The four-piece have been circulating the scene since 2023, and since then they have opened for major Australian artists such as Spiderbait and MAY-A, whilst also enjoying a huge festival run starting with Party in the Paddock in Tasmania to Rolling Sets in Queensland in November.
Whilst having found their footing in Perth, frontwoman Skye Sam says it hasn’t been easy, with punk not being Perth’s most popular genre.
“Being a punk band in Perth is a beautiful but conflicting position to be in.
“Boorloo is dominated by indie and surf rock music, and being one of the few bands in the scene playing a different genre has been exciting, but also at times it’s a hard world to win over as our scene is so accustomed to and fond of a genre of music that is not ours.”
On the other hand, Sam says that punk music exists at extremes, and it is a matter of filling the gap.
She says the Australian music scene seems to thrive at two “opposite extremes” of the musical spectrum.
“On one hand, you have the indie surf rock world that dominates the national music scene to the point where it kind of takes away from other genres receiving the flowers they deserve, and on the other hand we have some of the biggest metal bands in the world.”
Sam says that while bands like Polaris, Northlane and Thornhill dominate the global metal market, they go somewhat unrecognised locally because there’s no one who really “bridges the gap between these extremes”.
“So, instead of a gap in the market for the genre specifically, it seems to be a gap in the music market as a whole.”
However, it is the female-led bands that are now blending that market, with this year Amyl and the Sniffers leading the way.
“The hardcore scene in general over time has become one of the most open minded and accepting scenes due to the increase in politically-minded women making music in a historically male dominated scene,” Sam says.
For Blush, the music comes from within, channelling personal experiences into electric guitar riff heavy crowd favourites.
“We are inspired by personal experience, topics we feel passionate about, but mostly we just want to create authentically, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
“I remember for a long time feeling too afraid to speak up for myself and my beliefs, but listening to artists like Mannequin Pussy and Lambrini Girls who are so powerful and direct in their music and their message, was the boost of confidence I needed in order to shake off the unnecessary shame that’s associated with that.”
After a blockbuster year in Perth, Blush are taking their anthems over East, with Sam saying there is more to come in the next few months, as the band is about to head over to the East Coast within the next month, as well as joining the lineup for Rolling Sets festival in NSW in November/December.
“This means a lot to us because, living so isolated in Perth, it is remarkably difficult to reach new people who might love your music on the other side of the country.
Sam says they are hoping to start playing across Australia more frequently – and eventually travel internationally.
“That’s always the dream, I think.”
Clare Perrott
Clare Perrott is a Journalism and Broadcasting student at ECU with a strong passion for arts, culture and education.
