Blood & Lust: In Conversation with Bloodworm

Clwb Ifor Bach was hot when we walked in. The space was filling up with people watching the 6-piece opening band in awe as they charmed the room. Pack of Animals, a recently formed Bristol band, were an electrifying start to the night. Their songs sounded like a resurgence of 90s Britpop with a welcomed edge of classic rock, which paired with the lead singer’s performance made for a lively atmosphere.

Bloodworm took the stage soon after Pack of Animals, which ignited a swift hush among the crowd as the band set up. One thought came to mind when they started playing in their signature moody sound, and that was how they sounded live exactly as they did in their music videos. The effects on the guitars and the vocals echoed with the same precision of their recordings, something which made the crowd that much more immersed in their world.

As they moved through their set, I was again taken aback from Bloodworm’s ability to create such a depth to their sound whilst consisting of just 3 members. This capacity became especially unmistakeable during Back of a Hand, where I saw everyone around me begin to sway back and forth along its unavoidably catchy riff. Between songs came routine check-ins on the audience which ranged from asking people how their days were going to imploring them come closer to the stage. Moving the night onwards saw a heavier mood shift as a transition into Alone In Your Garden forced the audience to not just listen attentively, but to feel the weight of each note that filled the room. The set finished with what felt like a wall of sound, managing to crash with a somehow still melodic nature.

You could make a lot of comparisons to Bloodworm’s sound; Hüsker Dü, The Cure, Joy Division, and so on. However, I think it would be dismissive of the nostalgic and atmospheric sound that the band have constructed. Bloodworm are very much themselves and they showed this at Clwb Ifor Bach – with leopard-print guitar straps by their side.

From starting in Nottingham in the midst of lockdown to opening for Suede, Bloodworm concluded their Blood & Lust tour with a final gig in London earlier this month. I had the pleasure of asking the band a few questions about touring, the importance of playing live, and what shapes their sound.

To begin with, I wanted to talk about your music videos because that’s how I was introduced to the band. In both Bloodlust and Alone In Your Garden you manage to project a cohesive aesthetic that connects to the songs really effectively. How do you go about planning the shoots for the videos, and how much (if at all) do the lyrics of the songs affect your approach?

The Bloodlust video was paying homage to our roots of when me and George first started the band jamming and writing in my dingy shed. We worked with Seth Lloyd (who is a friend) and with some cool artists and he gave it this homemade VHS effect all recorded on old tape cameras. Alone in your garden is made up of footage from our tour with Suede alongside some footage we recorded ourselves near our hometown. We got Seth on board again to make it all come together.

Lyrics up for interpretation.

You said a few years ago in an interview with Under the radar that you like focus on the live aspect of the music as it can help inform your songwriting. How much have your live gigs helped shape the Blood & Lust EP?

The Blood & Lust EP is made up of songs that were all rigorously road tested and tweaked until they got to the point where we were all happy with recording them. Taking songs on the road allows you to test out different parts and structures to songs and make sure that the final version of the song is as good as it can be.

Given your style, opening for Suede seems very well-suited. How do you feel about the band’s progression, from starting off in 2022 though lockdown to where you are today?

The progression of this band has been cool because we haven’t ever really stagnated, we have always played a lot of gigs, and they have gradually got bigger and bigger until the Suede tour took us to a whole new level.

With bands like yourself that have such a specific and intentional sound, it’s easy for people to try and label them into a specific genre; for example post-punk, goth, grunge or shoegaze. How do you guys feel about these characterizations?

Although a lot of the timbre of the instruments is inspired by the sounds used by early post punk bands, the song writing and things like melodies are very much of our own style. We take elements of loads of genres and styles and use them to make something that’s hopefully quite unique. The sounds we make are like a pallet that we use to write with as it inspires us.

As your Blood & Lust tour concludes soon in London, how would you describe your experience going round the UK?

It’s been a lot of fun touring the UK and getting to see cities I otherwise probably wouldn’t have thought to visit. We also get to meet so many people who like the band from all over the place, it’s a bit mind blowing sometimes.

Finally, if you each had to give three words to describe Bloodworm to people who aren’t familiar with you what would you say?