MARISA BLOOM – ARTIST SPOTLIGHT AND INTERVIEW

By Ralph Beauchamp

Marisa Bloom is the dynamic front woman of the New Haven punk band, Trashing Violet. In addition, she has recently dropped several solo singles. Marisa speaks with AMP about all things music and her frenzied life.

Marisa is truly a renaissance woman. Not only is she a musician but also a journalist (Marisa occasionally write for AMP), reviewer and a mom. Her Rockmommy blog features musicians who continue to play on even though they have children and other responsibilities. She plays guitar and sings in her incredible band, Trashing Violet. She juggles all that with her family duties including catching her son’s’ sporting events. Even though her life seems like a whirlwind, I have never seen Marisa lose her cool. She is always out there promoting her band and supporting the local music scene with all she has. She is definitely an inspiration to many.

Marisa was kind enough to sit with AMP for this in-depth interview.

AMP: What got you into being a musician?

MARISA: My first love is writing. I wrote my first novel at age 8, and my first two songs at age 10 to little melodies in my head. In high school, I studied poetry and served as the editor of our literary magazine. Initially, I only picked up a guitar — my very first instrument, ever — so I could put my poetry to music. But by the time I finished college, I had fallen in love with the instrument. It was my battle weapon and constant companion while I fronted my first two bands: an all-girl punk trio called Girls Without Skin (with my friend Debbie Carry), and a parody rock band called Grandma’s Mini (with my friend Ann Brandstadter). We still play shows together when I visit Maryland!

AMP: You write your own blog (Rockmommy), front a band (Trashing Violet) and raise a family. How do you handle all of this responsibility?

MARISA: I’m fairly good at time management. I carve out 3-5 hours per week for writing my blog, and 3-5 hours per week for playing music. I’m pretty healthy, too, which helps — I prioritize sleep, exercise, and work-life balance. I’d love to devote more time to my art and my blog, but working as a full-time freelance writer and raising kids keeps me pretty busy these days.

AMP: You’ve released several singles as a solo artist. What determines if your song is band or solo worthy?

MARISA: This is such a hard question to answer, and it mostly comes down to a gut feeling. For example: The moment I started playing the opening guitar riff for my band Trashing Violet’s 2022 single “Grip,” I knew it belonged to the band. Jamming together, we brought that song into another realm — and now it’s a crowd favorite. Doug (Bass/Vocals), Nick (Drums/Vocals) and I have been playing music together for more than five years. Sometimes I’ll come up with a riff, or a verse, and workshop it with the group. Other times, one of the guys will come up with an idea, like a bass line, and I’ll work on lyrics. We have a new guitar player, Niles, who is also as excited as we are to write new music.

AMP: Who were some of your early influences?

MARISA: Courtney Love is probably my biggest influence overall. She is so raw and authentic. I’ll never forget my first Hole concert in Fall 1994 at a space called WUST that is now the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. I had just started learning guitar and felt so inspired by her. I’m also inspired by so many Maryland artists, having spent my childhood and most of my 20s in the Washington, D.C., area — in particular, Clutch and indie singer-songwriter Mary Prankster. She is the most brilliant, hilarious lyricist, and one of the greatest performers. I’ve probably listened to her record “Blue Skies Over Dundalk” at least 500 times.

Rewind even further back to my youth, and I can think of a handful of pop stars who shaped me — Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, and George Michael come to mind. Yet everything shifted the moment I first heard the Violent Femmes at age 15. Once I discovered their self-titled album, I began craving songs that were dirtier and more confessional. Nevertheless, it was a true full-circle moment when my band opened for Tiffany at the Wall Street Theater (now the District Music Hall in Norwalk) in 2023. She is endlessly talented and the coolest person in real life. I couldn’t believe we were talking about nursing and raising kids together!

AMP: What is your creative process like?

MARISA: I try to sit with my acoustic guitar and a notepad at least twice a week in the morning, just playing chords and letting my thoughts flow. Yet my best material comes at inopportune moments, too, like when I’m jogging or driving (and will have to stop to record a voice memo). I send little videos to my band of verses and choruses. I’ll play songs over and over again until I get the lyrics just right. Sometimes I have to shelve a song and come back to it a month or two later.

AMP: As a member of the growing New Haven music community, do you feel the Ct music scene is on an upswing?

MARISA: Yes! It’s been on the up since 2021 when the world opened back up. There aren’t enough venues and porchfests to house all of the talent.

AMP: You have been involved in many women related shows and events. Is the music industry being fairer towards today’s female artists?

MARISA: Yes and no. Pop music is a resounding yes — and so is country music — but the rock world is heavily dominated by one gender. I recently wrote a piece for New Haven Independent that examined the reasons why there are more dads who play in rock bands than moms in bands. This is the result of multiple issues — from systemic sexism to the lack of encouragement of young women to pick up instruments. Many moms aren’t encouraged to use their precious little free time to do something like join a band instead of, say, volunteering for their kid’s PTA.

Also, there’s the issue of age, or ageism. While age seems to have little impact on a male lead vocalist’s marketability, many female musicians over 35 (especially lead vocalists) have lamented that it’s harder to compete for opening or headlining spots they used to score easily in their 20s. That can be frustrating, so I just try to control what I can: I practice constantly and work hard to ensure every performance is high-energy and super engaging.

AMP: What drives you?

MARISA: A passion to be the absolute best.

AMP: As a self proclaimed “gear junkie”, what is your go to stage setup?

MARISA: I love my gear so much! My vocal mic of choice these days is a Sennheiser e935, and my main guitar is my Gibson SG Standard, though I sometimes sub in my Fender Strat. I love my super-easy-to-use digital amp — it’s a Fender Mustang II. I typically just use my MXR Super Badass distortion pedal and a Boss tuning pedal — unlike my bandmates, who use 8.5 million pedals on each of their pedal boards.

My bandmate Niles recently loaned me one of his spare reverb pedals, which may make an appearance at a future show. For my solo gigs, I rotate between a treasured, 20-year-old Yamaha acoustic guitar, and my new Gibson ES-335, a semi-hollow body that I’ve only played once in public since it’s so precious and new.

AMP: What’s next for Marisa and Trashing Violet?

MARISA: After a brief hiatus in early summer, Trashing Violet is busier than ever. We’re playing some killer local shows this fall in Connecticut — Three Sheets on 10/25 with Hell Fairy, Corpse Flower, and Turkey Vulture; and Stella Blues with The Sparkle and Fade on 11/22. We hope to hit NYC again in early 2025, too! Meanwhile, I’ve been recording additional songs for my forthcoming solo album that I hope to release in 2025. I’m dropping a Halloween single early next month (it’s a fun, ghoulish psychobilly tune and you’ll love it), and maybe one more before November.

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