Artist Interview: 1-on-1 with Blonde Maze

music to hold on to

Sheryl and I have been listening to a lot of downtempo/lo-fi stuff lately. We listen to a myriad of Spotify playlists including Lo-Fi Cafe and Downtempo & Lofi Electronic. A few weeks ago Blonde Maze released her single “To The Moon” and I was hooked. Blonde Maze is the New York-based electronic project of Amanda Steckler. She documents her emotions through synths, bells, and sincere lyrics and every song of hers I’ve heard is magical. I shared “To The Moon” with my buddy Russell and he said, “Oh, this puts me in vacation vibes. Wish I was in Thailand on a beach.”

Her single “Anywhere” has over 2 million streams on Spotify and her vocals just keep dragging me in. I think “Not All Flowers Bloom” is one of the best songs I’ve heard this year. She does a great job telling stories and I feel like I am reading a book as she sings to me. Close your eyes and imagine yourself enjoying a hot cup of cocoa while she performs in the corner of a comfortable poorly lit café. I was so impressed with her work, I reached out for an interview. It was so much fun getting to know Amanda. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Blonde Maze. Don’t you just love that name?!

Thank you for doing this interview. We have a lot to talk about, but let’s start with the name. Your real name is Amanda Steckler. Where did Blonde Maze come from?
Thank you for listening to my music! The name Blonde Maze came from two things: my hair, which is a literal blonde maze sometimes, and my brain, which sometimes feels like a maze of thoughts.

My wife and I are obsessed with downtempo/lo-fi right now. Your new release came at a good time! Tell me more about “To The Moon”. I love it!
That’s super awesome to hear! I’ve been pretty into that genre too, lately. “To The Moon” was definitely finished the fastest I’ve ever finished a track. I think it’s the happiest sounding track I’ve ever made. Since it has no lyrics, I leave it up to the listener to determine what it’s about, but to me it’s about loving someone or something to the moon and back… Just really being enamored.

Really like “Not All Flowers Bloom,” too. Is that your voice?
Thanks! Yeah, that’s my voice. I mostly sing on all of my tracks… Although it’s actually my least favorite part of the process. I like creating the instrumental sounds a lot more.

You have some awesome artwork on your website. Who designed all of that stuff? Just SO inspired by you, Amanda!
That’s really sweet of you. The artist who designed that artwork is named Pierre Broissand. He’s amazing. He also did the Hold On EP artwork as well as the artwork for “Not All Flowers Bloom” and “To The Moon”.

Is The Rye a real place?
Yeah. The Rye is a pub in London that I used to go to. Pierre is really into putting a story behind every piece of his artwork, so whenever we work together, he tries to draw inspiration from real life events I open up about. It’s a really great collaboration in that way.

Tell me more about your logo.
I’ve always been fascinated by kites. The logo is a girl reaching out, holding on to a kite. Without her, the kite would fly away; without the kite, the girl would have nothing to hold on to. They kind of need each other and keep each other grounded and safe.

“Not All Flowers Bloom” was released on Enhanced Chill. Tell me more about that release and what it was like working with that label.
It was by far one of my favorite releases. I had listened to it so many times while making it that I honestly got bored of it… Until it was released, which gave it a sort of new life for me. I absolutely love working with Enhanced Chill. The team there is dead set on working towards my vision. It’s really cool to be part of their newer chill imprint. Fun fact: I used to intern there back in 2014! It’s come full circle now that we’re working together on this level.

There are a lot of great places to see live music in New York City. What are some of your favorite places to see a show?
I really love Baby’s All Right. It’s got Brooklyn written all over it but I think what I like the most about the vibe are the lights on the stage backdrop. Webster Hall was epic but I haven’t been since it reopened. Music Hall of Williamsburg is a nice venue too – the perfect size for a bigger intimate show.

Where do you find inspiration for a new single? There’s no question your music means something to you!
I usually use music as a cathartic way to let go of or at least process emotion. It’s kind of my way of accepting how I feel about a situation or someone. A lot of my songs are sad songs, which is one of the reasons I loved writing “To The Moon” so much. It is the happiest sounding track I have and it was so genuine when I was creating it.

When you’re not producing a new track, what are you listening to? There are SO many good playlists on Spotify.
Oh boy this is a hard one! There are a ton of good Spotify/Apple playlists that I love (if I had to pick – Chill Tracks on Spotify and Chill House on Apple Music Dance). I’m also into listening to my friends’ new music and checking out what they’re listening to at the moment.

Tell me about your time working with Rephlektor Inkorporated.
They’re lovely people. I met Nina from RI a couple of months ago in preparation for my Enhanced Chill releases, and she was so down to earth and took the time to get to know me as a person and as an artist. It makes sense that Enhanced works well with them – they’re also very into collaboration and shaping releases around visions.

COVID-19 has put a damper on live music this year. Are you planning to tour in 2021 if it is safe to travel? I’d love to see you perform live.
Thank you! It’s honestly hard to imagine it will be safe to tour in 2021. I would love to start playing shows again. I hope I am wrong! I always meet the coolest people, whether it’s audience members or venue staff, or other artists, etc.

Saw a video on Twitter of you playing a uke. Fun! Where did you learn how to play that instrument? What other instruments do you know how to play?
I taught myself based on videos online or chord charts online, as well as just by ear. I know how to play guitar as well (although am probably average at best), but I love playing the piano the most. I had a few classical lessons when I was younger, but I mostly just sort of learned by ear. I use a midi keyboard to record most of my instruments in my music, so I’ve just sort of learned what sounds right by experimentation.

What’s next for Blonde Maze?
I have a ton of unreleased songs (some very close to finished, some need more work) that I am looking forward to sharing. I have a couple that are ready and in the works right now too. My goal for 2021 is to share more than I have in the past years.

Thank you for doing this. Really enjoyed that! In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
I just have a lot of gratitude to be honest. Thank you for giving me a platform to ramble on about my music. I’m also so grateful to be working with Enhanced Music and Rephlektor Inkorporated, who help share my music with people like you. Hope you and your wife enjoy what’s next!

Connect with Blonde Maze:
Website: https://www.blondemaze.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blondemaze
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blondemaze
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/blondemaze
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/blondemaze
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blondemaze