BLOWSOM: "With my music, I try to bring nostalgia. I find the notion of memories very powerful"

Live in concert at AB Club on 9 December

BLOWSOM, by Tanguy Delavet

BLOWSOM, born Arnaud Bernard, is a 29-year-old singer songwriter from the north of France releasing his first fully in French EP ‘Less Passantes’ on 5 December. After presenting his most recent work around his country, he is performing for the first time in Belgium on 9 December in Ancienne Belgique.

At just 8 years old, he tuned his first guitar, but his passion became unmistakable at 18, when he decided to go study music in Brighton, England, to follow in the footsteps of a band he loves, The Kooks. There, while discovering DAW (digital audio workstation) software, Arnaud became BLOWSOM. We sat down with him to go discuss his career, his views on the music industry and social media and much more.

Where does your name come from?

I was trying to find a name, there was this English word “Blossom” that I found the English word “blossom” pretty, symbolizing openness, like a flower that blossoms. It spoke to me, I thought it was interesting. I also thought it sounded like a band name. Since I was a fan of many English and American bands at the time, it made sense.

You mention The Beatles as a big inspiration in your music. Which influence has the legendary band have in you and your music?

I grew up with parents who loved music and made me listen to a lot of it. I think my dad must be in the top 10 biggest Beatles fans on the planet. We didn’t only listen to them, but he listened to a lot of Anglo-Saxon music—from blues to rock to disco—we listened to a lot at home, so I was very exposed to English-language music. When I started making music, it was obvious that I had to sing in English. Then I discovered many artists on my own like The Kooks, one of the bands I was obsessed with at the time. And when I went to England, it was a dream for me to go there, to go to the country, to think “that’s where they made their first album.” And the music school I attended in Brighton was also the school The Kooks went to.

Your first album ‘OK Romance’ is mostly in English, but there are also tracks in French. What inspires your choice of language when you write songs?

At first, it was only English. I didn’t even ask myself the question—it was English that came out, I wanted it to be in English. It was later that I started listening to a lot of French-speaking artists, because I wasn’t listening to many at first—I found that it sounded a bit old-fashioned. There was the “typical French song” or rap… but not much in between. So, I had to dig to find some “in-between.” And even rap influenced me quite a lot when I started singing in French.

I started listening to French music, so I told myself, “Maybe I have a chance in French too—let’s try”, and I loved writing in French, sharing it with people. I felt like it touched French-speaking listeners a lot more because it’s their language. I discovered a fascination for writing—finding musicality in French—almost a new passion. Whereas English was a bit more mechanical: the priority was that it had to sound good.

I felt my French music touched French-speaking listeners a lot more because it’s their language. I discovered a fascination for writing—finding musicality in French—almost a new passion. Whereas English was a bit more mechanical: the priority was that it had to sound good.

You began learning music production and mixing on your own, your music had a more electronic vibe. Was is because that style inspired you at the time?

Exactly. When I arrived in Brighton, I met a friend called Hugo who was very good in music production—recording music on a computer. He could produce extremely well-made tracks while I wasn’t very good at it. In a month and a half, he taught me everything he knew. Suddenly I realised I could record my songs almost professionally with very little—just an audio interface, a small keyboard, a guitar, a bass… I discovered many artists like Flume, for example, and this inspired me.

Electronic music doesn’t require a ton of instruments—but for your current style, you need real instruments. How did you learn? Which instruments did you teach yourself?

I started with guitar. I almost never took guitar lessons; I learned everything by myself watching YouTube tutorials. I played a lot, learned songs from my favorite artists. Then I played a bit of bass. I’m not excellent at any one instrument, but I can play a little bit of everything. Same for piano—I’m not a good pianist but I can play chords.

BLOWSOM, by Hugo Lardenet

Your most successful single is ‘Les Passantes’. It had incredible success on Spotify—almost 1 million plays. Why do you think this song in particular blew up? Was it a surprise?

Honestly, I’ve released so many songs over the years. I don’t have crazy expectations anymore when I release music. I want people to like it, of course. But this one in particular—I saw on TikTok that people were responding well.

Before releasing songs, I like posting small videos, testing the waters. TikTok is an incredible media—it lets you reach a real audience. Posting excerpts, I saw the song was resonating. I played it once in concert, as an opening act in Paris. My manager filmed a short video on his phone while drinking a beer—the video did very well. So when we released the track, it had visibility immediately. It’s one of the rare tracks I made with a friend—Julie, a pianist and composer. We had no objective. We weren’t trying to make a hit. It just happened.

Especially with TikTok, it’s impossible to predict success. Some songs blow up after a year or two. For many emerging artists, social networks are essential—but some hate them. What about you?

I’ve always been an independent artist. I couldn’t count on anyone to promote my music. TikTok is amazing for that. Even big labels are dependent on TikTok now—they constantly ask artists to post. The artists who get signed now are often the ones who work on TikTok. I’m exaggerating a bit, but not much. I myself signed with a label three months ago, certainly thanks to ‘Les Passantes’ and TikTok—because the label already had proof the song worked.

Your upcoming EP, also titled ‘Les Passantes’ comes out on 5 December. Did you name it that way because of the single’s success? When you released ‘Est-ce que tu restes’? at the start of 2025, did you already have an EP planned?

I realised the songs I have been releasing were connected, and it felt coherent. When you release many singles, you want to freeze them into something physical—an EP you can have at home. It’s a great feeling. When I released the first track, ‘Est-ce que tu restes ?’, I just wanted to release French songs. I released one, then two, then three, then four… And when people responded well, I thought: “Maybe they’ll be happy to have a real EP.”

What do you think about physical editions of albums and EP? There was a crisis when CDs started to disappear. Then vinyl came back. Do you personally like physical music?

I grew up with CDs amd my dad has a huge vinyl collection. I didn’t become a vinyl collector myself—but I have some. Friends give them to me, people gift them to me, I’m always happy to receive them.

Vinyl is more than a CD—it’s big, like a poster. I put covers on my walls. It’s like merch too—an artwork you buy. Back then, people bought vinyls to discover artists. Today you only buy them if you already like them. You discover music on streaming first, then buy the vinyl.

Is there any tension between having total creative freedom working alone, and having a label behind?

With or without a label, I make music the same way, and I don’t want that to change. I never made music in big studios—some artists love that, but not me. I’m not comfortable in studios. They don’t inspire me. What inspires me is being at home, or somewhere I love, or even on the metro or on a bike. Often on my bike I get song ideas—I stop in the middle of the road (dangerous!), record a melody into my phone…

The label wants me to make the best songs possible. They listen to what I need. If I asked for a week in a studio, they'd probably say yes. But that’s not what I need.

You recently performed a show that sold out quickly and announced a show at La Cigale in Paris next year—that’s huge. How do you feel on stage?

It was the first time I performed all these new French songs. I love concerts—they’re the reward for all the work. Having people smiling, singing—it’s incredible. It’s the first-time people sing so many of my lyrics. When I sang in English, people weren’t always there for the words. Now they really sing. Honestly, you feel like crying when you hear people singing your songs, songs you wrote all alone.

Really, nobody had heard them, you made them alone in your room. And thanks to being able to release them and share them, people listen, people appreciate them. Afterwards, we talk, we always have a booth where we sell vinyls and so on.

Being part of someone’s story, being the soundtrack of someone’s life — that’s a kind of pride, right? It's a pride and a feeling of… I tell myself, okay, if I die tomorrow, at least I will have written songs, and there will be people who… It will stay, you know, with certain people — it will mark their lives. It’s great. It will leave a footprint. Of course, absolutely.

You are coming back to Brussels on 9 December to perform for the first time for the Belgian audience. What can we expect?

What I talk about in my songs is mostly love, love stories. It's a huge topic — you can talk about so many things: the positive side, meeting someone, the beginning of a relationship — it’s amazing; the end, the breakup, sadness, pain, the “rehab” after all that, when you recover, when hope comes back. There are so many stages we go through in love that if people are sensitive to that, I think that’s a good reason to come see me. I’ll also be accompanied by a musician — my drummer — so there will be live music.

With my music, I try to bring nostalgia. Emotion is what inspires me the most, in both the music and the lyrics. I find the notion of memories very powerful — moments you wish you could relive.

Get your tickets to BLOWSOM’s show at AB Club on 9 December here! 

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