometimes I’ll mix in remixes of my songs but it’s mostly other people’s songs that are just my taste and my style, and what I want to communicate through the DJ set. Playing live is really fun, there’s a lot of bass solos, a lot of grooving. Singing and playing is fun, and you get to hear my original music. Check it out! Gotta come back with the full band next time.
JSC: Yes please!
What’s next for Blu DeTiger?
Blu DeTiger: Album soon which we discussed. More tour dates with the full band. More of the same stuff. I just like to play!
JSC: Fair enough!
JSC: Any final words before we conclude this interview?
Blu DeTiger: It was really fun. I love Victoria; sick vibe here. My first time here, it was dope!
JSC: So it is your first time.
Blu DeTiger: My first time and it was dope!
JSC: You flew in from New York today?
Blu DeTiger: Yes, So it was New York to Seattle, then Seattle here. I slept for maybe like 1 hour because it’s fashion week in New York and I played a DJ set last night as well. Couldn’t get to sleep until like four.
JSC: Oh wow. Did you get a chance to see our city?
Blu DeTiger: I walked around a little bit. Only through Downtown but it was such a nice day out. Unfortunately, I did not get to see as much as I’d like.
JSC: And you leave right away tomorrow?
Blu DeTiger: Yeah, at like 5 AM haha.
JSC: Oh.. my.. goodness.
Blu DeTiger: Living that rock star life, you know?!
JSC: I feel that. Well hopefully you can get some sleep!
Blu DeTiger’s latest single, Lipstick is out now and can be found on all streaming services. Also, catch Blu DeTiger on her upcoming tour with her full band. Don’t forget to support the artist and continue to support live music.