Kateryna Topol: Hello, how’s your day going?

BLONDETING: My day is going great, to be fair! I had a crazy weekend supporting Emily Makis at Quarters in Brighton and played so much unreleased music, which was very fun! 

KT: Sounds like it! Let’s get to know you better – you’re from South London, is DNB something you grew up with?

BL: YUP SOUTH EAST LDN BORN AND BRED BABY! 

I’ve always grown up around music! My mum is a dramatic soprano opera singer, my dad’s in an indie band (Sredni Vashtar), and my sister is creative too! I found my love for DNB going to raves when I was younger, and also listening to music that makes me feel! That’s something that’s really important to me.

KT: Got any stories about DNB parties you went to growing up?

BL: Ohhhhh yeahhh! So I went to this illegal rave in Milton Keynes and that was such a crazy night! So much music, so much dancing and so much love there! I actually got lost in the rave if I’m being real…. I ended up losing my mates and literally got lost in the music… So yeah, getting home that night was a bit mad, but you can always make friends at the rave, so I was ok!

KT: An adventure for sure! How did you get into music as a profession…

BL: Well… I’ve always done music and grown up around it. I went to Lewisham Music Service on Saturdays when I was younger, then went to The Brit School from year 10 to the end of school! I started producing shortly before lockdown and really finding and building my sound from then.

I’ve always loved singing and writing music, it’s something that’s really built me as a person, and helped me to deal with everything really. The first song I wrote was a diss track soooooo yeah that was fun! 

KT: How has your experience been coming up as a woman on the DNB scene, which seems to be very male-dominated (at least what we get in North America) 

BL: GIRLLLLL it’s been a bit mad to be fair…

As a female producer and a female writer in the drum and bass scene, I feel okay about it, I don’t need to prove myself to anyone, and it’s all love ’round here for me!

I can understand that as a woman in this scene, it’s quite intense, but that’s why I learnt to produce and write myself, so I can do it every day. I don’t have to rely on anyone to help me make my music, which puts me in a bit of a different situation. Yes – electronic music is very male-dominated, but I don’t feel threatened by that one bit… It makes me more motivated, and I know that I can really make a change for females in the industry, whether you’re a DJ, singer, songwriter, producer or whatever you do… we need more women in music regardless! 

All images courtesy of the artist.

KT: Congrats on your latest release, “SHE DON’T CARE,” it’s a fan track and one I’m sure many people can relate to – “pretending not to care while quietly feeling everything” – the track is inspired by your mother – would you be willing to elaborate a bit?

BL: My mum is the strongest woman I know, and has taught me so much about myself, about other people, and about how to be unapologetically myself. I find a lot of power in a strong women, and I know I’m strong because of her.

It’s very common for women to feel a lot of emotions and care too much about things that other people may not care about. For me, as a writer, and as a woman who is stuck between caring too much and caring too little, this was really interesting for me to write about.

I’ve always been told that I might be ‘too much’ for some people, but the people who get me, get me. They probably feel the same as me, and I want those women or however you identify, to feel like you’re not alone in this paradox of the world we live in today.

KT: Definitely not alone. Who are some of your musical inspirations, or female heroes in music? 

BL: I love Madonna, Rihanna, Doja Cat, Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish… the list goes on. I could really speak for days on all of the incredible women in this industry. They are also talented and have all created the space for women like me to create!

KT: Can you speak a bit to how your process works?

BL: My process for creating my music is always really different…Sometimes I’ll have a song basically written on my phone, and I work by adding elements that work with the vocals and melodies.

I love to start with a pad synth usually, and get some melodies going. Then the words just come to me! I like to create ‘ear candy’ with my production. I want to take the listener to a different space/planet with the sound I create.

I’ve recently started to work with some girlies in the DND scene, which has been so fun. I’ve been producing and songwriting for other artists.

KT: Looking forward to hearing those collabs! You’ve released quite a few singles, is an album in the works? 

BL: Ahhhh cheeky! Yes I mean… that would be amazing! I’m still an independent artist currently, and would love to create a project for my TINGS to dance to! I love releasing singles at the moment as I’m loving the way I can release what I want, when I want! 

KT: What are some of your goals heading into 2026?

BL: Some of my goals for 2026 would be performing live more, creating more music, working with more artists, just more of everything! 

KT: That’s a good list. You’ve performed in some of London’s most iconic venues, is a global tour on the horizon? 

BL: I would totally love to do a global tour! Some of the venues that I’ve performed in are Hootananny, Brixton & Colours, Hoxton & Quarters and Volks in Brighton,

I would love to travel the world and see all my fans on the tour! The worldwide TINGS can then be a part of the BLONDETING WORLD in person!

KT: I heard you’re still rocking an old 3310 Nokia phone, how is it working!? How come you opt in for the retro tech, not one of them newest, full computer phones? 

BL: That Nokia 3310 phone is iconic. I love retro tech. I think it’s very impressive. Who knows, maybe in the future we might get more futuristic with it? But I owe a lot to vintage products, I grew up in a house full of them, my mum is a collector. I love stuff from the past and I think it’s really cool.

I had a friend make the huge phone for me, and we went around some iconic BLONDETING music video spots in London and filmed there with it! I was dancing around it, and inside it! People were so interested in what we were doing – it was so much fun! I want to take it with me everywhere

KT: That sounds like a ton of fun, the pics came out great too. Anything else music fans should know about you?

BL: Music fans and fans of BLONDETING should know that I have SO MUCH more music coming for them, I’m so excited for them to hear it. I encourage my fans to be unapologetically themselves no matter what. I have a lot of time and love for my fans. I wouldn’t be here today without them.

So as a gift from me to the TINGS, I will be releasing a lot more music in 2026.

The post BLONDETING on supporting women in DNB and making music from scratch appeared first on Quip Magazine.