interview 001 - bling
bling is a band formed by Jinro, Li, Neeks, and Jaed. I had the pleasure of being welcomed into their home for a conversation around influence, synchronicity, and their connection.
From my understanding, Jinro was in another band, and potentially some of the other members as well. What’s the origin story of how Bling came to be and how did the name come to be decided upon by everyone? I feel the name has a strong and memorable presence. I love how it's both a verb and a noun…it could be used to describe something but could also be a literal thing.
Jinro: The first thing was bad noons. I started making music from that and it was kind of my solo project. Jaed and Neeks were in a band called Introspects. At some point, they came together and helped me play bad noons and it became the start of us playing together. As we started jamming more, Bling started happening. Li came into the picture doing vocals and SP stuff. Once she came in it felt like the final lineup. Bling was/is a completely new thing birthed from all our old stuff… 2022 or early 2023 I want to say is when we started recording and our first single release was on 4/20/2023.
Neeks: It was one of those moments where you meet friends that you can work with creatively and it just clicks. I'm sure a lot of people have experienced that. It's like actors that work together or like people that make content when they find those people they’re like, oh, that's what it's supposed to be like, you know? The same went for us being in a band and finding our sound.
Jinro: Yeah, we wanted to change the name from bad noons to something else because we were becoming a new thing. Me and Neeks were talking, we wanted a one-word name because it's just so much easier to say. We were trying to think of something easy and just off the top like you don't have to spell it out for anyone, you know,
Neeks: We would notice during shows for bad noons, we would have to spell it out for people.
Jaed: like you just did it earlier when he said our band name, you're like, what? Yeah.
Ah yes, I see.
Neeks: It was sick because I think one of the things we were just talking about last night after the show, we were chopping it up and we were talking about how in 2017 or 2019 pre-pandemic, the bands that, you know, mentioned earlier that I and Jaed were on? We got put on a bill and were openers for Jinro’s band and that’s how we met.
Jaed: That was also the first time Introspects played a show.
Neeks: It happened through our mutual friend Bobby. He was the connector on that one. That night was a glimpse of so many faces and Jinro scoped us out. It was like he saw there were cool kids making music too. Shortly after Covid hit and then everyone was in their own little thing and after everything was good and everyone came out was like, all right, everyone looks good.
Jinro: Yeah, the vibe felt right between all of us. There was no weirdness.
Neeks: I was so stoked. Jaed and I were in a drought and we had not been in a band for two years because of Covid. We were like this is so weird we want to be in a band. We enjoyed doing music and playing live.. we’ve been doing it since we were like 18 years old.
Do you guys remember the moment when the word bling came to fruition?
Neeks: Yeah. Jinro was on that. He was thinking about this word a lot.
Jinro: We were making a lot of music at the time and none of the songs had titles or anything yet but we knew we wanted to do something with it. A lot of the songs were coming out super distorted versus what we were making before. So, I would just listen to it in the car, replaying our demos. It's super sunny on the freeways all the time and everywhere I go, like I'm playing these songs and the light would just like hit off of cars and on the freeway and just blind me in the eye, but that's kind of the feeling that I got when I was listening to the songs alone closing my eyes. It felt just like a blinding, sharp, light to the face. Like a knife or something just stabbing you in the eyes.
It was like a “bling”!
Jinro: It was like a bling. At first, I was trying to think of other words. The first word that came to mind was bling, but I also thought about shine. I liked bling because it reminded me of bling rap, R&B, and in a lot of ways is tied back to what we grew up on.
Li: Before this I was just singing R&B. That’s what I have always loved to do. I grew up singing as a kid, but I never played with anybody else. So R&B was a common thing and we all have in some way been influenced by that. It was a really big part of all of our upbringing and influences.
I guess that leads me to my second question, which is what was the moment in each of your lives that you feel was pivotal in deciding to explore making music? Was it a film, an album, a song like, is there a memory that you remember, being a kid or something that you were like, oh, I want to make music, I want to explore that. If you want to go for it Li or whoever has an answer.
Jaed: Right away I thought of a Green Day’s Bullet in the Bible album because it was a live album. I would always watch that and it made me just think damn, I want to play the guitar in front of people like that.
Neeks: For me, it was my parents and the music in the household, the rotation was crazy. For my parents, their oldies were new wave since they were young. They were in the era where they were playing grunge and they would show me bands like New Order. I would have aunties that would show me Radiohead. Our family also would just give us instruments just to see if we would pick it up.
Li: Okay. For me, it was when my brother downloaded Helena on my iPod. That was probably the first time I heard My Chemical Romance. It was the first time that I was moved by music in that way. I can't explain it, you know at that age, the emo-ness was so strong, and looking back it was like a sonic representation of how I was feeling. I resonated with it so much.
I think that's still there's an undertone of that in your vibe for sure
Jaed: That's like a common interest for us to like that kind of music.
Neeks: I think a lot of the shows I was watching as a kid, I think there was an episode in Rocket Power where they formed a band. Seeing that as a kid and you're just like, dang being in a band looks lit.
Li: Yeah movie wise I’d say School of Rock
Neeks: Yes.
Jinro: I was in an orchestra at an early age put in by my parents. My first instrument was the cello and I played that for two years in middle school. I also played the piano around that time. Later I learned the guitar. For the longest time I only had an acoustic guitar and just recently got an electric. I was big on the emo scene back in 2008, 2009 ... .2005? The emo era with the hair and the skinny jeans.
How old were you when you got your first guitar?
Jinro: I was, I think, 14. I expressed interest in wanting a guitar for a while. Just because I was listening to so much like guitar rock….emo bands, My Chemical Romance. Me and my friend were trying to start a band, but it never really got anywhere. We would just jam but never make anything of it. That came and went and yeah, that was my early years of making music. After that, I learned how to make beats and I was making hip-hop sample-based stuff for a while. That’s kind of how I learned to make use of Ableton and I still use it today with Bling to record everything now.
Jaed: Yeah. Before me and Niko were introspects. We would rip music off YouTube… find beats, and then we would rap over it.
Me: Wait, that’s sick.
One of my favorite things about Bling is you guys all live together, and I feel like it makes for a very unique experience. You hear of bands who tour together and it's kind of known sometimes they end up hating each other. Tour just makes for a very intimate space and I feel like you guys living together not only prepares you for that but also gives you the ability to have a kind friendship.
Neeks: As far as living together, we've never really come across things where it was difficult. We're all in a good head space where we feel comfortable with each other and are good friends, and we like the way we approach things. The way we came across living with each other it happened naturally as well. It was a quick storm that happened. There was a window when people were leaving and we were able to jump on it.
Jinro: Yeah. I think it's, like, more than just living together. We just had a great dynamic just like jamming all the time. I was, the first one to live in this house, before Noah and the old roommates. Jaed and Neek were here all the time anyway, because they were practicing and like making music together in the garage and so it just felt natural for them to come in and you know…. Now we could jam even more.
Li: Everyone being together gives us all the opportunity to try new things. I didn't start playing the bass until, like, a year ago. I’m still learning and it’s more of a feeling for me right now. I'm starting to pick up on theory and Jinro has helped me with that. It's collaborative in general. Jinro has written most of them and I've sung on them. I've tried to dabble with chords. Since we all have our gear together we also sometimes switch and play around which is nice. Sometimes I’ll play the drums… It’s sweet if we didn’t live together our instruments wouldn’t live together either.
Neeks: I tripped on it because Li was one of the fastest people that heard and was like wow she sounds so good. Just from trying it out initially and eventually progressed into what our music is. I was just like ah dude, this is it. This sounds so good.
I read this thing recently where it said music is magic and musicians are in some way like magicians. I feel like to make music, when you make music, it’s about how willing you are to tap into being vulnerable. To me just the willingness to pick up the bass so fast reflects your dedication to being vulnerable with that process, you know? I love what you said … that if you guys didn't live together, your instruments wouldn't live together. I think there's something to that because they're extensions of each of you.
Jinro: Living together gives us room to experience random occurrences. With everyone in the band it's always pure intention and what comes of it are these, cool little accidents that end up sounding really beautiful. Moments that I think if we were overthinking or trying to have too much direction wouldn’t necessarily happen. On PURE BLISS NO WORRIES a lot of the songs were based on the flow of the session. The song Patiently Waiting was just like all one take that we did. It just magically fell into our hands. I think the words were the one thing that we had to dub over maybe a couple times. For ix3chocolate Li came up with the chords we just went back to back. She would do the guitar, I would do drums, and then I would hop on guitar, and then she would do bass. So much of the songs just fell into place.
Are there any major influences for your second album that differ from your first? I do feel like there was a slower pace in some way. It felt like a very natural progression from the EP. So is there anything that you want to say in relation to, like how the first one differs from the second and what was that like for each of you?
Jinro: It was definitely more autumn-winter vibes especially because we were recording around then too. We did a big chunk of recording in November after summer when things were cooling and slowing down. I think that was a big part of it. Li and I also had a lot of deaths in the family last year and naturally, there were a lot of internal things going on that I feel come out in the song and in some way are dedicated to loved ones. It's the underlying power and energy behind the album.
Neeks: “PURE BLISS NO WORRIES” became something we would say to each other. We all know it was stemming from wanting to acknowledge the lightness within the darkness. At some point it made us all realize even more how blessed we are to have each other. We got really lucky. Sometimes I think about how bands pay for studio time and with living together we have nothing but time. We are each so grateful for that and we try to make sure we’re making the most of it.
It's interesting Jinro that you mentioned deaths were being processed. When I was writing these questions I also took the time to re-listen to everyone's song on PURE BLISS NO WORRIES and I would immediately write the way I felt and how the song made me feel. I came across an overarching feeling of entering something and experiencing a big process of release and lightness.
Jinro: Damn. I'd love to hear read the notes
Yeah I’ll share. I think that’s why I'm just tripping out right now because I think the EP was like really fun and felt not maybe a little bit more light like
Li: Like a bling
Yes like a bling! It sounds like you guys are all very willing to be vulnerable with each other about the synchronicities of your dynamic and claim them as forms to be phrases to then bring into the physical world and let them be symbols for like the band. Speaking of symbols what would you guys say is your favorite film, movie, or TV show? This is my last question … or maybe anything you’ve been watching that you love.
Jaed: I feel like what came to my mind first was Skins UK. A show I could easily revisit and play all the time.
Neeks: I was thinking of a movie I’ve been watching on YouTube with ads …. Donnie Darko.
Wait what a synchronicity moment. Your shirt is giving Donnie Darko. Alignment is real.
Neeks: You know this might sound dumb but I love how mysterious he is..how he’s in some way battling something, he’s angsty and it’s just funny to try to have that lore. It’s one of those things where I think to myself about how I can’t shut up and he’s just so cool about it.
The thing about you being like, I just can't shut up….There's that meme where it's like when you want to be, like, hot and mysterious, but you can’t shut up.
Neeks: Donnie Darko lore. I think it’s a funny takeaway to try to be mysterious.
[Laughs]
Li: Honestly, I'm really fucking excited for The Bear. I think that was probably the last show that I binged and it was just like so satisfying. But there are so many too.
Are you a Syd Carmi truther?
Li: Yeah there are a lot of Twitter threads on that. I fuck with Syd a lot.
Carmy needs to go to therapy
Neeks: I fuck with cousin.
Primo
Li: You know what else? Nana. It’s a Manga they turned into an anime. She’s a rock star and lives this life that leads her to meet another girl on the way to Tokyo, and they, like, end up being roommates. Both of their names are Nana. And then it just follows them being rock stars. She’s in a band and then her partner and her split up, and they have separate bands. There’s drama. Basically like Fleetwood Mac's type, but the anime version.
Did you watch this while you were in Japan?
Li: I watched it after. So many people told me to watch it, and it was just one of those things that I just kept putting off for some reason. I knew that I was going to like it. I think it was wintertime when we were just inside and it was cold when we got into it. The animation and the style of Nana are so sick and it inspired me to go in on buying studded leather and then also research Vivienne Westwood collections. Her style is nice.
Would you say that show kind of influences your style?
Li: For sure. It aligns for me in other ways. My real name is Liana and people call me Lili, Nana. It’s something that I can love and identify with. The main character is also so chaotic but endearing and you just kind of have to take it in. She makes a lot of mistakes, kind of reminds me of sex in the city.
Neeks: Manic pixie dream girl type, just kidding [laughs]
Li: Yeah, Like the other girl. Hachi. She's just like a young girl moving to a city and also makes so many mistakes and it’s endearing and honest. For me, I could also I could like, relate to her and Nana.
Jinro: I've been in my sci-fi bag with Dune. Was doing a deep dive into the Dune Lore. I started watching this show called The Three-body Problem which was pretty cool. I think there’s something so fascinating about sci-fi because in some way it’s based on something real. Science is real and in some way, it could all happen you know?
What’s everyone's sign? I know Li, you're a Capricorn.
Jaed: I'm a Capricorn, too.
Neeks: I'm a Sagittarius
Jinro: I'm a Virgo.
Woah one fire sign and three earth signs.
Ah, thank you so much for talking to me and sharing everything you guys have shared with me. It’s been so tender to have been able to connect and learn about Bling. Any final words? Or better yet what quote you’d like to end with for the reader? Like a yearbook quote!
Jaed: Right now it’s HAGS…cause it’s summer. I’m starting with that.
Neeks: It always changes but I do like this quote its a funny one. “Life is like a buffet. You just have to serve yourself.”
Neeks: Wait I’m making mine the following: “Once I make my move.....then you're free to check the King.
No! Ron, no!
What is it?
He's going to SaCRiFicE HimSeLf!
No, you caaan't! There must be another way!
Do you want to stop Snape from getting that stone, or not?
Harry, is you that has to go on, I know iiiiit! Not me, not Hermione, YOOooOou!”
[Laughs]
Li: “There are good ships and there are wood ships, the ships that sail the sea. But the best ships are friendships and may they always be. Cheers.”
Jinro: “Welcome to the Desert of the Real” - Morpheus (The Matrix)
