Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Maximilian Pintilie: Lead Vocals, Liam Murray: Guitar, Morgan McGivern: Bass, Chase Allardice: Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Black and Blue? How long has the band been around?
Max: This is the first band that we officially formed, we've been playing together for 2 years.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
Max: Our name was originally The Midnight, but after the band decided that we needed to change it because we didn't like it, there was a period of about 3 months where the band kept trying to think of a new name. Then a former band member (lead guitarist) suggested Black And Blue, and out of the hundreds of names we thought of, that was the only one that the full band somewhat agreed on, so we stuck with it, and over time it stuck and fans seemed to like it as much as it grew on us as well.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Max: Liam and I write the songs. I usually come to Liam with lyrics and a melody, and then we write a guitar part around it, then we build upon the rest of the song with bass and drums. Or Liam will have a guitar part that I vibe with, then I'll write lyrics and melodies to his part. The main themes that most of our songs center around are coming of age, things that I have experienced or been exposed to, whether that's finding an escape, lust, drug use, etc. I think as I grow older, our song topics will mature as I gain a wider perspective on the world and I have more experience.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Max: The Neighbourhood, The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino, The Weeknd, GoldLink, A$AP Rocky, Tame Impala, Anderson. Paak, Daniel Caesar, to name a few...
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Max: Panic! At The Disco when I was about 13 years old. I was dealing with depression at the time when one of my closest friends brought me onto them. I realized that whenever I had listened to their music my feeling of depression and sadness would go away. So I decided that I wanted to start making music to help others, because I could never know what someone else is going through, but for the 3 minutes someone listens to one of our songs or the hour they see us live or listen to one of our albums, I want our music to resonate with them and help them deal with whatever they're going through in life.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
Max: Get hyped.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Max: We played a show at the Mercury Lounge in NYC earlier this year and we sold out the venue. It was an incredible show.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Max: Touring with The Neighbourhood or Frank Ocean or Daniel Caesar or The 1975 would be unreal. They're all just such fantastic bands/artists that I look up to, so it would be so incredibly surreal to share the stage with one of them.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Max: Our Debut EP "Object of Desire" releases everywhere on July 27th! So we hope everyone gets the chance to give it a listen & enjoy it. Follow us on Instagram @blackandblue to stay updated. Thank you so much!