We’re kicking off the week with the debut track from BIMM Institute London’s Emergent Minds.
Take a listen to “Venom (Wanted to Dance)” and discover more about the track and the band below.
What was your inspiration when you began writing the track?
The inspiration for our single came from an event in my (Ellie’s) past. I’m singing about an interaction that at first seemed innocent but quickly escalated into a situation where I lost control. It’s about how a misunderstanding can cause long-lasting trauma and how it feels when that trauma starts catching up with you.
The ‘you wanted to dance’ chorus could be seen as the protagonist singing to the person who hurt them, but could also be seen as the other person singing to the protagonist – both being confused about what was really going on.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
This single is actually very different from the rest of our tracks. It’s the only rock song we have written. Generally, we are inspired by bands/artists like The Cure, Cocteau Twins, Bauhaus, Kate Bush, Editors, Richard Hell, Echo & The Bunnymen, Kent.
Lyrically, I’m also inspired by Dermot Kennedy and Swedish songwriters like Markus Krunegård – both in his band Laakso – and his solo stuff. There are elements of all those influences in our single, although you might get more of a Paramore-vibe with this one.
What is key to your sound and how do you make your music stand out?
Our sound in short: vulnerable lyrics/vocals with a generous amount of delay and reverb thrown in there, with gothic-sounding guitar riffs. We try to create a haunting vibe with our music.
I want to sing about things that could be seen as ‘taboo’ and normalise the conversation about difficult topics and show people that it’s okay to be vulnerable. I’d love to create a community through my songs that’s beyond ‘just music’.
How does your songwriting process work?
My songwriting process has changed a lot over time, but can be anything from picking up the guitar and improvising by singing/playing whatever comes out in a very cathartic way, or more patiently starting to write lyrics that I later add a melody to. I always need to be by myself when I write. Then I bring that to my band and they make it sound better than I could’ve imagined on my own.
Describe your sound in 3 words…
Vulnerable, haunting, goth-pop. As for our single, I’d have to say vulnerable, uncomfortable, alt-rock.
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
BIMM has helped so, so much. Being a student there made it very easy and accessible for me to find musicians to work with. They have offered professional guidance, industry events/contacts and are always there to help with anything you can think of. The lecturers are awesome and they care about your success. I would not have come as far as I have without that experience.
What’s next for you?
Release more music! We are working on a second single right now that I would say is more authentic to our sound and that musically really tells the story we want to tell. We will be doing live gigs again as soon as we can after Covid has slowed down a bit.
