For this artist spotlight, we were joined by Kerry Glass, vocalist and songwriter of up and coming band, ‘Borderline Toxic‘, who have just released their debut single, ‘Mr Obsanity’.
‘Borderline Toxic’ burst onto the scene with their powerful and unique cover of Eve & Gwen Stefani’s RnB classic, ‘Let me Blow Your Mind’, along with an accompanying music video.
The band is comprised of Henrik Fossum (Drums), Quentin Roelandt (Guitar) and Kerry Glass (Vox).
“The band really just snowballed from there.”
The band was formed “Mostly out of frustration of lockdown, and having our creativity complete squashed.” Kerry wanted to “come out of lockdown with something”, and used the time to really focus on songwriting. Pete Ray Biggin (Level 42), one of the UK’s finest drummers; connected Kerry with Norwegian producer, Henrik Fossum (PBUG, Brand New Heavies, Level 42, James Arthur) and they collaborated remotely during the lockdown. Kerry worked from her home studio in London before getting together with Henrik in the studio when restrictions permitted them to do so. “The band really just snowballed from there.”
Kerry’s new home studio was kitted out by the team here at Studiospares.
“The pandemic has taught us that songwriting doesn’t have to be bound by geography anymore… but you can’t beat the vibe in-between musicians in the same room. When we were writing songs remotely, it would take a month to pull a song together, but when we got into the studio, we wrote a banger in about an hour.”
“I want our music to be triggering”
‘Mr Obsanity’, is a powerful, raucous stomper that is as painfully catchy as it is filthy. A track that is equally lyrically heavy. “I like to have plot twists and substance in my lyrics, but they come last in the studio. I want our music to be triggering, and I’m not afraid of rubbing people up the wrong way, as long as it’s the right people. It has to have depth, and matter, be gritty and heavy but also be sexy!”
Kerry and the band has certainly mastered that in their debut single. A track that leaves you stuck with the melody, but also thinking.
The video for their cover of ‘Let me Blow Your Mind’ was filmed in Bali, during the third lockdown and features Glass and Fossum along with Farley Hallatu on bass and Jordan Vegas on guitar duties. “The musicians and creatives in Indonesia are absolutely incredible, everyone is so talented, and I really wanted to utilise that.” The video was shot in an abandoned theme park, along with footage from a church in Norway.
Kerry is hugely influenced by Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains, anything empowering and a big fan of the Grunge scene. “Courtney Love is just effortlessly cool!” Kerry still has a love for nu-metal bands such as ‘KoRn’, and can’t get enough of their album, ‘Untouchables’.
“I never thought I could write songs to be honest”
With an EP and follow up singles on cards in the coming months, I was astonished to learn that Kerry Glass only began songwriting two years ago, and it was a passion that was stumbled across by accident as an escape from lockdown. “I never thought I could write songs to be honest, and then I sent my boyfriend one of those big, scripted messages. The first thing he said was, you’re a songwriter! I said no I’m not, I’m annoyed. No, you’re a songwriter…”
“Give yourself the best opportunity to be inspired”
When asked what advice Kerry would give to someone who is a student or just starting out their journey into the music industry, Kerry confidently stated “Surround yourself with other musicians and creative, especially those better than you give yourself the best opportunity to be inspired.”
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Borderline Toxic are performing their debut show at Camden Rocks Festival on 28th November at The Dublin Castle, London.
The music video for ‘Mr Obsanity’ will be released very soon, and has been animated and illustrated by Simon Mulligan.
You can stream the single here.
Follow the band on Facebook and Instagram.