Band Interview: Blotter (Written)

Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life bring you an interview with American rock and roll band, Blotter!

1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

We are BLOTTER! We’re an American rock and roll band from Newport and Manteo, North Carolina. Currently, we consist of three core members: Timmy Pollock, lead and rhythm guitar. Trey Bennett, lead and rhythm guitar. And Jimbo Wainwright, bass guitar. Between the three of us we all share lead and backup vocal duties. BLOTTER is a family affair because we are actually all cousins! We’ve all been performing together for a little over 10 years. We started out as a cover band playing songs we loved and listened to growing up, and eventually learned to write our own songs. So far we have one EP and two full length albums.

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

That’s always a hard question for us. We never really know what to tell people. We’ve always told people BLOTTER is a rock and roll band, but if we had to give a comparison it would be a cross between artists like Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, and KISS!

3. What’s currently going on in your camp? New releases? Tours? Etc.

We just released our second full length album entitled New Horizon on March 1st! Touring wise we’re working on booking a few dates during the summer, but we decided this year we wanted to expand our catalog more so we’re focusing more on writing new material and recording. Past that we have a few more projects we plan on beginning including an acoustic album which we’ve been absolutely dying to start recording, and another album we plan on starting later this year.

4. What has been the most positive experience of making music to date for you?

Two experiences actually go hand in hand. Recording our newest record was an absolute blast. The writing and teamwork that went into it really brought us closer together as a band. Everyone contributed to the songwriting process, and it was a complete team effort recording it. During the recording sessions we got an opportunity to open for The Midnight Devils and Enuff Z’ Nuff! Those guys are incredible musicians and entertainers, and we learned a lot watching those guys perform. We even got to meet and hangout with Chip Z’Nuff!

5. Likewise, what has been some of the more challenging aspects and how have you overcome them?

Before we began work on New Horizon we parted ways with our longtime drummer. Its hard to lose a member especially when you play together for over 15 years. Honestly it was troubling for us to move on, but Timmy and our friend Roger stepped up and played the drum tracks for the whole album.

6. How do you handle the modern expectations of being in a band? Always online, having to put out content constantly, your success measured in likes and follows?

It can certainly be a hassle. Making constant posts on social media takes away from the fun of playing music together. We try not to get too caught up in the popularity aspect of social media, so we’ve adopted the same philosphy we all have in life. Just keep truckin’, always move forward and stay positive!

7. What’s something that really ‘grinds your gears’ about the industry/business these days and what would you propose is done to combat it?

The price of tickets to see big acts is unbelievable. You basically have to sell your arm or leg to get close to the stage! It’s understandable that it’s because no one wants to pay for physical or digital copies of music, and money has to be made somewhere. Buying copies of albums and merch is a great way to support musicians, and help drive down ticket prices.

8. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support your music?

Liking, following, and subscribing to our social media pages, YouTube, Spotify, etc. For people on a budget thats the cheapest way to support us, it’s free! But if you want to support us to make more music then buying physical/digital albums or other merchandise is greatly appreciated!

9. Outside of the music, what do you do to relax?

We’re all family guys. Spending time with our wives and kids, fishing, drinking beer, barbequing, making memories with friends. These are the things we love to do.

10. Where can people find you?

On any of our social media pages!

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