Blush have always walked the line between sweet and chaotic, blending sugary melodies with walls of noise. Their second album Beauty Fades, Pain Lasts Forever, out now via Kanine Records, deepens that contrast, pushing their sound into darker, rawer territory. The record follows their 2023 debut Supercrush and introduces a rejuvenated lineup, with Soffi Peters (vocals), Daniel Pei (bass), Jared Lim (Sobs), and Darell Laser (Forests) taking the reins.
This new era captures Blush at their boldest, exploring heartbreak and obsession through catchy pop hooks and fierce, distorted noise. With tracks like ‘X My Heart’, 'Ultrablue!' and ‘Swallowing 999999 Needles’, BFPLF pulls listeners between dreamy pop and heavier sonic moments. In this interview, the band opens up about the their latest record, their creative collaboration, and the joy of bringing their new sound to fans across the US.
Congrats on signing with Kanine Records! How did this come about?
Soffi: Thank you! We were going to play New Colossus last year but our travelling dates did not align. Reaching out to them felt natural since they’re already familiar with supporting similar artists and it's been easy chatting with them.
The title Beauty Fades, Pain Lasts Forever is extremely evocative. What was the moment or feeling that inspired it?
Soffi: I had the phrase saved in my notes app from long ago and felt like it was fitting for the lyrics on the album; themes similar to some of my favourite movies like Belle De Jour (1967), Antiporno (2016), Helter Skelter (2012). Less brooding, more tongue in cheek.
‘X My Heart’ feels like a sunny pop track until you catch the lyrics — was the contrast between sound and meaning intentional?
Soffi: It wasn’t really intentional, it just spat out that way! It was quite visual to me when I first heard Jared’s demo so everything fell into place really quickly.
The music video for ‘X My Heart’ takes sharp turns from dreamy to disturbing. What were you aiming to explore with that visual journey?
Soffi: Yes, I’d shared the story with Koon How and he helped move things around to bring it to life. During one of our discussions we talked about Mediacorp dramas from the past and how absurd and exaggerated they get, so this eventually influenced his direction too!
The director Goh Koon How has been involved in major features like Tiong Bahru Social Club and #LookAtMe. What was it like working with him?
Daniel: For me, it was one of the most fun MV shooting experiences. We operated with a skeleton crew of like five people, and we shot most of the scenes in my house and in the surrounding Hougang neighbourhood. Koon How basically took on so many hats during the production, from storyboarding, to filming, directing and editing the MV. He had a pretty clear idea about the shots that were needed and that made the whole filming process quite straightforward. Overall, it felt like we were just hanging out over the weekend while making something fun together.
You guys also have a lovely music video for 'Ultrablue!' shot in Tokyo by director Michi Nakano. Could you tell us more about that?
Soffi: It was really fun making this music video in winter with Michi and (camera assistant) Shige. What drew me to Michi’s work in the first place was his photography - it catches you mid-sentence or mid-thought, like you’ve stumbled into a memory. Likewise for 'Ultrablue!' - his direction really helped bring out the softness of the song, keeping us warm in winter.
From dreamy layers to gritty noise and screams — this album feels like your boldest yet. What pushed you to go heavier on tracks like ‘Swallowing 999999 Needles’?
Darell: I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have one track in the album that’s a bit different from the usual Blush sounds. When writing this song, I had a vision of a slow, heavy and kinda haunting song with a female ghost softly singing over it, and also with some screaming too. I just wanted to try to go in a direction that’s darker and heavier without losing the softness of Blush - but not too much so it doesn’t go out of hand. (Laughs) I’m glad that Soffi and I are on the same page when it comes to song direction and trying something different.
Newer additions Jared and Darell both come from distinct sonic worlds. How did their backgrounds influence the album’s sound?
Soffi: I think Jared and Darell have a penchant for melodies despite playing quite different things in their other bands. There’s trust too! We’re individually particular about things yet somehow it all worked out so smoothly. I feel lucky to be able to write with them.
Darell: Other than Blush I play in an emo math-pop band and also mess around with some dreamy bedroom pop stuff on my own, so with Jared’s power-pop roots and Soffi’s love for all things soft and sweet, it kinda makes sense that the band’s new record naturally sounds like a mix of all our personal projects combined.
What’s one lyric or song on the new album that you feel captures Blush’s identity best right now — and why?
Soffi: “Don’t care to please, I’ll love whatever bleeds”.
Darell: I think it's gotta be ‘Lover’s Speed’ just because I think it’s a fun, dreamy, boy-girl vocal rock track. It’s also the first ever song I wrote for Blush and having both Soffi’s and my vocals on it for the first time makes it feel like the new era of Blush — at least for me.
The band has another U.S. tour incoming. How have American audiences taken to you? Any memorable stories about meeting new fans?
Daniel: I think in general American showgoers are much more vocal and outgoing compared to Asian audiences. If they like your set they’ll make it a point to tell you in person, so that’s always nice. Sometimes people tell us that they’ve never listened to us before the show, but they ended up really liking our music, and that’s also really nice to hear.
Soffi: On our last tour we supported Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs so it was safe to assume not many would have heard of us, but people approached us after the shows to say they’ve been fans and were so happy to know we were finally coming. It was really sweet!
Darell: The American audiences are very appreciative of us coming all the way from Singapore to perform in their city even though most of them have never heard of us. It’s a nice feeling getting to talk to them, hear they enjoyed our set, and see them grab some merch. Honestly, just being able to experience all that is such a privilege and it’s one of those things money can’t buy.
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You’re touring with sunshy and Precocious Neophyte this time. What excites you about sharing the stage with them?
Daniel: I first got introduced to sunshy’s music from a friend late last year so I’m really looking forward to hearing them play some of the songs from their latest album live.
Darell: Excited to see and hear both them play the same set everyday! (Laughs) And also see how they operate as a band. Hell yeah!
