Six Foot Blonde: Discusses life on tour, creative processes, and new album, “Hummingbird”
Article and Interview by Emmanuel Morales
Photograph by Six Foot Blonde
Coming from Bloomington, Indiana, the band Six Foot Blonde is redefining the boundaries of genre with their heartfelt lyrics and ’90s-inspired take on indie rock. From local Midwestern college gigs to headlining tours across the U.S., the band has steadily built a reputation as one to watch as they prepare to unveil their biggest release yet.
Following the success of their 2024 debut album, “Ask Me How I Am”, Six Foot Blonde entered a new chapter with the release of their latest single, “Carmilla”, on August 21. The single marks the beginning of a new era for the band, leading into their long-awaited sophomore album, Hummingbird, set for release on September 25, 2026.
Ahead of the album’s release, With The Band Magazine sat down with Six Foot Blonde for an exclusive interview. The band discussed the creative process behind Hummingbird, their journey as a six-member group, and the challenges and experiences of touring across the United States.
Read the full exclusive interview with Six Foot Blonde below!
WTBM: To start off, you guys started off as a cover band back in your college days. What inspired you guys to transition from covering other artists’ music to making your own original songs?
Dominick (bassist): “When we first started back in 2021, as most college bands start, we thought, “oh, this’ll be super fun,” and then we decided, you know, still in the spirit of that, that we wanted to encapsulate what that experience had been to us and being creative and growing as artists together. So we decided to make our own EP to sort of commemorate that.”
WTBM: How have you guys evolved as a band from the first couple of shows that you’ve played in college to now touring across the U.S.?
Julia (lead vocalist): “I feel like there has been a big evolution for sure; I think by the sheer numbers too. Our first gigs used to be in a 9-person group, and it consisted of an entirely different genre of music. After we put out our EP, that’s when we really started to play outside of the Midwest and tour a bit more. For me, especially, I think I’ve gotten much more comfortable with myself and the persona I have when I'm on stage. When you’re on stage, you have to be able to perform in a way that you want to be presenting your music and your message to people. But also in a way that really connects to people. And at first, the idea of being vulnerable, especially to people I don’t necessarily know, was really, really scary, especially when leaving my home state of Indiana and all the neighboring states. And now I’m a lot more comfortable, a little too comfortable, where I will just willingly chat and chat until the dudes are like, “ok, time to play a song… stop talking, Julia”. For me, it’s a journey of just comfort, and that just yields a better performance over time.”
Elliot (guitarist): “I think from an evolutionary standpoint, we’ve been really lucky to tour with some other bands that were bigger than us, and seen a lot of ways that they carried themselves and ways that they transformed some of their recorded music into live music. We’ve been lucky to learn a lot, and it definitely made our show more dynamic, for sure.”
WTBM: On that note, is there a certain band that stands out that has inspired you in any way when it comes to touring and how you perform on stage?
Julia (lead vocalist): “I think that every band we get the privilege to play with. A lot of the time we’re like sponges, and we just want to absorb any information they have for us. I think we all have walked away with personal one-on-one conversations with other musicians that have inspired us. We opened for this band called “Couch” that was really, really awesome. I really enjoyed talking to their lead singer, Tema, because she is the only girl in a band with just dudes, and so getting her advice was really, really awesome, and I love connecting and having the same shared experience with her. Bands like “Ripe” and ‘Pose X Nachos” have also been really eager and willing to give advice and just be kind through their conversation with us.”
WTBM: Growing up, did you guys always have this idea of, “I want to be a musician when I grow up”? Or did it all fall into place over time? If so, how did that process happen?
Julia (lead vocalist): “Literally none of us had any idea we were gonna be doing music. Maybe my friends and family would have told you something different, but like… I entered my freshman year of college like, “I'm going to med school, and I'm gonna become a doctor”. Elliott studied Anthropology, Dom studied Journalism, and not to speak for Dom, but Dom grew up in a family of musicians, and he was like, “I'm gonna be the different one; I'm not gonna be a musician”. All of us loved music, but we never felt like it could bleed into our professional lives. I’m very honored that this gets to be my job, but also I would have never thought that I was going to do this, and maybe that’s the best way to go about it. Sometimes you put too much pressure on it.”
Elliot (guitarist): “I think the really cool part about this band was that Six Foot Blonde is what allowed us to individually realize that we wanted to do this. Being part of this band is how I discovered my dream, so it makes it even more special to realize I still get to do that dream with the people I discovered what that dream even was with.”
WTBM: Do you have any advice for any musicians that are starting their music career or trying to find their voice in the music scene?
Dominick (bassist): “I think one of the biggest things that I've noticed is, you have to do it all with such deep earnestness. Everything that you choose to do, treat yourself like the student, and every person you meet is someone you can learn something from, and that approach is something I sincerely believe will take you further than any other advice.”
Elliot (guitarist): “I would also say, pursuing a creative fashion often feels very isolating and very individual, because it’s derived from your creation and your skills, but having that accountability and having people around you in the same circle keeps your skills honed and makes sure you always have stuff you’re working on. But it also keeps it collaborative and fresh, offering you new perspectives.”
Julia (lead vocalist): “I wanted to add on to what Elliot and Dom were saying. There are challenges with being a musician, and you know, for me, I’m not somebody that thrives without a routine, and being a musician involves the least routine-like routine ever. And I think that having a support system like my bandmates is really important and special to me. And for people out there that are looking for musicians to play with, find people you trust and that you love. And the skills and comfortability on stage will come with that.”
WTBM: As a 6-member band, it can be challenging at times when it comes to the creative process. How do you guys divide and share the creative process in one band?
Julia (lead vocalist): “It’s a lot of collaboration. We are more democratic as a band than any other band that has ever been formed. And part of that is because we are very loud voices and we are loud thinkers. Each one of us is like one equal part, and that is what kind of creates the sound, and it makes us who we are.”
WTBM: Your single, “Carmilla,” from your upcoming album, “Hummingbird,” released on August 21st- what decision led to that song being the first song released from the album?
Dominick (bassist): “I think it had the most creative energy behind it. At the time of recording, we had so many songs that we thought could be the singles, and “Carmilla” felt like such a good way to introduce where we’re going sonically.”
Is there a deeper meaning behind the name of your upcoming album, “Hummingbird”?
Julia (lead vocalist): “I could talk about the stories behind the album for hours, but I think when it came down to it, we had a million different titles for so long, but I was, and I am, really attached to the idea of birds. I love birds, and I think there’s a lot of magic in flocks, and I feel like this album, more than anything, the six of us as a collective team are like a bird flock working on a collective project. I also see this album very much like a hummingbird in a sense. It’s very colorful and sweet. Hummingbirds also pollinate and spread beauty and make things beautiful, and that is the goal with music.”
WTBM: When on tour, do you guys have a secret getaway place or hidden gem that most people might not know about?
Julia (lead vocalist): “Oooh… that is a great question. When we play in New York, sometimes we get a chance to stay at my family’s place on the shore, Jersey Shore. So I have to say that is like our secret little spot. I love it there, but that’s no secret. There’s literally a show about the Jersey Shore.”
Elliot (guitarist): “There is a holiday bar in Appleton, Wisconsin that is always worth a visit. It is a themed holiday year-round, and I'm not even a huge Christmas person, but they make incredible drinks, and Appleton is the most music-loving place in the world for no reason, and it’s awesome.”
WTBM: To end things off, if you were to do a late-night drive, windows down, music blasting… What song from your newest album would you play?
Julia (lead vocalist): “I’m really proud of the song, “Painted Ladies”, on our upcoming project. It embodies the type of music I listen to a lot really well. With that being said, it’s a little heavier. It’s my favorite song I’ve written, lyrically and melodically. Maybe some other people might choose our song, “Berlin”, where it’s very windows down, screaming, sing-along.”
Elliot (guitarist): “I was gonna say “Painted Ladies”, I love that song, and we’ve played it live twice now, I think. “Painted Ladies” still has the nervous energy for me, personally, where I'm like, “I know the song, and I know the form and structure, but I still feel so on edge playing it”. “Honey” also slaps.”
Dominick (bassist): “My late-night drive would be “Painted Ladies” or “Honey” for that vibe personally… or “Up a Notch”. Sleeper pick.”
Julia (lead vocalist): “I was gonna say “Up a Notch” is also a sleeper pick. It’s like the first days of warm weather, and there’s a light breeze in your face. “Painted Ladies” is like, your hair is gonna be unfixable afterwards.”
Elliot (guitarist): “It’s like [Painted Ladies] you roll the windows down and it’s raining somehow, but you don’t roll them up. It’s awesome you asked that, Manny, because it’s a theme Julia would always tell us when we were first writing the record and craft a lot of songs. She was like, “I want this to be windows down, driving in the car with your friends type of album”.”
Six Foot Blonde is now on tour and set to perform at the White Oak Music Hall on September 26th, 2026. With the long-awaited release of their Sophomore album, “Hummingbird”, on September 25th 2026, the Houston show will be an energy-filled concert, to say the least.