To Sabrina Teitelbaum, known professionally as Blondshell, the greatest part of being a musician is playing live shows. And after having the privilege of seeing her at a sold out London’s Lafayette, it is certainly no surprise. Filling wall to wall, floor to ceiling with her uniquely commanding voice and utterly compelling lyrics, the LA-based artist radiates an authenticity that is contagious and provoking. While on stage, performing her self-titled debut album, she is in her element; a force to be reckoned with. And, given the raw and personal stories she tells, it makes sense.

In February of 2020, Teitelbaum showed her producer an initial idea called “Olympus”, unsure what to do with it. Different from everything else she was working on at the time, the track marked a turning point for Blondshell, a moment of enlightenment that set the pace for the rest of her debut album. “[My producer] was like, ‘that’s better than any of the other songs that you’ve written,” she tells me as we sit down to talk. “Go home and write more stuff like that.’”

Lockdown ensued, and she started reading contemporary fiction where the reader goes deep inside the protagonist’s psyche. “There’s not a crazy plot that happens, but there’s a lot of being in someone’s head,” she tells me, citing Luster by Rabin Leilani as a key example. “There’s not a crazy plot. It’s just a lot of thinking. It made me think about my life as more of an outsider. It’s obviously not possible to see your life from a different perspective, but I think it made me think about myself differently.”

And in turn, somewhat unconsciously, she created a body of work that brings listeners deep into her own mind, providing them with a medium to think about themselves differently.

The key component of “Olympus” that resonated with her producer and, eventually, a fast-growing audience, is the candour and vulnerability embedded in its essence. “I think with the previous stuff I was maybe trying to hide pieces of myself or trying to be somebody different than I am and with this music, the biggest thing was that it’s just like how I talk to people,” she explains. “I think he could pick up on that, my friends could pick up on that, and it was just obvious. Even if people aren’t really conscious of it when you’re listening to music, you know if someone’s lying or not, and I think it just felt like the most straightforward version, the most me.”

Growing up listening to Bob Dylan and artists who used music to tell intimate, personal stories, it is no wonder that this is where Teitelbaum has landed herself. However, while writing in such a straightforward manner might feel more natural, releasing one’s inner thoughts comes with added complications. “It’s not tough with people you don’t know, but if it’s family or friends, then it’s tough,” she offers. “With everybody you’ve talked to, you’re choosing what level of personal you want to be and how much stuff you want to disclose. But when you put out music and talk about everything, then everyone in your life is privy to all aspects of your life. You can’t filter anything.”

As a whole, her self-titled debut album is an alt-rock masterpiece, pairing grand sounds with intimate storytelling. From its opening track “Veronica Mars”, through to the Deluxe Edition’s bonus tracks, Blondshell takes listeners on a captivating journey as complex as the human experience. Stops along the way include lead single “Kiss City”, fan-favourite “Salad”, and Teitelbaum’s go-to answer for which song she’s most proud of — “Sepsis”. There’s also “Dangerous”, which is her current favourite to perform live.

Currently on tour, Teitelbaum tells me this is her favourite part of the whole thing. “It can sort of feel like, ‘is there really anyone who is actually connecting to the music or are people just kind of passively stumbling on it?’ So when I’m on tour and I get to meet people who connect with the music, it feels really cool.”

“My dreams and goals for myself have always been around shows,” she continues. “I’ve never been like, ‘I want to have this many followers or streams or whatever.’ I was always like, ‘I want to play this big of a show and have people know the words and stuff.’ It’s my favourite part of this whole thing.”

Other goals and dreams? Releasing two more albums, getting to pick and choose from all three for live setlists. Perhaps a collaboration with Miley Cyrus. Maybe a Bob Dylan cover. For now, the world’s her oyster, and she’s touring it.

See tour dates here.

Stream Blondshell here…