Bloom is now more than frontwoman Madelief Harten, but that is how the band started. “I was already making songs and I really wanted to give them some more power and for that I just needed a band,” says Harten.
When the singer’s songs left the safe walls of the bedroom and saw the light of day on stage, it quickly became apparent that there needed to be more volume on stage. Evert Hoven from the talent development program Drentsch Peil XL, among others, encouraged her to look for a band.
“So we have been a band for a year and a half,” says guitarist Michiel Dijk. After a search, he now forms the band around Harten together with bassist Annika Brug and drummer Stijn Woltmeijer. The dynamics of the music change, just like the writing process.
“You have to make completely different arrangements and I also think that over the past six months we have really been working on making songs mainly together and that is getting better and better,” Harten explains. “Then everyone has their own part in it.”
Bloom won Popspot and moved on to the national route. The band has now also been selected for Drentsch Peil XL, in which Harten previously participated solo. Last month the showcases were played at various places in Drenthe. “We had a lot of coaching, wrote well and made a lot of things,” says Harten.
Bloom recently traveled to Maastricht for another musical project. One of the assignments was to write a song to accompany a work of art in the Bonnefanten Museum. “Only the works of art were gone,” smiles Harten. “So we were put down by the receptionist on a bench, in front of a bookcase.” The result of the writing session can be heard below.
After New Year’s Eve Bookcase will be released as the next single, according to the frontwoman. “We are going to go into the studio to release again and then perform a lot again next year.”