Interview with the Band Blotter

May 05, 2023

Interview with the Band Blotter

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!

CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Blotter: Musical tastes can be diverse, and for the members in the band it's no different. We were raised on bands like KISS, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen, Motley Crue, etc. Our sound evolved from a love of these bands, so we try to incorporate the things that made those bands great. We are a rock and roll band through and through, but we like to write our material so there's variety. No one wants to listen to an album where every song sounds the same.

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
Blotter: First and foremost we aren't just musicians. We're fans too. Bands that don't make a connection with their fans and audience don't stick around very long. It's absolutely achievable. At the end of the day we all have experiences that shape us, and most of the time different people have similar experiences. When a band can show they're just like the people in the crowd it helps make that connection. We help make that connection by writing songs that people can relate to.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
Blotter: We're firm believers in being in a constant state of improvement. Recently we've really tried hard to help bridge that gap and maintain a higher level of fan interaction. It's a process, but it is a crucial part of climbing that ladder, and becoming a better act.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
Blotter: Absolutely! It's all in how you present yourself. There will always be those knuckleheads who try to impose themselves on you, but for the most part people are respectful to personal space.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
Blotter: It seems more like it comes down to the individual. Not cultures overall. Some people hold music in general close to their hearts; some really don't care.

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
Blotter: Two words, British Invasion! The foreign factor has always been in to play in America. Whether foreign acts realize it or not being from another country gives off an exotic air and a bit of mystery. People are intrigued by something like that. That being said, music in the States varies just as much from one state to the next.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
Blotter: Yes and no. Art has been evolving since some caveman started scratching coals and ash on a cave wall. That's nothing new. On the other side, an "artist" could mean anything these days. Honestly there's no telling where that line is today.

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
Blotter: The artist who sets them is deemed crazy, and isn't appreciated as an innovator for years. One who follows has short-term success and isn't remembered down the line.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
Blotter: For sure. The amount of sub genres of rock and metal alone are ridiculous. Hell, metal is a sub genre of rock that somehow got its own genre. It can certainly be useful when trying to describe a certain sound or era, like hair metal or grunge, but it really seems unnecessary when trying to describe what your band sounds like. If it sounds good then listen to it. Who cares what "club" it's in.

CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
Blotter: We just released our second full length album last month entitled “New Horizon!” Our next project is an acoustic album we're about to begin recording sessions for, and plan on beginning another album later this year.

CV: Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.

Check out Blotter at:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@blotter1307
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5qwcblw3spC1Q0H4x66zJp?si=t9cCJss6SHare_-McQwVHw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealBLOTTER/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blotterband1
Instagram: https://instagram.com/blotterband/

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.