Rhys Bloodjoy is a one man sort of act, whose time thus far has taken him places. His most recent working's being a single titled "Polly Brown", that comes off his most newest album "Love Is A Fucked Up Goddess (Part II and I)". For the mean time, he plans to settle in, writing more content as well as recording, with releasing all of which sometime in the next year. Rhys goes on further to say how he wants to hopefully tour and as always release more music.
1. Who are you and what is that you do?
Hey, well I’ve been asking myself the same question for a while. I’m just another noise-maker in a sea of noise-makers I guess. I make music with one guitar and two dozen guitar pedals, all based round loopers.
2. If you had to describe your sound in 5 words or less, what would you say?
Amplified Cicada Pines.
3. You are a newer act, so many may not know about your history. Would you be able to delve into it a little?
Sure. I’d always been in bands - mostly noisy bands - so this was my attempt at being a solo artist. I took the usual singer-songwriter route for a while, it wasn’t really me so I surrounded myself in strobes, drone sounds and frequencies, then set myself a challenge to see how loud and powerful one old acoustic guitar could get. It took about 18 months locked away in my room before I even got close, then about a dozen gigs to overcome the technical problems. After that, I was ready to take on full bands and smash the "opening act" singer-songwriter mound to smithereens, haha. :D
4. Where does the name Rhys Bloodjoy come from? Is it a stage name or real namesake?
My real name is Rhys. The name Bloodjoy sums up my journey in music: lost of blood and a little bit of joy now and then.
5. Who are some of your influences?
Musically speaking, I’m a bit of a roots-digger, so it’s a vast spectrum of influences. If I was to compile a solo-artist playlist though, it would probably start with Mississippi John Hurt, warm up in the middle with Nervous Norvus and finish with Abner Jay.6. What does your music tend to cover when regarding topics of choice?
I suppose the usual; dirge, death, violence, drugs, sex and love.
7. You recently released the single "Polly Brown", what inspired the track?
It’s part of the concept of the album it represents, so the theme of a broken goddess initiated the writing of it. I suppose sound-wise, it’s inspired by the late 80s indie era, Sarah Records type stuff. It’s a simple love song - the memory of a first love; a ‘fucked up late-teen goddess’ named after the Brummie singer from the early 70's. If Polly had to choose a favourite record, it would be Emma’s House by the Field Mice.
8. How does this single compare to your previous tracks?
It’s quite different. I aimed to add one half-decent love song to the Bloodjoy discography and I think it turned out quite well, sonically.
9. "Polly Brown", comes off your new album "Love Is A Fucked Up Goddess (Part II and I)", tell me about the title choice, why place (Part II and I) in that format, as opposed to having it in numeral order of Part I and II?
Both parts were initially released by psych tape label, Eggs In Aspic. Part I came out last year, Part II followed this spring. Part II was always going to be Side One of a 12” release, so it made sense to reverse the order, at least to my twisted mind, ha!
10. Who was the one behind the artwork for this album, does the art relate to the music found upon it?
The album cover art was created especially by a talented artist named Briony, who runs Rogue Bear Design an Illustration. I suppose the imagery speaks for itself - it’s Venus and Polly in one.11. What inspired "Love Is A Fucked Up Goddess (Part II and I)"? What was the writing process like?
It’s inspired by the idea of spiritual female energy, from a man’s cloaked perspective, obviously. The concept is literally based on how fucked up love seems to be - so, if there ever were (or are) goddesses of love, then surely they must all be fucked up too. I see Venus smashing the shit out of heaven, Aphrodite on the verge of suicide and all of that being reflective in all of us and our life experiences.
12. Do you have a favorite track from the record? If so, which one and why?
Not really, everything has its place as part of the bigger picture.
13. What can we expect from Rhys Bloodjoy before the end of 2018?
I’m retreating back into the Spanish mountains for a while, so the rest of this year will be more writing and recording. I plan to return early next year with an album and hopefully some tour dates though.
14. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. Is there anything else you want to say?
My pleasure - and thank you for tuning in to my story. I think I’ve said enough.
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