When you’ve already played CBGB by age 7, where is there to go? Hella higher, if you’re Blu DeTiger.
If you count an arts program at the legendary Manhattan venue as the beginning of her career, then DeTiger has been inching towards club-thumping fame since elementary school. At the time, she was a budding New York bassist who looked up to the musicians playing nearby venues like Webster Hall. This fall, she’ll storm those same stages as a headlining artist, and peer down at the thousands of fans who found her funk while indulging in pandemic doomscrolling.
Since unknowingly co-inventing the formula for TikTok fame in 2020, DeTiger’s notoriety in the pop sphere has been on the up-and-up (cue her new tune “Elevator,” an appropriate testament to her increasing “big shot” status. We’ll wait). The bass slayer and vocalist kicks off a headlining North American tour in Boston at Royale on November 3, after a year crammed with collabs (hello, Chromeo and Biig Piig), major festival performances, and slinky singles, a la “Hot Crush Lover,” her euphoric sugar rush from this spring.
Ahead of the tour, Vanyaland chatted with DeTiger while she took a breather in Los Angeles, perched in front of her (instantly-recognizable) supersized selfie mirror. Read on to hear about her relationship with TikTok, her thoughts on bassist tropes, and why you should leave her TF alone about her pedal board.
Victoria Wasylak: It’s crazy to see stuff I’ve seen on your Instagram in the background of your house.
Blu DeTiger: I know, this is my new spot. It’s like trying to find a new area where I can do things, you know? I used to have such a good setup when I was in New York and [now] I’m in L.A. I’m trying to recreate something [that’s a] similar energy level as New York.
How has that transition been? New York is such a huge part of you and your music, more so than most people.
That’s true. I mean, I still go back and forth a lot, which has been nice. Before I got a place in L.A. I was coming back and forth pretty much every two months for things. That’s kind of why I ended up getting a place here, because I was just coming here so much. The transition’s been easier since I’ve eased into it. And I still go back all the [time]. I’m, literally in New York every month, every two months. I’m still sort of, like, bi-coastal vibes. But yeah, it’s been nice. Most of my friends are out here now, and my team and everyone I work with. But I’m still such a New York City girl. Best place on Earth. I’m always “New York or die,” but it’s cool to be here while I’m making music for a sec.
The past two years for you have been so incredibly jam-packed with collaborations, shows, and festivals. How have you been able to keep up with it? Because it’s a lot.
I know. You don’t even really realize when you’re doing it. I think that’s, the way I keep up with it, you’re just kind of doing it, and just moving forward and continuing to do your thing. I you’re in the present, it doesn’t seem overwhelming, I feel like. It’s kind of just every day at a time.
I mean, it’s been amazing. I didn’t realize how much touring I really did until I got home… I haven’t been in one place for more than, like, five days for a long time, more than a week in a long time, which is kind of crazy.
But when you’re accepting these gigs and these tours and all these things, you’re not thinking about that because they’re always booked so far in advance. But I mean, it’s amazing, I’m so grateful I get the opportunity to play at all this stuff, and all the shows have been really fun. But, yeah, you just forget. The flying really affects your body and stuff, so you just kind of don’t realize until you’re in it.
I think you get in carpe diem mode and then it’s like you can’t stop.
Yeah. And it’s all cool, fun stuff. So, it’s nothing that’s a burden where you’re like, “Oh, I don’t want to…,” it’s all really cool festivals and shows I get to do. But yeah, it catches up with you. Now it’s nice, I get this little break before the actual tour starts.
Because Boston is the first stop, what can people expect from this tour that would be different from seeing you in the past?
There’s some new songs that I haven’t played live yet that I’ll be adding, which will be a really exciting new visual experience. And it’s bigger venues so, you know, [we’re] always expanding in that way and in that experience. I think it’s gonna be really fun. I just like to rock out. I want everyone to feel good and have fun and just come away with having a really fun, good night. I think it’s gonna be really fun.
I feel like you’ve played the biggest range of venues in the smallest amount of time, with regards to size and location.
Yeah, it’s been a lot. I feel like I almost skipped a level. I’ve been playing forever and was always playing in bands, and I’ve played at every venue in New York in a different capacity, [either] with someone else, or if it was just with DJing, or anything like that. So, I played at all of them, but my first real headline show, I just went straight to Music Hall Williamsburg, which is 650 cap, I think, which is really huge. I remember growing up, I would be like, “only huge artists play at Music Hall Williamsburg.”
And then my first show was that, and I was like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s going on?” I just skipped all this stuff. That was really crazy. Now my first real headline tour I’m playing at Webster Hall. It just seems insane. It seems almost like jumping.
I mean, when you start at CBGB at 7, it can only go up from there, right?
True. Yeah, true.
How much of that can you remember? Can you remember much of it at all?
Yeah, I definitely remember it. I mean, it’s the coolest place ever. I remember when it closed down it was really sad, and we played right before it closed down. The walls were kind of falling apart and everyone took a piece of the wall. I think I have it somewhere, because everyone was like, “Let’s take pieces of the wall and you can sell it on eBay later.” I don’t know where that is. I have to find that.
But yeah, that was really sick. There’s so many cool New York venues that have closed down now. Cake Shop was one. Santa’s Party House was another, that was a really cool venue. I’ve kind of done it all in one way or another. But playing at Webster Hall is gonna be crazy — or any of these rooms that I’m playing on this tour, the size is just cool.
Who’s your favorite person that you’ve seen at Webster Hall before?
I’ve seen Bleachers there, which is interesting because I’ve played with them, and now I’m friends with them, which is really weird.
Full circle.
I’ve seen Haim play there and I recently met Este Haim. She’s awesome. I’ve seen SUBTRKT, who’s sick. I’ve seen a lot of people there. It’s such a cool venue.
It must be fulfilling.
Yeah, and I grew up a couple of blocks away and I literally went to middle school really close by, too. I would always walk by [the venue]. It’s the same thought process. It would be like, “Only huge artists play here.” I’m almost having imposter syndrome because I’m, like, “Wait a second. Am I on the same level as these other people that I saw when I was growing up?” It’s just weird to think about. But yeah, it’s exciting.
***
When the pandemic had just begun and you were supposed to go to Europe with Fletcher, but it got canceled and you had no idea what was going to happen [next] — what did that feel like in that moment? I would imagine that would be this huge letdown.
I cried so much, and I was really sad about it because that was going to be such a fun experience. I was really, really bummed. A lot was going that whole week, there was just insanity in the world. I was like, “this is over for my career,” because I was all about touring and playing with [other] artists. But I also was doing my own music at the time, I just wasn’t dedicating as much time to it.
Then I kind of saw the pandemic as “I’m just gonna go for it and take this time to just do me and just do what I love and make music without limitations, or time constraints, or anything and just keep playing bass and posting videos of me playing.” Because I think I couldn’t get that connection onstage anymore. I was like, “okay, let me just do it [myself].” It was honestly a blessing for me to have that time. I’m really grateful that it all kind of clicked when I finally had the time to be like, “okay, I’m gonna dedicate this time to myself and just doing me.”
If you could go to the “past you” in that moment, when the tour was canceled, and told “you” what would happen and the tour you’re about to go on, would “you” believe that?
No. I would’ve been like, “What are you saying?” I always wanted to be a massive artist deep inside. I don’t think I had the confidence at the time. I knew I was eventually gonna get there, I just kept going with the things that were coming to me opportunity-wise. But I never thought I was gonna get to this point, you know?
Like I said, you’ve never sat down and read a memoir about someone getting famous like this, or someone’s career taking off like this.
It’s a really weird path, and my path specifically is very different than anyone else’s and really interesting, just because I come from that session player background. I don’t know too many other people who come from that background and that path, and then mixed in with the pandemic and the TikTok stuff… it’s just really unprecedented.
With TikTok, a lot of people have conflicting feelings about it, and obviously it did wonders for your career. Do you still feel the way about it that you did when you started using it? I know in not a long time the algorithms have changed, and artists’ relationships with it have changed. Is it different for you now than it was in 2020?
I think my relationship with it has definitely changed. I’m really appreciative that I was on it [TikTok] at the time I was. Because when I was on it, it was very fresh and just starting out and no one really knew too much about it. It felt more like a community. All the musicians kind of knew each other, it wasn’t competitive and everyone was getting views. We were all collaborating with each other and it was very much based on just wanting to connect — which it still is, but I’m grateful for the time that I was on it, because it was fresh and wasn’t as saturated. Not that many people were on it, so it was a better opportunity to get “seen,” I guess.
Now it’s obviously changed a lot. There’s so many people on it that it’s way, way harder [to get “seen”]. There’s all these formulas now for how to get your song viral. There’s just all these little things that now everyone’s trying to do — I find myself doing too because I’m like, “okay, I gotta do this now that this is ‘the thing,’” which is a little bit, I don’t wanna say depressing, but… we’re in a weird transitional time right now where it’s just tough to break through, even for someone like me who’s already had a good community on there.
It’s just really interesting, and I talk to artists about it all the time. It’s a lot of pressure on artists to make your song “blow up” before it even comes out, or make it “blow up” on a certain platform. I play bass, I make music. I’m not a content creator per se, even though I like using the platform to spread my passion and my joy. It’s a lot that artists have to adapt to right now. The music industry always adapts, and I’m trying also right now to adapt with it, but it’s been really weird.
I’ve read about how in 2020 that because there were so many fewer people on it, it was way easier to just have fun, post something, and it would reach a bunch of people.
Oh, yeah.
Now you have to bend over backwards and people are trying to do what you did in 2020, and it’s not working.
And I’m trying to do what I did in 2020 and it’s not working anymore either! Because it was just a different time. It’s really hard right now. I will say that, just to be honest, it’s definitely really hard. All these artists are making these incredible songs, this incredible music, and it’s almost like if it doesn’t hit the right algorithm, no one will hear it. Which is kind of how I feel, which gets me really bummed out. But I think you have to just go with the times and just keep doing your thing, too. Good music gets heard by the right people at the right time. You know what I mean? That’s kind of my mindset.
I’m trying to use the platform more now for educational purposes and building the bass community, or at least I’m gonna try. But yeah, [I’m] building the bass player community and I like answering people’s questions on there about the instrument, expanding my community that way, while also trying to be like, “stream my song!”
Are you still able to enjoy using it? It’s such a key part of your career, it’s like you and TikTok are peanut butter and jelly. How do you feel about that?
I mean, I still have fun on it because I’m literally on it all the time, watching videos because it’s hilarious, everyone’s so entertaining, and people are so funny and smart and cool. So I still use it for entertainment and enjoyment purposes. I don’t mind being associated with it at all because it is, like, the thing, so I think that’s cool. I just wish eventually there’s a way that the industry will move towards a way where it’s just not about the 20-second clip.
I talk to artists about it all the time, like, “how can we change this?” Because I know a lot of people feel the same way, just so much pressure. You’re in the studio all day making songs, slaving away, and making your art that you enjoy, which should be your job. And then there’s this whole other element to it.
You have to shrink it into a tiny video and make it as likable as possible.
It is what it is, and I totally understand it. I think it’s obviously important to adapt with the times as things are changing. I think people will end up getting tired of it in a little bit, so I think there’s hope for that. But, again, on the other side, I have so much appreciation for the app because it’s helped me. I would not be here without it. I would not be in this position at this moment without that, so I’m obviously really grateful for all the people that were enjoying my videos at the time that they were coming out.
I first heard of you because someone posted a TikTok video of yours on Twitter and it was you riffing on “Pony” by Ginuwine. I thought “this video justifies the entire existence of TikTok.”
[laughs] That’s sick, I’m glad. Now I’m like, “okay, I’m gonna, like, post more videos of me playing bass because that’s what people like.” And I like doing it too — it’s just, it takes so much time, and I think people don’t realize. I think I was doing that during the pandemic, and then once things started opening up, I started doing things that artists do — tour and play shows and have to be in the studio and give your energy to that.
Still now, I have to cancel sessions and stuff so I can have time to connect with my audience because it’s so much. The traveling and the touring and stuff…I can’t also be filming a TikTok of me playing bass while I’m on the plane, you know what I mean? The time management is something that I’m working on now, too, so that I have time to engage with all these different avenues, which I think is also really important.
I think it’s great that you’re talking to people about playing bass, especially other women. I’ve talked to a lot of women instrumentalists, and your story strikes me as funny, because a lot of them in prior generations have said, “I saw a woman playing guitar and I didn’t even think that I could, so I went and I played guitar.” You saw a woman playing guitar and you said, “Cool, I wanna do something different.”
Yeah, yeah, that’s true. For some reason in my seven-year-old brain, I was like, “Oh, everyone plays guitar.” It’s almost counterintuitive. But I always saw it and I was like, “I wanna be different.” I started playing bass, but now I’m at the point where I’m like, “I hope other people look at me and see me playing and be like, ‘Okay, I wanna play bass now because Blu plays Bass,’” which is my whole motto now. It’s interesting that I started in the opposite way, but I guess it takes someone to spearhead the new wave. But yeah, I don’t know where my head was at, but I was a funny kid.
I think it’s a good sign of progress that, for you, it wasn’t, “Oh, shoot, women can play guitar.” You said, “Cool, I wanna do something that nobody else is doing.” I also think it’s interesting that, for you, “different” was bass, because it could have been drums, it could have been the keyboard. Do you know why you were drawn to bass as something “different?”
My brother played drums, so I was like, “I’m not gonna play drums,” right? Bass and drums go together like rhythm and blues. So I was like, “yeah, this kind of makes sense.” I don’t know why I didn’t choose anything [else]. I just thought it looked cool and I didn’t wanna play violin or piano or cello or anything. Even though that would be sick if I could rip on cello, that’d be fire. But I guess it does kind of take one person. If you look in history, there’s always that one person in each category or something. I don’t think I’m the one person, of course…
I hope people are inspired. I think there is a new bass community, though. I’ve been seeing it a lot more and I’m trying to really encourage [them]. That’s my whole thing, is just encouraging people to [play].
Tell me about the gear that you play.
I play Fender Basses, you can see [gestures to the wall]. It’s my custom one behind me from a custom shop, which is super lightweight for tour. It’s really heavy on the back usually, so I have a really lightweight one — obviously blue, sparkly, my whole vibe. Aguilar Amps, that’s my go-to. All the Aguilar gear is so good. Then I have like a pedal board of some random stuff that I don’t really use that much. I’m more just kind of clean. That’s my basic setup.
It’s rare to hear someone who’s like, “Oh, I keep a simple pedal board.”
I might start incorporating more, but I just like the clean sound, even on my records. Actually, on my new stuff, I’m experimenting with some different, really cool bass tones and stuff, so that’ll come into the music later. But most of my songs are just clean. I just like the sound of “clean.” I want it to sound like bass, I don’t want it to sound like anything else. Live, I do use a phaser pedal for something and distortion and stuff.
Everyone’s always like, “What’s on your pedal board?” I’m like, “bro, it doesn’t matter.”
Did you go for that cream sound for “Elevator”?
Yeah. It’s super clean.
One thing that you had mentioned in a past interview that I loved is, when you’re working on a song, you’re thinking about “where would this be played?” Besides the obvious answer of an elevator, where would you want it to be played? Or where did you picture it being played when you were working on it?
This one’s really fun. Now that I’m in L.A., everything’s in the car. Blast that shit in the car, you know? But [play it] anywhere, and I think in your AirPods or whatever, in your headphones, walking down the street. I feel like this song actually can fit in a lot of different settings, but probably the car or a pre-game, getting pumped up for the night. Dancing vibes.
***
How long ago did you write it or finish it?
I made it actually in February this year, so kind of a while ago. We made it, me and these three other people, who were in the session who were all amazing. We made the song and we were like, “This is sick. Love this.” I was like, “this is fire. This should come out tomorrow.” We were all super hyped about it… I was like, “Let’s put this out for the tour, before the tour.”
There are so many tropes about bassists. Which one annoys you, or do you think is the funniest?
All the jokes that are like, “the band left the room when the bass player started soloing” or something. All those jokes about bass solos. I think that’s hilarious. My whole show — it’s a lot of bass solos.
That’s my thing! They’re I’m not just shredding the entire time, I think that’s excessive. It’s tasteful. But I use the bass as almost a lead instrument in my stuff. That’s just how I feel music and hear music and how I play. I’m using it almost as a vocal part, or sometimes it’s taking on that that lead role, or it’s more like the forefront of the song in certain situations. So I think it’s funny when people are like, “The bass solos, blah, blah, blah.”
BLU DETIGER + TIFFANY DAY:: Thursday, November 3 at Royale, 279 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: 7 p.m., 18-plus, $23 :: Event page :: Advance tickets