Interview with Blanket Hill

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

I think the “Skateboard” era on MTV had a lot to do with that. Jackass and Viva La Bam and the Tony Hawk games all had great soundtracks and after that it went to Metallica and extreme metal quite quickly. I personally work as a teacher and we all have other jobs. Music doesn’t work full time yet unfortunately.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I like books and TV shows and movies. Obviously those are media that can have wideranging topics and that can certainly influence an idea for a song or for lyrics!

How long has your band been around?

We started in 2015 so it’s been 10 years now almost.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We’re from Luxembourg, which is an incredibly small and also incredibly rich country. However, there are a lot of shady and nefarious things going on and there’s also a lot of crime and poverty which never gets talked about because of the country’s reputation. That’s certainly something we try to talk about in our songs. In terms of scene, it has a very healthy scene but the infrastructure is lacking. There are no labels or big independent shows. So we try to build a positive community here while also playing as much as possible outside of the country.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Apparently it’s a place on the campus of Kent State University where students used to hold rallies against the war in Vietnam.The National Guard was also deployed to the campus and a few students sadly died. There’s a CSNY song called “Ohio” about the whole thing. We thought it’d be a nice way of commemorating those who lost their lives standing up for what’s right as it’s something that’s extremely important to us.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

We played Tokyo in 2023 and that show was insane. That whole Japan trip was something else.

Opening up for Terror was also a big one for me as they’re one of my favourite bands.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

MK Bar in Esch if we’re talking Luxembourg. It’s the home of the scene and it’s something like on our base.

Out of all the venues I’ve played, I’d also mention Antiknock in Tokyo, Venster99 in Vienna and Hale 3 in Varna, Bulgaria.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Nice one! Metallica, Merauder, Dying Fetus, Kickback, Terror and us.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Play as much as possible. Keep getting in touch with promoters and bands and just do your thing.

Don’t try to sound like something else but just rock with what you write organically. And get on as many shows as possible.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

I honestly don’t know if I’d change anything. We had some bad experiences but they made us learn important lessons. If I had to name one thing I’d probably say be wary of shady promoters.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Probably “The Dogs Of Venice” because it took me a lot to write and sing it but it’s a nice song written for my partner so that’s lovely.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Defcon One seems to be our hit but off the new album probably Eau Rouge, Halcyon Days and Partizan. Good lyrics, banging riffs and people love those too!

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

So I write most of the music and lyrics and then we try to refine whatever we have when recording. It’s pretty straightforward and quick.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

It’s important to us to talk about social issues. So a lot of our music talks about racism, fascism and social inequality. We want to contribute to make our planet a little nicer which is why we believe that taking a stand against such hateful positions is important and can inspire others to do the same, especially when looking at the rise of right-wing politics recently. We want to put a stop to that.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

We’re pretty grown up now so it’s all about talking things through and finding solutions. Every once in a while we have a fight though haha

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We just want to play as much to promote our recent album The Ash That Shall Remain. We believe the songs are very strong and we’ve got loads of cool shows in the pipeline so chances are we’ll be in your ends soon! Until then, spin it on your favourite streaming app!