Episode 44 - Blondshell
Gen Z rock-music superstar, Blondshell, sits down with Chloe Aftel to discuss her success as a singer-songwriter, debuting with the critically acclaimed album, “Blondshell,” in 2023 to the completion of her most recent project, “Violins,” which will hit over seven hundred thousand eager ears this September. Having amassed a large fanbase early in her career, Blondshell shares a look into her psyche, describing how she handles artistic pressure, parasocial relationships with fans via social media, and the expectations of the modern music industry while staying true to her artistic instinct. Shimmering throughout a compelling conversation is Blondshell's reverence for self-connection, emotion and storytelling, which reveals itself in her creative process, and the attention to detail she shows her craft. Excitingly, Aftel and her discuss how “Violins” represents her evolution as an artist who believes music to be the most healing activity in her life. On top of a stellar discography, Blondehell's sincere passion for making music, sharing her life through art, and her upcoming release, is sure to captivate anyone interested in how high quality artists thrive in today's complicated media nexus.
Moments to look forward to:
Blondshell discusses the importance of emotional vulnerability in her professional work while explaining how that impacts her private sphere and interpersonal experiences
She delves into her relationship with her voice and how it has evolved throughout her artistic journey, illuminating its connection to her identity, psyche and art practice
She shares her conceptualization of the music industry while outlining her personal goals in relation to performance and the dynamic between virality and success
Born in New York City in 1997, Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum debuted as Blondshell in June 2022 with her single, “Olympus,” and has since released three critically acclaimed studio albums, amassing a monthly listenership of over seven hundred thousand people. Having taken singing lessons since she was seven years old, Teitelbaum was first introduced to the stage in elementary and high school, where she sang in talent shows and school related events. After graduating in New York City, Teitelbaum moved to Los Angeles where she attended the USC Thornton School of Music, majoring in songwriting for two years before dropping out to pursue music full time in 2017. Following a pop-adjacent EP release under her first alias, BAUM, in 2020 Teitelbaum made the sonic and identity shift to Blondshell. In the years since she has built a stellar discography full of songs revealing deep personal truths that connect with her dedicated audience. On September 26, 2027, Blondshell will add another batch of songs to this discography, under the album, “Violins,” which shows Teitelbaum at the height of her singer-songwriting abilities, and solidifies her position as one of Gen-Z’s brightest rock-stars.
Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19's impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel's first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.
