MARISA BLOOM – ARTIST SPOTLIGHT AND INTERVIEW

MARISA BLOOM – ARTIST SPOTLIGHT AND INTERVIEW

By Ralph Beauchamp

Marisa Bloom is the dynamic front woman of the New Haven punk band Trashing Violet. In addition, he has recently released several solo singles. Marissa talks to AMP about all things music and her crazy life.

Marissa she is truly a renaissance woman. He is not only a musician but also a journalist (Marissa you occasionally write for AMP), reviewer and a mom. The Rockmommy blog features musicians who continue to play despite having children and other responsibilities. She plays guitar and sings in her incredible band, Trashing Violet. She does all this with her family duties, including attending her son's sporting events. Although her life is like a whirlwind, I have never seen her before Marissa lose her temper. She is always out there promoting her band and supporting the local music scene with everything she has. She is definitely a source of inspiration for many.

Marissa was kind enough to sit down with AMP for this in-depth interview.

AMP: What made you want to become a musician?

MARISHA: My first love is writing. I wrote my first novel at age 8 and my first two songs at age 10 with little tunes in my head. In high school I studied poetry and served as editor of our literary magazine. Initially, I only took a guitar – my first instrument, so that I could set my poetry to music. But by the time I finished college, I had fallen in love with the instrument. He was my battle weapon and constant companion while I fronted my first two bands: an all-girl punk trio called Girls Without Skin (with my friend Debbie Carry) and a parody rock band called Grandma's Mini (with my friend Ann Brandstadter). We still play shows together when I visit Maryland!

AMP: You write your own blog (Rockmommy), are in a band (Trashing Violet) and have a family. How do you handle all this responsibility?

MARISHA: I'm pretty good at time management. I spend 3-5 hours a week writing my blog and 3-5 hours a week playing music. I'm also pretty healthy, which helps — I prioritize sleep, exercise, and work-life balance. I'd love to spend more time on my art and blog, but working as a full-time freelance writer and raising kids keeps me pretty busy these days.

AMP: You have released several singles as a solo artist. What determines if your song is a band or solo?

MARISHA: This is such a difficult question to answer, and it mostly comes down to a gut feeling. For example: The moment I started playing the opening guitar riff for my band Trashing Violet's 2022 single 'Grip', I knew it belonged in the band. Coming together, we brought this song into another realm — and now it's a crowd favorite. Doug (bass/vocals), Nick (drums/vocals) and I have been playing music together for over five years. Sometimes I'll come up with a riff or a verse and work on it with the band. Other times, one of the guys will come up with an idea, like a bass line, and I'll work on the lyrics. We have a new guitarist, Niles, who is also excited about us writing new music.

AMP: Who were some of your early influences?

MARISHA: Courtney Love is probably my biggest influence overall. She is so raw and authentic. I will never forget my first Hole concert in the fall of 1994 at a venue called WUST which is now the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. I had just started learning guitar and was so inspired by her. I'm also inspired by so many Maryland artists, having spent my childhood and most of my 20s in the Washington, DC area — namely, Clutch and indie singer-songwriter Mary Prankster. She is the most brilliant, hilarious lyricist and one of the greatest performers. I must have listened to her record “Blue Skies Over Dundalk” at least 500 times.

I go back even further to my youth and can think of a handful of pop stars who shaped me — Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and George Michael come to mind. However, everything changed the moment I first heard the Violent Femmes at the age of 15. Once I discovered their self-titled album, I began to crave songs that were dirtier and more confessional. Still, it was a true full circle moment when my band opened for Tiffany at the Wall Street Theater (now District Music Hall in Norwalk) in 2023. She is endlessly talented and the coolest person in real life. I couldn't believe we were talking about breastfeeding and parenting together!

AMP: What is your creative process like?

MARISHA: I try to sit down with my acoustic guitar and a notebook at least twice a week in the morning, just playing chords and letting my thoughts flow. However, my best footage also comes at inopportune times, like when I'm jogging or driving (and have to stop to record a voice memo). I send short videos to the band of my verses and choruses. I'll play songs over and over until I get the lyrics right. Sometimes I have to shelve a song and come back to it a month or two later.

AMP: As a member of New Haven's growing music community, do you think the Ct music scene is on the rise?

MARISHA: Yes! It has been uploading since 2021, when the world reopened. There are not enough venues and festivals to house all the talent.

AMPERAGE: You have participated in many women's shows and events. Is the music industry fairer to today's female artists?

MARISHA: Yes and no. Pop music is a resounding yes – and so is country music – but the rock world is largely dominated by one gender. I recently wrote a piece for the New Haven Independent that looked at the reasons why there are more dads playing in rock bands than moms in bands. This is the result of many issues — from systemic sexism to a lack of encouragement for young women to get organs. Many moms aren't encouraged to use their precious little free time to do something like join a band instead of, say, volunteering for their child's PTA.

Also, there is the issue of age, or age. While age seems to have little impact on a male singer's marketability, many female musicians over 35 (especially female leads) have complained that it's harder to compete for the opening or headlining spots they used to easily score in their 20s. This can be frustrating, so I just try to control as much as I can: I practice constantly and work hard to ensure that every performance is high-energy and extremely engaging.

AMP: What drives you?

MARISHA: A passion to be the absolute best.

AMP: As a self-proclaimed “tool geek”, what's your go to stage setup?

MARISHA: I love my gear so much! My vocal mic of choice these days is a Sennheiser e935, and my main guitar is a Gibson SG Standard, although I occasionally join in on a Fender Strat. I love my super easy-to-use digital amp — it's a Fender Mustang II. I usually just use the MXR Super Badass distortion pedal and a Boss tuning pedal — unlike my teammates, who use 8.5 million pedals in each of their pedals.

My mate Niles recently lent me one of his spare reverb pedals, which may feature in a future show. For my solo gigs, I rotate between a precious, 20-year-old Yamaha acoustic guitar and my new Gibson ES-335, a semi-hollow body that I've only played once in public since it's so precious and new.

AMP: What's next for Marisa and Trashing Violet?

MARISHA: After a brief hiatus at the beginning of the summer, Trashing Violet is busier than ever. We're playing some killer local shows this fall in Connecticut — Three Sheets on 10/25 with Hell Fairy, Corpse Flower, and Turkey Vulture. and Stella Blues with The Sparkle and Fade on 11/22. We hope to hit NYC again in early 2025, too! In the meantime, I'm recording additional songs for my upcoming solo album which I hope to release in 2025. I'll be releasing a single for Halloween early next month (it's a fun, creepy soul-destroyer and you'll love it) and maybe another one before November.

To learn more about Marisa Bloom click on the image below

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