When you write for an independent music blog, you hear a lot of different independent music. Duh. But you realize that after a while, the stuff that really gets big isn’t soulless or indifferent. Rather, it’s the stuff that makes you a bit emotional or even reminiscent in some way. I like to compare the smaller artists to the more well-known ones and figure out who tries to reflect and encompass whomever in their music, mostly to rack my brain for my own enjoyment.
So when I first heard “twinkie” by poolblood, my first thought was, “wow, they really covered everything!” poolblood basically hits all ends of the entire spectrum of iconic indiehead music with their all-encompassing sound, reflecting the jangle of Alvvays, the neo-shoegaze (if that’s even a term) soundscapes of Beach House, and the ethereal, chill, nostalgic bedroom pop of the ever-so-popular Wallows and Dayglow. Basically, “twinkie” covers all its bases, making it for just about anyone.
The song itself, released on June 28th, is about starting over, according to poolblood themselves, singer/songwriter Maryam Said. Rather than getting you down, “twinkie” represents a sweet and uplifting relationship with the concept of time through both its lyricism and lush, playful sound. Its music video, shot entirely on film, features a montage of Said holding and wandering in a sea of flowers. It’s supposed to make you feel romantic and nostalgic for the world we’re currently living in, and it does a pretty good job.
Was there a particular moment or experience that you wrote this song about?
I wrote most of it on the spot. I was in a transitional period in my life and I have always had such a hard time with change, I’m just so sensitive to it so I wrote this song as a way to soothe myself. I wrote this song about how I wanted to change my relationship with time and gender.
What inspired this song’s unique title?
It started off as a joke and it was what I named the demo and my friend Shamir who produced it thought it was a pretty sweet name. I liked the double meaning. Twinks forever.
It’s clear that you aim to fuse genres in your songs. How did you decide you wanted to create this fusion instead of sticking to one particular sound?
I grew up with so many different sounds and genres. I love exploring different elements that every genre has to offer. I think being a child of the internet sorta offered me that privilege.
Who do you draw the most musical inspiration from?
I don’t have a particular artist that I draw inspiration from but from an amalgamation of artists that I had on rotation while writing the record. I wanted to write songs that had the same feeling that each of these artists gave me. I was listening to a lot of Fiona Apple and Nick Drake, Joanna Newsom and Duster.
What else do you hope to accomplish in 2022?
I hope to play more shows, and I’m also really excited to release more music.
