29 Avr Interview – Blossoms : « It’s about welcoming everyone and having fun »

Meet Tom Ogden, frontman of Blossoms, as they take to the stage at Le Transbordeur.

French version available here.

SOB: The last time we met was just before the release of your latest album, Gary. Are you happy with how the new songs sound on stage?

Tom Ogden: Absolutely. I think Gary‘s new songs have kind of raised the quality of our set, especially because we recorded a lot of songs live when we were in the studio. That energy kind of transfers to the stage. And to be honest, they’re probably the most fun songs to play live right now. That’s why we play so many of them. Even for an opening act like tonight, we always play five or six of Gary‘s songs, which is a positive sign. So yes, 100%. I think this latest album makes us a better, more exciting band on stage.

SOB: In our previous interview, you mentioned that you wanted to come to France in 2025, but that there might be some difficulties, particularly with visas. Well, here you are! Are you confirming that it’s now more complicated for British artists to tour in Europe?

Tom Ogden: Dan, our tour manager, should be able to answer this question.

Dan Woolfie: The biggest difficulties concern the team around the group, because you can only work a certain number of days in 180 days. So if your team is working for another group, they might not be able to do it. So you have to find someone else. The costs are also higher. For example, you have to have personalised documents such as a special booklet for all the equipment, which we didn’t have to do before. So it’s not impossible, but I imagine it’s trickier for smaller groups. They’ll find it harder to keep track of all these extra things I suppose.

SOB: This links up with one of my questions: can you tell us how many people are with you on this tour?

Tom Ogden: On this tour, we’re in a smaller configuration than usual, which makes sense. I think there are nine of us, including the band. It’s true that when we play in the UK, for example, there are more like 16/17 of us. We’ve got a bigger stage set-up and more people to help out. For these few dates, we’re in a sort of scaled-down version and that’s great, it reminds you a bit of the early days!

SOB: You last played in Lyon in 2017. This time, it’s with Inhaler. How did this tour project come about? How long have you known each other?

Tom Ogden: So we’ve known Inhaler since 2018, they were opening for us in Dublin and Belfast when these guys were barely 18. So they were just teenagers. And yeah, we hit it off straight away. We became friends and got to see them when they were in Manchester, then they supported us at a few gigs in the UK. And over the years, if we ever played in Dublin, they’d come and see us. They played before us at Wythenshawe Park, and we supported them at big gigs in Dublin. We’ve kept in touch over the years and it’s a good friendship. I think the guys from Inhaler even listened to us when they were still in school. It’s a great friendship, really. We got on really well with them straight away. The team are really nice. So it’s really easy to tour together.

SOB: It’s a fairly extensive tour, with you playing in ten countries. Despite the exhausting pace, do you manage to visit a bit? 

Tom Ogden: Absolutely, yes. I think when we started, we were young, we’d go out all night, we’d drink a lot, and we didn’t get a chance to explore. We never really got the chance to explore that much, whereas now I think we’re enjoying it a bit more. We try to get out and see the cities we’re in. Today we went out for a walk in the park, we went into town, we had a coffee. Sometimes we’re together, sometimes we’re on our own. Myles [Kellock], for example, does a lot of running: he goes on for miles and miles. He goes out and sees the city that way. So yeah, we really try to get out and enjoy the city, but also soak up the culture.

SOB: Personally, I’ve never had the chance to see you live, but I’ve heard that you’re big fans of good guitars. What instruments have you decided to take with you on this tour?

Tom Ogden: For my part, I preferred to leave the guitars aside on this tour, which allowed me to step back and have a bit more fun, move around a bit more and wiggle. Also, we’ve reduced the number of guitars on this tour, so Charlie [Salt] is playing most of the time on a Fender guitar but also on a 12-string for certain songs. I think it’s a Rickenbacker. Again, it’s a smaller tour, there aren’t as many people with us, so we try to keep the guitar changes to a minimum, but these two solid guitars do the job for the whole set.

SOB: You’ve opened your own bar, called Bohemian Arts Club. You’ve even created a beer! Isn’t it too complicated to juggle several activities as you do, or on the contrary, is it a source of strength and stimulation for you?

Tom Ogden: I’d say it was a challenge, and I think I learned a lot doing it. And indeed, it stimulates me in a different way and I kind of learn about something I didn’t know much about before. But don’t get me wrong, there have been difficult times. And Kate, my wife, who we did it with, is just brilliant. She’s a real champion.

SOB: You’re a very committed band, as demonstrated by your help in saving the Leadmill in Sheffield. But you’re also a well-liked band that hasn’t gone over the top, as demonstrated by your participation in an end-of-year party for a small school in Stockport! Isn’t that what Blossoms is all about?

Tom Ogden: I’d say so. I think that’s what we’re all about. We like to get involved in a different way, as we did with Rick Astley. In fact, we have a bit of fun because that’s what it’s all about and it’s superb. So I think that’s what Blossoms is about. It’s about welcoming everyone and having fun. To be honest, the children’s attention spans were much shorter. You know, you can be playing the songs and you can see them getting bored and ready to go. They’re distracted by things, but it’s quite fun. It’s fun to be in that situation, but I think they enjoyed it.

And if you want to read our report on Blossoms at Le Transbordeur, click here!