Q&A: Diva Bleach Teases Debut Album with Addictive New Single “I Like U”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
CAPTURING THE THRILL AND CHAOS OF TOXIC LOVE – Pop-rock duo Diva Bleach are stepping into a bold new chapter with their latest single, “I Like U,” a vibrant, emotionally charged anthem that sets the stage for their highly anticipated debut album, Can You Keep A Secret?, dropping in January 2025. Known for their infectious energy and relatable storytelling, Diva Bleach captures the essence of emotional turbulence in relationships with raw honesty and undeniable charm.
“I Like U” delves into the seductive chaos of a love that thrives on unpredictability. With a driving beat and their signature blend of pop hooks and rock grit, the track paints a vivid portrait of the addictive pull of a toxic relationship. It’s a love song for the conflicted, where joy and mayhem coexist, creating a rollercoaster of emotions that’s all too familiar for many. The song’s upbeat production contrasts beautifully with its introspective lyrics, making it the perfect soundtrack for midnight drives and unguarded late-night conversations.
For Diva Bleach, this release is an invitation into their evolving world. “This song is about embracing the duality of love and heartbreak, how the thrill of the highs can sometimes outweigh the pain of the lows,” the duo shares. This juxtaposition of light and dark defines not only “I Like U” but also the broader themes of Can You Keep A Secret?, which promises a collection of tracks that are as deeply personal as they are universally relatable.
As Diva Bleach gears up for their album release, “I Like U” offers a tantalizing glimpse into the radiant energy and authenticity that define their music. With its anthemic chorus and emotionally charged narrative, the single solidifies Diva Bleach as a band unafraid to dive into the messiness of human connection. Whether you’ve been there, are there, or are just glad to have left it behind, this track is bound to resonate – and get stuck in your head.
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires your artistic style and sound?
SYDNEY: For me, personally, I'm inspired by a lot of early 2000s emo and things like that. I also love Hey Monday and girl bands from that era.
BRIE: It's very much the same thing for me. I definitely listen to a little bit more older punk too, but emo is where my heart lives, so definitely a lot of that. Also emo that's danceable, that's a huge thing for us.
LUNA: What kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
SYDNEY: I feel like when we're writing lyrics, it's like a conversation, or it feels like a conversation or a diary entry, just something very personal and relatable.
LUNA: You have released your new single “I Like U” and it feels deeply introspective and raw. What is the inspiration behind the song?
SYDNEY: I would say it's about wanting this connection with someone that's forbidden, and knowing that it's bad for you, but daydreaming or indulging in it anyway.
LUNA: Can you walk us through the creative process for “I Like U?” How did the song evolve from the initial idea to the final version?
BRIE: This one was cool because we actually went into this writing session with John O’Callaghan, who's the singer of The Maine. He had this idea for a line and then we started expanding off of it. It was very conversational. We were just talking about I like things that are bad for me. And then we're like, what are things that, like, you shouldn't do that, and that’s how we got our opening line that's like, ‘I like looking at car crashes,’ where you know that's not the best thing to do, but you can't help it.
SYDNEY: It started with that first line. He had the idea of “I Like U,” and we just built off that.
LUNA: “I Like U” offers an exciting preview of your upcoming debut record, Can You Keep A Secret? out in January. What inspired the direction of Can You Keep A Secret? Could you share a bit about the emotional journey you take listeners on throughout the album? What themes or experiences are you exploring this time around?
SYDNEY: We thought of the idea for the title Can you keep a secret? because the songs are a little bit like diary entries. They're super personal.
BRIE: That's the fun thing about writing with a friend is when you are having these conversations that you generally don't have with other people, it's like, can I trust you? Are we cool? We're talking about things that are very true to us in our lives and the songs, but we're sharing it with everyone, so it's like, can you keep your mouth shut?
SYDNEY: I think it's funny because these songs are going to be shared with the world and it goes back to the idea of can you keep a secret? I think it's kind of funny and playful.
LUNA: This album marks a new chapter for Diva Bleach. What does this era represent for you as artists and songwriters?
SYDNEY: I'm really excited about it, because I feel like you can really hear the difference, both lyrically and musically, compared to our older music that we have out. I feel like you can hear the progression from that and how we've gotten better musicians. And it's also our debut album, so it's a fresh start.
BRIE: It's all the above, exactly what you're saying. It does feel like it's the start, even though we've already had an EP and stuff before, but we've been working on this collection of songs for so long, and now we have people that like our older music, it's cool to present them with something new that we made to be shared.
LUNA: Were there any particular moments during the album’s creation that felt like a turning point or revelation for you – whether those are personal or creative breakthroughs or lessons?
SYDNEY: Something off the top of my head that I can think of is when we were writing “Hate Me” with Mike Pepe and Brooke Day, that was one of our first times experimenting with an E drum kit. I feel like that was a really inspiring moment.
BRIE: When we started out, we were literally just a raw instrumental band, and then going in with the producer, it was so cool to be able to put all the ideas into songs and experiment with different sounds.
LUNA: What inspires you to push boundaries within your sound? Are there any specific experiences, artists, or moments that have encouraged you to explore new musical territories?
BRIE: I feel like I'm personally very inspired by just the general scene that we sit in, just seeing all these other great songs being put out by Honey Revenge and Daisy Grenade, and then seeing the new music being created, but also that older stuff being celebrated is just so cool and motivating to have that freshness coming about and wanting to be part of it.
LUNA: What is your favorite song from Can You Keep A Secret? and why do you love this song? Is there a certain element, lyric or message that you gravitate towards the most?
DIVA BLEACH: “Cross My Heart.”
BRIE: We wrote the song and we were so stoked on it, and then we showed a couple label people, and it turned out so cool with the instruments and the lyrics. I love it.
SYDNEY: I think I'm biased towards that one too. I have a lot of fun singing it. I'm excited to play it live.
LUNA: What was the hardest song to bring to life?
BRIE: The hardest song was definitely “Out Of My Head,” just because that was the first collaborative writing session we'd ever done with another producer, and we did it with a producer in Australia over zoom. It had a crazy time difference. He was writing at 3pm and we were writing at midnight, and it was our first time doing something like that. It took a while and we didn't know what we were getting into, which was you live, you learn, and it gets better from there.
LUNA: What’s the best environment to listen to Can You Keep A Secret? in?
SYDNEY: I kind of envision like people listening to it just like in their bedroom by themselves. They're like driving in the car. You know, that's where my head goes.
BRIE: I always picture this album like I'm 14 again, and I'm on the school bus with my ear plugs in. That's all I care about at the moment.
SYDNEY: Picture yourself as a teenage girl.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
SYDNEY: Right now we're actually back in the studio writing a lot for whatever comes next. That's the rest of this year. Next year, we have 8123 Fest coming up in January. We're really excited about that, and then we hope to be on the road a lot next year as well. That's our main focus.
