(EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW) BLOOD DEALER: “Personally, I think being that vulnerable in our music helped us define who we are as a band.”

There are some tracks that grab you from the get-go; a melody here, a sharp guitar riff there, and when combined with some standout vocals, you have a recipe for something special. That’s exactly what you’ll get with Blood Dealers and their recent album Designer Antichrist, especially with the popular track “Jealousy”. The word itself holds a powerful meaning, and for the band, an emotion they explore with their music. As they share in this interview, they wisely remind us that “Compassion is the thief of joy.”

The trio made up of Billy (vocalist), Olly (drums), and Will (bassist) have done an excellent job at fusing together genres. With smooth R&B vocals paired with those much-loved screams and heavy guitar riffs, they’ve created something that is intense but gripping. 

We talked to them about their recent EP (we definitely recommend it!). Their interesting influences, how they incorporate them into their sound, and much more.

SpinVybe: Your recent EP Designer Antichrist feels like the perfect showcase of your strengths, a mix of genres from hip-hop to RnB. What was the goal with this release in terms of sound, and how did it evolve from your past singles?

Blood Dealer: We knew we wanted to really accentuate that RnB and hip hop genre blend for sure. We wanted to create something authentic not only to ourselves but to our influences too. With our past singles, we were trying to find our place sonically, but whilst doing that, we quickly realised that we wanted something to call our own.

SV: With this being your debut EP, was there a specific way you wanted to approach the process? Did you stick to a structure, or do you go with what feels right at the moment?

BD: A little bit of both; we actually had “Jealousy” written and under our belt first, and we knew that it was a song that was going to be definitively us. We then started finding a formula, or rather a criterion, that we could build off of when writing more music.

Photo Credit:Jessica-Rose Lena

SV: I wanted to touch on the album artwork; it's striking, and there's always a consistent theme for you guys. What influences visuals such as this to match the vibe of the album itself? Do you find the two need to match?

BD: We definitely like the red vibes for sure (laughs), but there’s a certain melancholic theme that we are obsessed with as a band, and so we went for something that resembles pain, trauma and/or grief but also peace, contentment and love. We kind of do that in our music too, heavy riffs and aggression mixed with approachable elements in the vocals and post-production.

SV: “Jealousy” is seen as the defining track for you. With it being such a personal track, how do you feel it represents you now, and how do you tap into that level of vulnerability without losing yourself?

BD: Personally, I think being that vulnerable in our music helped us define who we are as a band. Before, we were kind of writing about what our favourite artists were writing about, and we found that it didn’t resonate with us. With jealousy, I was going down a rabbit hole of always comparing myself/ourselves to others on social media and feeling like I’m falling behind, which I think all of us can relate to. We just try to keep things as honest and authentic to ourselves and what we want to say.

SV: It's interesting that you mentioned that the inspiration stemmed from comparing on social media. I think many of us find that a very relatable thing. How do you keep yourself from going down that path, and what advice would you give to others struggling with the same issue?

BD: There’s that famous quote “Compassion is the thief of joy,” which I think is super important to relay to yourself when you are going down that path. With social media, people only show you what they want you to see; you may think, “Ah man, I really wish I had that car,” or “I wish we could do that tour,” or “I wish we could have that experience.” But we’re not getting context to these people’s lives. Just keep doing what you believe in and stay true to yourself; the rest will fall into place.

SV: The music video for “Jealousy” is visually striking; I love how the blue and red act like main characters and are perfect for the emotion of the song. What was the inspiration for the video?

BD: That’s an awesome observation! That’s exactly what we were going for. We knew we wanted to do something with LEDs, and we wanted it to be quite dark lighting-wise. We loved the idea that because this was like a new era for us, we were introducing ourselves aesthetically, so we kept it dark so you couldn’t quite see us, but you knew that something was coming.

SV: You managed to keep a good blend of fun and chaos. For new fans discovering Blood Dealer, what three songs would you recommend to give the true essence of you as a group?

BD: I think that the songs that best represent us and really capture the essence of the band are “Jealousy,” “Crucifix” and “lasttimeicried.” Those are songs that are so authentically us and so strong in regard to conveying that blend of genres.

SV: From 2021 to today, what do you think has been the most surprising moment about your career so far that you wouldn't have thought could happen? Do you ever sit to look back to remind yourself how far you’ve come?

BD: We had a few moments together on our headline tour where everybody was singing back our songs, and we were just so taken aback by it all. It was kind of a moment in our career where we had fully realised that we have something good going, and it was the most amazing experience seeing a community of people bond together over our music truly incredible.

SV: Since your early years, how do you think your sound has evolved? Do you feel content with the sound you’re rooted in now?

BD: Oh, absolutely! Yeah, in our early days we were just figuring out who we want to be as a band. We spent a lot of time coming up with demos that were very much the development of our now established sound. There were even demos that to this day we love, but they’re just not who we are sonically, so we had to handpick songs that we knew would articulate who we are.

SV: Over those years social media, especially during and after Covid, when many used it to stay connected with fans. You do that really well, but how do you find the balance between using it creatively and not letting it dominate your process? Do you find it a crucial tool in the music industry?

BD: It might not be the most popular opinion, but I think it is one of the most crucial tools in music. Everybody who makes music is in the media business, and social media content is how we consume most media today. So I feel that it is a space for you to communicate your music effectively, and we have always been a band that welcomes that, and it’s something we will continue to lead with. For us, it doesn’t interfere with the creative process because it’s just as fun and creative to us; we love making content and talking to fans, new and current.

SV: With a name like Blood Dealer, your aesthetic perfectly encapsulates that with a consistent dark, almost romantic, vampire-esque aesthetic. What inspired that visual, and do you make sure to tie it in with your music?

BD: Some of the band read fantasy books like the ACOTAR series, and we liked the idea of implementing elements of that toxic love vibe in our aesthetic and music. The idea of loving someone who is bad for you is both devastating and beautiful, which coincides with everything we are as a band.

Album Artwork

SV: You recently finished a summer tour. What was the most memorable moment you took away from the experience, and what did you learn about how you work as a group?

BD: Headlining our hometown and seeing our entire community of fans singing our music was definitely one of the best moments of the whole tour for us, meeting everybody at the end of shows too and hearing everyone’s incredible stories and journeys they’ve been on. Nothing like it.

SV: When it comes to creating setlists, what do you like to perform, and how do you decide on what to include? Do you like to switch from playing your harder songs to more melodic ones?  

BD: It really depends on the kind of show we are doing, but we like to keep our heavier songs all in one place. Truthfully, we might have fans who enjoy our more accessible songs, so we make sure that we order our songs so there’s something for everybody during our set.

SV: How many of the fans' favourites do you take into account with regard to the setlist?

BD: We typically end on “Jealousy”, as that’s our most popular song currently. But we like to mix things up now and then. I don’t think it was intentional, but opening with “Crossfire” is so fun and is so suitable for an opening song, it’s almost like it was written to open a set!

SV: Finally, what would be the group's biggest goal for 2026?

BD: We may or may not be releasing an album (laughs). With that being said, we have been writing a lot, and I think we hope to make an even bigger impact next year. We are itching to go back out on the road, so I think that is something we would love to do too!

Photo Credit:Jessica-Rose Lena

Written and Interviewed by Kirsty Bright

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