Hey! Can you walk us through the creative process behind “Make It Better”? What inspired you to write a song about seeking improvement during troubled times?
A: Our creative process varies, we typically get together in our studio and write or bring ideas in. “Make It Better” was more or less inspired by seeing that feeling of losing elements of yourself in ourselves and others. Seems like a pretty universal occurrence. Maybe you just get to a point in life and it happens.
How have your musical influences shaped the sound and message of “Make It Better”? Were there any particular artists or bands that inspired its creation?
A: I suppose. We are all big Audioslave and Soundgarden fans. Perhaps that’s crept into it, but I don’t think the song sounds anything like either.
Working with Brian Moncarz, who has produced for The Tea Party, Alice Cooper, and Our Lady Peace, must have been an enriching experience. How did his production style influence the final sound of the song?
A: We’ve actually known Brian for a long time and worked with him before. We always have a lot of fun with Brian so it doesn’t feel like work but he still pushes us and in general it’s always very productive.
The single is described as an anthemic feast of sounds with a haunting, dark presentation yet an uplifting feel. How did you balance these contrasting elements in the songwriting and composition process?
A: There is a story arc. The basis is a bit haunting and dark, we resolve to a place where the takeaway is positive.
What message do you hope listeners take away from “Make It Better”? Is there a personal story or a broader societal issue that influenced this message?
A: Personal story, I’ll leave that to speculation. I think the broader takeaway should be that it’s ok to not be ok, it’s ok to look for help.
As a JUNO and Canadian Radio Music Award-nominated alternative-rock band, how do you think Bleeker has evolved musically and personally since your inception?
A: We’ve gotten a lot more confident in our sense of self, we’ve grown musically and personally. We’re not afraid to express that or let it come into our music as influences. I think we’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with who we are and who we want to be as a band and are far less concerned with what people think.
Supporting The Trews on select dates of their House Of Ill Fame Anniversary Tour is a significant milestone. How do you anticipate this experience will influence the band, and what are you most looking forward to during the tour?
A: Most of the dates we are on are done and it was amazing. We’ve toured with the Trews before and the band and crew are just great people and we loved hanging out with them, watching them crush it every time. I think more than anything it did and will continue to make us crave being out or getting out on the road. We love playing live more than anything.
With the release of “Make It Better” and the upcoming tour, how do you plan to engage with your audience, both old and new, in a way that differs from previous releases and tours?
A: We’re putting a lot more effort into sharing things on our socials. We’re trying to connect with people more often. At shows we’re always around our merch table after to hang out with people. I think this album that we are working up to releasing is going to be well received with new and old fans so we are excited to hear what people think with each single release.
Following “Make It Better” and the tour with The Trews, are there any other projects or collaborations in the pipeline that fans can look forward to in the near future?
A: Yeah, we are releasing 2 more singles before the full album. There’s a couple music videos in there as well. We have several shows booked that we are announcing soon, those run right through to the end of summer. The full album will drop early summer.
Reflecting on your journey so far and looking ahead, where do you see Bleeker in the next five years? Are there any particular goals or aspirations you aim to achieve as a band?
A: World Tour! But we’d settle for some solid international touring and hitting some of our bucket list festivals around the world like Download. We’ve got a lot more music in us so releasing more records for sure. There are also several bands we’d love to tour with here in Canada and internationally.