Blended Generations have just released their first studio EP, Hope Sweet. Two years in the making, these six tracks of smooth soul vibe slip delightfully into the music scene. Tomatrax caught up with Roger and Ola to talk about their project.
How did Blended Generations form?Roger: Having written a number of lyrics, effectively in a vacuum, I decided to see if there was someone who would work with me to wrap some music around them. I approached Josh Cohen who runs a music school in my area and he arranged that I meet, and trial a collaboration with the multi-talented Ola Milena. Once we had worked on our first song together (Searching for Perfection - now one of the tracks on our Hope Sweet EP) we decided to continue and adopted the theme of 'hope' for later collaborations.
What inspired you to name the group Blended Generations?When we agreed we were working towards a set of songs, we needed a name. The most obvious choice was something that reflected the significant difference in our ages. So after throwing around a number of other possibilities we settled on Blended Generations, which also has a poetic feel to it.
You've just released your debut EP, how does it feel to have it out?As the culmination of work spanning two years it's a sense of achievement and fulfilment. We are keen to share the results of our work with others in the hope that they will find something joyful and optimistic in it for themselves.
Where did the title Hope Sweet come from?Once we had decided on the theme of 'hope', that word was always going to appear in the title. For a while it was going to be 'The Hope Suite'. We agreed that was too pretentious and settled on the homophone.
Roger, The songs all began as optimistic lyrics, what inspired these lyrics?Now that I have entered a 'more mature' stage of being (ie. I'm older), I've become reflective about events along the way and how they should be viewed in the context of 'life'. I've concluded that life events don't need to be categorised as 'good' or 'bad'. If each experience can be used as a learning, the better your life will be integrated into society and humanity generally. I find that viewing experiences through that prism creates a more optimistic outlook. That philosophy is reflected in the lyrics - and the music that Ola has written for them.
Do you normally write songs with words first?Ola: Because Roger arrived at the collaboration with some lyrics, that was the approach we adopted initially. Ola composed music around the lyrics, then we refined words and music until we found what we felt was the best result. In her other projects Ola writes both words and music, so this was a different approach for her, but became our standard method.
What was the inspiration behind the EPs front cover?The cover reflects, visually, the name of our collaboration. It features both of our hands acting as a base for the creation and growth of a cloud of blended colour. Here the inspiration came from the symbolic role of smoke in many religions and indigenous cultures, where it is used to cleanse the body and spirit. In the case of our cover, the smoke is a symbol of the hope for a new beginning.
Do you ever listen to your own music?Ola: Yes. I think listening to my own music is a very important process of my creation. I record many of my performances and study them too.
Roger: I certainly do. I still find it hard to believe that my jottings have become the basis for such beautiful tunes. The downside of listening is that I mentally substitute other words and phrases which I think would have been better.
What other music do you listen to?Roger: I have fairly eclectic tastes. As a teenager when rock 'n' roll began; that was an early favourite. But recognising that rock was derived from blues and soul, I often listen to that. Country, and particularly the country-rock of the '60s and '70s (The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Mary Chapin Carpenter), is a fairly constant companion. I have always liked (Broadway) show songs for their pizzaz. And songs by artists like Adele and Lady Gaga are great too. Just for good measure I sing in a men's choir covering anything from Bach to the Beatles.
Ola: My taste in music is also very eclectic, with Bjork being one of my main inspirations. This year I spent a lot of time with Hindustani Classical music and travelled to India in pursuit of the intricate rhythms. I also love Hip Hop and Soul music and often dive into the Eastern flavours of the traditional Balkan, European and Arabic creators, as well as traditional and contemporary African musicians.
Now that the EP out what do you plan on doing next?As Blended Generations we have a follow-up set of songs with a theme of truth mapped out. We have yet to plan how this will proceed amongst other individual commitments.
Check out Blended Generations' Facebook page to find out more!
