Theo Bleak: “When I’m writing music, I feel like I’m in a different world”
Katie Lynch chats to us about her creative process and gorgeous new EP as she reflects on her most candid and accomplished musical project to date.
Photo: Nathan Dunphy
Teenage years are not to be scoffed at – if you’re not combatting low self-esteem, you’re dealing with messy first loves. And, whatever experiences you have during this time, linger for much longer than you’d ever want them to. Some may laugh it off as ‘character development’, but teenage-dom leaves a trail of broken pieces behind you. A trail that some of us never quite manage to pick up, to put ourselves fully back together again.
Yet, with music as her shield and words as her sword, Katie Lynch was able to clear the damage of her teenage years and reinvent herself as Theo Bleak, who helped her to make sense of her world as it is now and look at her life with more forgiving eyes.
Through a sound brimming with 90s nostalgia and some incredibly tender vocals, Theo’s music is refreshingly candid, if not at times brutally honest. She pours her heart and soul into the songs she creates, even if she admits it sometimes makes her “incredibly unwell”.
With her new EP Pain due to be released on Halloween, we caught up with Theo to find out more about her creative process, as well as her upcoming release.
You’ve got a new EP coming out today, what’s the overall story you’re trying to tell with it?
It’s another critical look at my life. I wanted to just look at my relationships and love because I’ve never overly written about those things before. I think even though I’ve been a victim of some horrible things, it’s kind of how I’ve behaved in the aftermath, or that I’ve hurt people because I was hurt. So, I just kind of had a long hard look at myself. It’s probably overly critical but I am just like that as a person. I just think I can always be better.
It has a bit of a heavier, more 90s inspired sound than your previous releases as well, what are some of the musical influences behind it? And why did that sound feel right for this release?
It’s funny because I think the sound overall just kind of ended up being that way and it is probably slightly different to before. I think I really diversified what I was listening to because I’ve been listening to a lot of The Sundays, Cocteau Twins, Jeff Buckley – like my usual sort of thing – but there were other elements that just kind of snuck in, like I was listening to new metal and Britpop – elements that I can now see in hindsight. But it’s definitely a bit more maximalist in sound. But I like that, it’s hard to completely pinpoint the genre.
What I love in particular about the way you create is that you don’t just take influences from music, you look at literature and other forms of art to take inspiration from, which I feel creates a kind of atmosphere around your craft. How would you describe that atmosphere?
I’m glad that comes across. I definitely want a gloomy, almost nostalgic atmosphere around it. I think around this it’s been a lot more Jane Austen, tragic female. I’m kind of looking at that ironically more but I just love the world of films and books and how they just completely take you away from reality. And that’s what I really hoped for my project as well, that there was a really big aura hanging over.
Are there any films or books that were particularly influential?
I’m not like a huge film buff but I just love movies that are nostalgic and popular for a reason. So, like at the moment I’m just loving Harry Potter cause that is such a world building movie. Like Twilight, Pride and Prejudice, Romeo + Juliet – all these things are probably basic but it just feels like so much to me. I try to be quite unpretentious in that way, and it makes me feel safe and happy. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with liking those things because the world is obviously horrible.
So, do you think there’s an element of escapism to your music then?
Yeah, when I’m writing music and making the sounds, I kind of feel like I’m in a different world. It’s like nothing’s wrong, like we’re really cool, there’s not any of the horrible pressure about feeling like a failure. But I think that’s very much in the process of making music, you just feel elated that that comes from you. It’s usually when other people end up hearing it that you think ‘oh maybe it’s not as good as I thought.’ Other people’s eyes create more critical thoughts. But yeah the actual process of making music just feels like home to me.
Do you find that inspiration strikes you at any moment or do you have to sit down and say I’m going to write something now? How does that tend to work for you?
I really don’t force it overly because I trust my subconscious is always at work and picking up things. I’ve got good examples of that, like I read a line recently and I was like ‘oh my god I would love to work around that sentiment’. So it generally is I get hit by something. But there’s one situation I was in that I’m still never satisfied with the songs I’ve written about it, like my brain is still at work processing it and one day I’ll be able to word it correctly. But I still haven’t got to that. So it must just be dependent on the situation I guess. I mean last year I barely wrote anything at all, but this year I’ve done three EPs. So it’s strange. But I think you have to live as well to have things to talk about.
It doesn’t bother you then if you ever have creative block?
I don’t even ever consider creative block. I’m like if I’ve not got anything to say then there’s no point in me putting art out into the world because it’s going to be completely baseless. I think I’m pretty happy to just trust that I have a creative soul and I’m sure it will have something to say at some point. But I have been lucky this year, I’ve just been laser focused.
With the themes you deal with as well – depression, low self-esteem, relationships — does there ever become a point where you have to draw the line and say I can’t follow that creative avenue right now?
Yeah, I’m not willing to do whatever it takes because I don’t think you should have to fight unreasonable battles to have your music heard. I think the music industry is really flawed and really difficult. It’s so based in this social currency and I just don’t see people’s worth as being equal to “success”, in however that may be deemed. It’s just such an unfair landscape for people to begin with anyway. And I’m kind of like I will work really hard and I will be really true but I am not willing to beg. Like if they resonate with it — and I do hope they will — I feel very lucky with that. I will work as hard as I can and I will do things that I never thought I’d really do, I’m just not willing to treat others poorly because I think I deserve a space.
You said you hope people resonate with your songs, but what do you hope to achieve with your music?
I feel very lucky that I’ve got a way to translate my life experiences into music, and I realise that not everyone has that so I’m trying to be better at speaking about things that are a little more niche, human experiences that are a little more strange. And I just would love to be somewhat comforting to women as not a total typical artist. I’m pretty honest with that. I’m definitely not perfect. I just want to be there for people when they are low. Like my music is a world and it’s not about escaping to someone that’s a celebrity where they’re beautiful, everything’s perfect. It’s more relatable. That would be my goal I think, making someone feel less alone because I’ve spent so much of my life feeling so lonely.
Theo Bleak’s Pain EP is out October 31st.