Casa Captivating
Exclusive Interviews
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens kicked off a new virtual mini concert series last week creating a new way for artists and the community to connect while live events are yet not possible. Next week’s concert will feature BLCKNOISE, a Long Beach pop duo, who will be back performing at Casa Romantica by popular demand for their third time. Their concert will feature exclusive new songs off their upcoming EP, making this concert the first time those pieces are heard by the public. We always love working with BLCKNOISE and virtually sat down with Donovan ahead of the performance to talk about their influences, process, and advice for young artists.
Who are Donovan and Victor as artists vs as people?
We are people who create. We can’t separate our identities from the music we make because the entire point of sharing our art is to find ways to connect with our audience. Our songs have to be honest for people to fully connect with them. We share our stories in hopes that people can understand us better and we can spread the ideas that are worth spreading.
BLCKNOISE seems to have so many genres which do you both identify most with?
We’ve actually shifted gears recently and consider ourselves more Pop than indie soul. We touch so many genres it’s impossible to pick a lane so we’re just pop.
What are some highlights of your careers so far?
There are many but some of our favorites were playing an acoustic set of Pink Floyd songs for a thousand people, performing on the main stage at our first festival Music Tastes Good, and winning Buskerfest.
Who are some of your creative influences?
Stevie Wonder, Prince, John Mayer, Radiohead, Raphael Saadiq, Pharrell.
How does a track go from just an idea to a finished product, what is your process?
The process changes all the time, some days we make a beat from scratch and write to it, sometimes we listen to music or watch visuals to get inspired and sometimes the songs start with guitar or piano.
What advice do you have for young artists struggling to find their creative voice?
My advice is to trust the process. I tend to get caught up in my own insecurities and it has prevented us from living authentically. If you’re an artist you create your art as an extension of yourself or a manifestation of your creativity. In order to make good art, it has to be honest and sometimes being honest is hard. You don’t have to be perfect, you are going to suck at music for a long time before you start to get really good.
Sit with that discomfort, learn what it’s telling you and trust the process.
What excites you most about your virtual performance at Casa Romantica?
GETTING OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!!
Watch BLCKNOISE’s mini virtual concert now on YouTube:
