My Mom's Basement - EPISODE 81 - BLU DeTIGER

Episode Date: October 5, 2020

Robbie is joined by NYC musician/viral sensation Blu DeTiger this week to discuss her success on Tik Tok since the quarantine started, her solo music influences, and more. 3Chi: Use code BASEMENT at checkout to receive 5% off at 3Chi.comYou can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/mymomsbasement

Hey My Mom's Basement listeners, you can find our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, and Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Let me remind you, our presenting sponsor each and every week is 3Chi. 3Chi is the leader in hemp-derived cannabinoid products, and all of their products are formulated by a biochemist. THC on their website right now. Delta 8 THC is a federally legal version of THC that's effects are the perfect hybrid of CBD and Delta 9, which is the THC we'd find in weed. It gives you a similar buzz, but it takes away some of the laziness, anxiety, paranoia, mental fogginess. It's a smoother high. It's nice, but it will get you high. So make sure you're not, you know, operating heavy machinery or any of that stuff. You must be 21 or older to purchase. This stuff, I swear by it. I use it every day.

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All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to my mama's basement. I am joined now by a viral sensation over quarantine who is one of the coolest bassist musicians over New York City that I've discovered throughout 2020. It's Blue Da Tiger. Blue, how you doing? Hey, what's up? Thanks for that intro. It was very nice. Yeah. I mean, I feel like I've started all of my podcasts and conversations with people this year with like, what have you been up to during quarantine? But with you, I discovered you during quarantine. That's what I know the most about. So we'll start at the beginning with you and take it up to there. So I saw that you started playing bass when you were seven years old. What got you into playing music in the first place?

Yeah, so my older brother was playing drums at the time. And naturally, I was just like, I want to play an instrument too I want to do something too and then I chose bass which is you know kind of rare which is like weird for a seven-year-old to choose but I was thinking in my head that like guitar was too mainstream I don't know I was just like thinking weird stuff when I was young I guess and um uh yeah I chose bass and now I'm like really happy that I did obviously Obviously now I play other instruments now, but, um, that's like my main thing. Yeah. Did you have like main musical influences for me? I chose bass when I was like nine, another guy with an older brother, who's a drummer, but I chose it. Cause I was just like, Nikki six plays bass. He's fucking badass. And it

looks a lot easier than guitar. So like, was there someone for you that was like, I want to play bass because of this person or was it just random? question I feel like it was kind of just random and I think like the like my brother playing drums had a lot to do with it too because it was like you always heard like bass and drums go together sort of thing and I guess there weren't that many people I feel like I discovered like my favorite bass players like later in life and like when I found like Bernard Edwards and stuff I like heard his bass lines and I was like this is fire like I want to learn that I want to learn this style and then I heard like slap bass for the first time then I was like okay that's fire like I want to learn that I want to keep going I want to do this you know what I mean so I think it just kind of

like reiterated the passion for me when I found when I found like those like awesome players and are you self-taught or did you get lessons or how did you learn yeah so I kind of like a mix so I got lessons when I was young and then and I just like practiced like a shit ton I was gonna say did you enjoy practicing because that was like I hated it and that I fell out of love with bass playing I sold my bases I was like screw it and then I came back to it later yeah okay I couldn't I couldn't deal with scales I couldn't deal with any of that I feel like I like it I didn't like it but I just did it anyways I feel like I wouldn't I would I would like learn songs

I'm like by myself and practice that way but for the scales I would only do in like my lessons like when I had lessons and stuff but then I got really into jazz and that's I think how I learned all of that that's how I got into all the theory and stuff like I got really nerdy about the jazz stuff but before that I was like I was practicing by playing songs so it wasn't really it was I wasn't like really sitting there and doing scales as much so you play throughout middle school and high school. You never stopped playing bass. Are you in bands throughout this time or are you just playing like in school bands? What's, what's that like?

Yeah. So I was in a bunch of bands while I did this program called school of rock, which is, yeah, yeah. So, um, which is like where I got my start and that's where I was like performing at a really young age. So did you do it in New York? Yeah, I did it in New York. So basically like, yeah, the premise for people who are listening who don't know, I guess, is that there's like, there's different shows,

like artists that you kind of pay tribute to. So there'll be like an ACDC show, Rolling Stone show, Van Halen show. And then you kind of pick which one you want to do. And then you learn those songs and they put you together in like groups for each song. And then you perform those songs at like a really cool venue in New York. So I was learning these like rock songs when I was really young, which is funny. And probably performing at like dope venues, Webster Hall, I assume like Irving Plaza, like stuff like that. Yeah, like really cool spots um like iconic New York venues that aren't even around anymore so that was really cool so I got like a good performance experience

when I was really young and then yeah I was in like bands in high school I've been in high school um and that's kind of how I got into like writing music too because I'd like write with the band and then I was doing a lot of like for higher work like bass for higher work so people would hire me to like you know play shows like when I was in and I was living in New York City so I was doing a lot of like for hire work, like bass for hire work. So people would hire me to like, you know, play shows like when I was in and I was living in New York City. So I had like a wider network, you know. So I was like middle school, like the college, the high school kids were like hiring me in middle school. And like when I was in when I was in high school, like the college kids were hiring me. Like I was always like, that's dope. Yeah.

It's like around like playing. So yeah. So do you think of yourself now that you're into songwriting into different instruments or do you still think of yourself as a bassist first, like where you're writing songs with a bass still, is that still the first instrument you go to when you begin to write? Yeah, for sure. It's very much just like a part of me now, you know, like it's like a third one almost. And then when did the dj sets start coming along where you bring the bass on stage and if people haven't seen him if people haven't seen the tiktoks i mean they gotta go to your page because it's crazy and for me i'm like god

damn how are we in quarantine right now because i want to go see you do a dj set with a bass right now because that's dope my brother would do dj sets with he's a drummer so it's like the travis parker dj that's sick yeah dude you gotta come out when this when it all comes back like like when did that start because you're only 21 so i assume you're doing like venues that you probably weren't even allowed into unless you were actually djing there i was like i basically was 21 for like five years like i was just like going around telling everyone I just wouldn't tell anyone my age but basically yeah the DJing stuff came out from I just like got into it I just like suddenly got into it when I was like 16 17 is when I learned how to do it and um I just got

booked for like my first gig through my brother's friend and then like you do one gig and then someone sees you at that gig and then you do enough you know and then they hire you for that and they hire you for that so like it would just keep going and I just got so into it and the first gig I did I just like brought my bass with me and I was like oh I'll just like play like because it's all like music you know it's all the same it's all coming from the same space and no one was doing the bass thing like people you know it's drummers do it's all coming from the same space and no one was doing the bass thing like people you know it's drummers do it a little bit there's i've seen like saxophone players like trumpet players but no one really does with that instrument because it's just like you wouldn't

expect it which is why people people really um liked it like when i did it the first time everyone was like freaking out i was like okay this is sick i'm gonna do this every time so it's tough too because bass is one of those instruments where like, unless you're very proficient at it, it's going to sound like shit. Like it's going to sound like it's like clarinet in a way. So if I went up there with like the fucking buzz on my, you know, overstrained neck bass, it would be a disaster. So it's just that stuff is really cool.

I think people should check that out. And then I assume you got discovered for the touring stuff you did through that or through your brother in some way? Yeah, so I know. I feel like it all kind of, like, goes together. It was, like, a very seamless path. But, yeah, there's a lot of different parts, I feel like. But, yeah, so I was doing the DJ stuff a lot. And so that I kept getting, like, booked for those things.

And then people, I don't don't how did I get into the touring stuff well I guess I was just always kind of doing the touring I was always kind of doing the work for hire stuff anyways like when I was as I was saying before so those same people that were hiring me like I just met other musicians and people through that and then yeah I started touring as a bass player you know know, just, like, hired to play shows, which was really fun, and I did that for a while, and then played with some, you know, like, kept getting hired by different artists. I did, like, the Knox tour for this, like, DJ duo, and then I did Caroline Polachek tour this year, and then I was about to do this tour with this other artist named Fletcher, so I was like doing a bunch of that at the same time while I was like DJing a lot so it was all kind of like

coming together in that way and I was like picking up fans just by like playing bass for other people as well that's really cool just as a bass player picking up fans is a difficult thing to do so that's cool we'll talk about the TikTok thing I know yeah it's like the worst thing but we'll talk about the TikTok uh you know blow up and all that in a second before that I want to ask you what is one album that you would say all beginner bass players should familiarize themselves with oh my god that's such a good question oh that's such a good question I have like can I just say like an artist yeah yeah for sure um because all the albums are good um but chic like you got to learn the chic bass lines like good times like all the disco those funk lines are like insane so you bring a lot of that funk stuff into your music and I'll ask you

about that and the influence where that comes from too because that's like what I'm most curious about but the TikTok blow up happens pretty much at the beginning of quarantine right like almost right away that's where i discovered you i think it was the savage one that like really went crazy for you page yeah i see i'm not even a tiktok guy so i think someone might have even like texted it to me that's so funny it's so cool yeah that's awesome just because they were like hey you know bass whatever you like bass players. So who has been, like, the coolest person that's seen your content, shared your content, made a TikTok with, like,

figure it out or something where you were actually starstruck and were like, oh, shit. Whoa, good question. I mean, Dixie D'Amelio did a TikTok with figure it out, and I was kind of like, oh, my God. They're like next Kardashians. They're, like, next level famous right now and i just think she's she's funny and cool but yeah so she used it um i mean some crazy people have like recently i did a like anderson pack cover and he he retweeted it and i was like this is crazy that's so cool

um charlie poof too like just people hit you up to do those like duets or covers of their songs so what was so all-time low hit me up to do a cover of their new song and i did that which was cool because they're just like like all time yeah they're my boys i have their logo tatted right here yeah yeah yeah oh nice they're like the nicest guys and they're the best legit like the best people you'll meet yeah so sweet and um so i did like their new song and then that was like featuring black bear yeah um monsters go check it out yeah yeah so i was like talking to black bear a little bit i don't know there's so many like cool opportunities that have um

come out of it just like meeting people and people seeing me and then like me being friends with them now or being able to talk to them you know just like i guess getting in front of um those people is like insane to me that like i've seen my videos yeah i'm like what yeah and at the same time you've been putting out solo music like kind of kind of alluded to it figured out it's a solo song that you put out. And I've dug all this stuff. I even went back and listened to Mad Love and that stuff. And I just, I don't know where it comes from because you've got this interesting vocal style where it's so laid back.

And the Knox remix you did was so like almost talking your way through it. Where does that come from for you? Yeah, I think it just comes from like the new york like chill like gritty like old new york stuff like do you know um esg no and other i feel like if i did i would maybe like know where you're coming from with it yeah literally i mean you should check it out um but they're they're really cool from like the early 80s 80s in New York. They're, like, these sisters. Some of their shit is, like, talking. I don't know.

I take info from a bunch of different stuff. Like, Tom Tom Club. Okay, yeah. Harpo, Tina Weymouth. Like, Blondie's Rapture. Like, you know, that's kind of – those are just songs that I love. And, like, M.I.A. too. Like, kind of that style of singing and speaking I think is really

cool so I just kind of like was doing that a lot also because like singing isn't my first like my first instrument you know like everyone has a voice but you still have to learn how to use it and um it kind of came later for me like I was playing I was playing bass and guitar and instruments way before I actually started singing for real um and using my voice so I kind of just like was talking at the beginning and it just kind of became like my thing I think it's cool are you recording all that stuff in your own like home studio or are you going off to a studio and doing it because you've got an EP coming out soon right yeah I do so a lot of the EP songs I just did at home because a lot of them were like finished and

recorded during this time but the other songs are like i did at a studio um i've already come out i've like recorded a studio yeah so diy style that you have going on is like the most inspirational thing creatively about what you have going on because the the like at home studio is like all right we could you know start doing this we have a band at barstool it's it's called pop punk and it's a complete like parody band basically so we do songs making fun of the blink 182 style pop punk and then we'll do like covers and we go and play venues all over the place it's a ton of fun i have to i want to come see it and i see shit like that i'm like all right we don't have to go to a studio to record it

you're doing it at home. And the best compliment I could give your music, especially Cotton Candy Lemonade, is all of your songs have worked their way into like smoking playlists where like I'm going up to my roof and smoking to your music. Nice. All right. So what are your goals in the future?

Are you looking to, you know, explode as a solo artist in your wildest dreams? Is that what you want to do? Or would you like to go play bass for someone that you admire and be in their band? Or do you want to do both? Are you open to everything? Yeah. I mean, I'm open to everything. I'm definitely, you know, the first priority is like my solo stuff and that's what I'm, I give all my energy to right now. And I'm just like,

I'm so excited for the, for the EP. I'm just so pumped about it. Do you have a release date on that is a a time like yeah it's like in january so cool yeah but i have some more singles coming out yeah i'm just really that's that's my thing right now it's just um my prod my artist project and just inspiring people to play bass as well is another thing but i would i mean i'm not opposed to uh you know if anderson pack hit me up i would be like i'd be like of course i'll come guest guest on your in your show or whatever but yeah i mean i think thundercat is like a really cool there's another like obviously inspiration awesome yeah i think like his his his project his music that puts out is so dope and then you'll

he'll also you know went and played with like mac miller and stuff so it's like you know like you kind of follow that blueprint if you will yeah like i'm just trying to do my thing just go with the flow and see what happens but i'm super excited for the ep and that's like i'm still i'm gonna always like put out music so cool i'm excited to tell the people where they could follow you find you all that stuff yeah follow me at blue to tiger b-l-u-d-e-t-i-g-e-r and that's my handle on everything instagram twitter tiktok