We have had Broadside’s Hotel Bleu on repeat quite literally all weekend since it dropped last Friday, and we can confidently say it is some of their best work yet. Hotel Bleu is a deeply personal album, and it’s obvious how much heart the band put into it. Broadside’s lyricism and the emotions woven throughout their music are what make them such a standout band in the scene, and Hotel Bleu showcases that brilliantly. See what we mean and stream Hotel Bleu for yourself.
We got the chance to talk with Oliver Baxxter, lead singer of Broadside, about the album and a lot more, so keep reading to see what he had to say!
We’ve been dying to talk about Hotel Bleu, so let’s dive right into it. This is such a fantastic concept for an album, leaning into different headspaces in different rooms; how did it come about? Does it stem from your time on the road as a band?
Yeah exactly! We really liked the concept of a hotel acting as a melting pot for all different sorts of travelers, stories, and experiences. Being on the road is incredibly tough at points, and a beacon of hope exists in knowing that you’re going to get to rest your head somewhere other than a beach seat of the van.
We kinda caught on to a potential hotel theme back when we saw the music videos for ‘Cruel’ and ‘Bang,’ can we expect to see more hotel room scenes in future Hotel Bleu music videos as part of the Broadside Cinematic Universe?
Absolutely, we tried to aim all of the storytelling from a hotel room theme, ‘One Last Time’ is in the red room that’s on the cover of the album, ‘Bleu’ – I wake up in a hotel room bed somewhere, ‘Lucid’ is set in a boutique looking room somewhere! We are really trying to angle it from that perspective as far and wide as we can.
Can we expect a Hotel Bleu headlining tour anytime soon? If you can’t answer that, do you have any artists that you’d love to take on a headliner in the future?
We would really like to make that happen, maybe closer to the end of next year. We are putting a lot of attention in being a support band still for the time being.
What songs from the album are you most excited to play live? (Aside from the ones you’re already playing!)
‘Stranger,’ ‘What have I Done’ and ‘How to love, How to lie’ personally
You got to play a show with The Maine recently. What was that like? (Also, can we expect a Broadside x TM collab any time soon?)
It was such an incredible experience; we have looked up to that band for a long time! I believe in my dreams that a collab could happen! Here’s to hoping.
-Speaking of collabs, Hotel Bleu features so many amazing vocalists. How did those collabs come about? Did the songs come before the featured artists or vice versa?
I recorded all the songs first, and afterward, we sat back and listened with intent. I knew I wanted to have some of my friends on the album, and luckily, I was able to have some of my favorite unique voices in the scene on our album. I love each one of them, and they nailed the verses I sent to them!
This isn’t your first time touring with This Wild Life. Can you share some of your favorite tour moments?
One time, they took us to Olive Garden, and they said get whatever you want, and when I went to get a little adult drinky drink, They said anything but that!
Since the album is called Hotel Bleu, what’s your wildest hotel story?
We stayed in a swanky hotel when we played that recent show with The Maine in Texas. There were all these sexy cowboys in the lobby and people out celebrating their bachelorette party, and then there was our dusty asses, walking around in flip-flops asking where the rooftop pool was. The visual makes me laugh whenever we’re in those situations.
-What is your favorite lyric off of Hotel Bleu?
It’s not so simple when your head’s underwater
Drowning in the silence while you search for nirvana
Don’t you think I’m pretty baby
Don’t you think I’m pretty?
My whole life, I’ve tried to make people want to be near me by working on my physical appearance while often suffering in silence and secretly hating myself. I feel like a lot of people can relate to selling yourself for the love and desire of others. In truth, however, I feel like the lyrics on this album are the best I’ve ever written in my career.
Oliver, we wanted to send all of our love to Sara. You’ve given us some glimpses of her journey, but we can’t even imagine the emotional toll of it all. We’re so glad she’s doing better, and we have lots of love for you both. We think ‘Bleu’ is such a beautiful song with such a deep, personal meaning behind it, and we just wanted to share our sentiments.
I appreciate your time. Thank you very much for the kind words.
And there you have it, folks. Hotel Bleu is, without a doubt, a top contender for album of the year from the scene, and we really hope you take the time to check them out. Is Broadside one of the best bands ever? We’d like to think so.
Drop your thoughts about Hotel Bleu or anything Broadside in the comments below, or drop us a line on our socials. We’re always buzzing about something on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
And we have plenty more Broadside for you, too!
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