INTRODUCING BLUAI Set To Release Debut Save It For Later
Following a summer of live dates across Europe & the UK, one of Belgium’s most exciting new exports Bluai have announced they will release their enchanting debut album Save It For Later in the UK on November 8th. Alongside the announcement comes the heartwarming video for new single ‘Better, I Swear’.
A dialogue between loved ones, ‘Better, I Swear’ tells a story of dealing with feelings of disappointment and regret. Collaborating with actress, presenter and singer of acclaimed Belgian indie-pop band Intergalactic Lovers Lara Chedraoui, the track is an infectiously delicate indie-folk bop. “Cath started writing the lyrics during a time we all felt like a let down to the people closest to us,” the band say of the track. “We never expected our music would become the main focus of our lives instead of family and friends. Working with Lara was the first time we let someone else in on the process of writing lyrics, which turned it into a dialogue between two perspectives.”
The video, directed by Ante Pask, intertwines two story lines. A young skater is trying to land a trick on her own on a treadmill, stuck in a never ending ratrace. She fails time after time until she finally manages to land the trick with support of her peers. Meanwhile we see the band and guest vocalist Lara going through the different highs and lows of a friendship or relationship. “The video brought together a group of female skaters of all ages and backgrounds,” the band remark. “They created a wholesome community supporting each other on and off camera.” Watch the video for ‘Better, I Swear’ HERE & listen HERE.
Save It For Later is a record like a Polaroid picture. Belgian songwriter Catherine Smet captures the memories of her youth in lyrics that carry a perfume of Americana, country pop, and indie folk. The stories are set in her native Belgium, but close your eyes, and galloping horses on a ranch in Mississippi form the backdrop of BLUAI’s debut album.
Catherine Smet (vocals, guitar), Mo Govaerts (drums), and Caitlin Talbut (bass) joined forces with producer Willem Ardui (blackwave.) for Save It For Later. Mutual appreciation and love for Pinegrove and sad indie girls brought them on each other’s path. Their collaboration took an inspired turn when Ardui introduced them to Anneke D’Hollander’s American photo series. This visual influence shaped the cinematic character of their debut album, resulting in a unique blend of musical and visual storytelling.
BLUAI diversifies its sound by incorporating banjo and lap steel, with engineer Tobie Speleman being briefed to apply ‘Nashville tuning.’ This shift from indie rock to Americana broadens their musical horizons, transcending influences from Maggie Rogers to Alabama Shakes to The Japanese House.
Save It For Later serves as the soundtrack to a nostalgic autumnal youth film, it sounds as if Adrianne Lenker from Big Thief founded her own Boygenius under the direction of Lady Bird’s Greta Gerwig. With the maturing years behind them, BLUAI is cruising at full speed, driven by boundless ambition with no brakes in sight.