INTERVIEW: rlyblonde Discusses The Latest Single “Dumb Blonde”!

rlyblonde – the project of Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Carina Allen – returns with her new single, “Dumb Blonde.”

This latest release follows rlyblonde’s inner monologue as she fights against the little voice in her head that tells her everything is just a moment away from falling apart. It centres around staying in the good vibe moments & enjoying the good times no matter how brief they might be.

After years of being the go-to photographer, videographer and creative director for New York’s favorite indie acts, rlyblonde reintroduced herself in 2023 as a DIY rock darling with the release of her debut EP, ‘Fantasy.’ She released 5 self-directed & produced music videos alongside the EP, performed at iconic venues across New York City, and captured the attention of key tastemakers like The Luna Collective and Unpublished Magazine.

rlyblonde has kindly taken the time to chat with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the release of “Dumb Blonde” & you can check out the full interview below.

Hey rlyblonde, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by introducing yourself to readers who might be unfamiliar with your music?

Hello! I’m Carina and I make art under the name rlyblonde. I’m a photographer and director turned musician. I’ve been living and working in New York City as a creative and visual artist for 6 years now. My music is for eldest sisters, confused bisexuals, hot girls with relationship trauma, and for anyone driving in the car with the windows down.

When did you first discover your passion for music?

I’ve always loved music and singing, even when I was a kid. I think it’s always been in me but I suppressed it for a while as an adult, probably due to a variety of subconscious reasons. During the pandemic, I finally decided I needed a musical outlet, so I retaught myself guitar and started writing songs. Unfortunately, it has been a runaway train ever since because I have no self-control or ability to enjoy a creative hobby as just a hobby!!

How would you currently describe your music style & feel that it has evolved over the years?

Another magazine just pegged my sound as “pop-punk meets country” and “Elle Woods-worthy,” which I feel like actually sums it up pretty well! It’s definitely evolved from strong pop/pop-punk influence to more of an indie-rock sound. But I’ve always thought of my work and eventual work in chapters. The “Fantasy” Era being my bratty, pop-punk moment, and now “Dumb Blonde” introducing more of an indie rock chapter…. and maybe aspirationally after that will be my “Country Era.”

You just released your new single “Dumb Blonde”, which sounds amazing by the way. How did the idea for this song come together?

Thank you! The song is really about feeling like everything is going right in my life for once, but just having this gut feeling that the floor is about to fall out from underneath me. I sat down and wrote it one night, and only made a few changes the day after. I didn’t sit down thinking, oh let me write a song about my anxiety, but that’s essentially what it ended up being.

Did you always plan to release “Dumb Blonde” as a single?

This song was the first song I made with my new producer, Robbie Guariglia, so we were sort of trying it as a demo to see if we liked working together. We absolutely vibed though and we were both super happy with how the song turned out. I knew I was planning a larger EP generally and this just felt like the appropriate song to be the first single.

What does this song personally mean to you?

This song came about after a period of a lot of transition in my life, so even though all these positive things were happening, I felt sort of like I wasn’t responsible for them, or wasn’t sure what to do with them. There’s kind of an innocence to being like “I don’t know how to do this, so it’s not my fault” but at the end of the day, recognizing our own agency is a very powerful thing. I was like, oh right, I worked hard for these things. And now I’m going to have to figure out how to maintain the good things that I have. I didn’t just “fall into” my own life; I’ve been leading a very different, intentional life based off the things that I wanted.

What message would you like listeners to take from “Dumb Blonde”?

It’s a reminder to stay present and enjoy the journey! It’s kind of a both-and. There’s room for having fears, having anxieties, and enjoying this moment of life despite that.

Do you have any upcoming music projects that you can currently tell us about?

“Dumb Blonde” is part of a larger project called ‘Star of the Show’ which I’m very excited to share with the world. She’s a little louder, a little more rock-and-roll. She’s complex… and she’s doing her best.

What advice would you offer to someone who is looking to pursue a career within the music industry?

Find ways to sustain yourself! Career-wise and elsewhere. Build a solid network of people around you that believe in what you do. Find ways to do a lot of things yourself. Only make art you’d feel good about even if no one else ever saw it.

Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?

Hot Girls Always Win!

You can check out “Dumb Blonde” on Spotify below or on more platforms here.