Pop-punk duo Bleached bring a garage twist to the indie pop scene with the launch of their third album.

Since 2011, dynamic pop-punk duo Bleached have brought a garage so-cal twist to the indie pop scene. The band, formed of sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin, just announced their third LP out July 12th, which marks an exciting expansion of their sound. The album, titled “Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?”, was inspired by Jennifer’s question to herself as she faced a turning point in her alcoholism. Addiction and hard truths are central themes in the album but the duo pair laid-back, cowbell-accentuated tunes with honest and courageous lyrics to tackle serious subject matter in a way that is both musically ambitious and uplifting.

The album was produced by Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend) and recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville last year. The sound of the previous album, “Welcome the Worms” was heavily influenced by writing sessions for the EP in the deserts of Joshua Tree, and similarly, you can hear the laid-back country twang of their Nashville sessions mixed in with the Clavin’s signature sound. The fresh, explosive sound of the album also reflects a shift in the creative process of the Clavin sisters. It was the first time they wrote an album with a regimented schedule and were encouraged by Stoneback to experiment with new techniques, often working separately while recording. This playful approach combined with Jennifer’s sobriety marks “Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?” as the first record the Clavins wrote from a place of true happiness and this is palpable in every track.

 

The tracks buzz with cinematic audio and while the visuals from the album’s music videos are reminiscent of the 80s. The sisters’ messages of self-love and acceptance look towards a rebellious new future of female expression.  The drive of Bleached to create authentic, unapologetic music is visceral and the key to their rising success as a singular voice in the alt-pop scene.

As this week’s Internet Crush, 2e sit down with the sister act to talk inspirations for the album, working with family and going on tour.

If you had to describe your third album in one sentence?
A tale of no regret.
As sisters, what do you find are the biggest benefits/challenges of working together musically?
The benefit being since we are family we are very close which makes it easy to get stuff done. The challenge being because we’re so close, it takes time to let people in.
What inspired the name, “Bleached’?
We were trying to think of a name that sounded classic and punk. Then we thought about how we were always bleaching our hair and our clothes so the name Bleach came to mind. But Bleach was too much of a Nirvana reference, so we decided on Bleached!
You spent some of your time co-writing this album in Nashville, how did this influence the style of the new album?
We went to Nashville to work with a live band on songs we had already written and ended up Cowriting awkward phase while out there. Collaborating with other people really influences a new style that we probably wouldn’t have done with just the two of us. I became more open to that on this album. Being able to open up to other writers you’ve never met before can be pretty scary. It takes confidence in your playing and an open mind.
You have a very strong visual aesthetic in your work, even the music itself has a cinematic quality, where do you draw your visual references from?
We are very inspired by images of the past, whether it be a movie, album art, an ad. We love the look of nostalgia and the feeling it creates. Maybe since we grew up in LA, we’re just constantly surrounded but the motion picture industry and that’s rubbed off on our music. But having a whole package, look, sound, feel was very important to us when starting Bleached.
Did you always want to be musicians growing up?
We did yes! Musicians were always admired in our family and it was so supported by our parents to be one, it was an easy escape. Our dad made guitars, playing them every night while our mom, who had a voice very similar to Linda Ronstadt, was always singing. Picking up an instrument and creating something brings so much joy and release.
Where do you see ‘Bleached’ in a year?
Tbh I’m trying to just live in the now and not have too many expectations. I just enjoy playing music so as long as Bleached is still playing shows and writing new music, then I’ll be happy.
Where on your tour are you most excited to visit/perform?
London! We haven’t been in forever and the shows always get so crazy when we go over there.
What are the central themes of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?
Looking back at your past and realizing every choice you made whether it was positive or negative is all part of your personal journey in the end. Also taking a second to contemplate how you’ve been living your days, are you happy or do you need to reassess?
Who really excites you in the industry right now?
Sheer Mag and John Maus!

Watch the video for "Kiss You Goodbye" by Bleached