Even with COVID-19’s swift overtake of the world, one would be foolish to underestimate the hardiness of artists, especially those on Canada’s East Coast. Indeed, Fredericton’s electronica darlings Bleum have found a way to brave the pandemic’s challenges and sound good as ever doing so, thanks to their new single “Welcome To My Life” and its accompanying t-shirt bundle.
“We wanted to have a more direct connection with fans, and that can happen through bandcamp,” says Bleum vocalist Britt McQuinn. “We loved the idea of releasing song-specific merch there when new music came out, so we created a bundle where people can buy the song and its cover art on a t-shirt.”
The cover art, consisting of a red, peace-sign-flaunting hand with white fingernails and the track’s title written across the two straight fingers, is wonderfully stylish on its own, and only compounds the expertly-crafted track behind it.
“Welcome To My Life” knows exactly what it is, and this is reflected in every aspect, from McQuinn’s cadence and lyrics to the beats and synths crafted by producer Daniel James. The track positively radiates with assertive spunk, daring anyone foolish enough to stand against fearless individuality; a perfect blend of a striking, aggressive side of McQuinn’s vocal style and James’ bone-crunching synths and perfectly-timed rhythm.
“We made ‘Welcome To My Life’ on March 13, the last day we had our studio to create in before everything shut down,” remarks McQuinn. “With the loss of show revenue, we eventually moved out of it. I remember feeling pretty strange that evening, and I think the weirdness of that day influenced how we created the song. It’s kinda twisted and dark but upbeat. “
“’Welcome To My Life’ is about embracing a defensive attitude about who you are. If people don’t like who you are and who you are isn’t hurting anyone, their opinion doesn’t matter.”
Like the message it stands for, this new tune is unabashedly Bleum, and though it comes as no surprise that it’s another job well done for this duo, their talent simply cannot be overstated.