Interview with Rachel Kline

Flowerbomb is a DC-based alternative rock band founded by Rachel Kline. Combining saturated guitars, ornate rhythms, and delicately raw lyrics, Flowerbomb creates a soundscape for nostalgia and heavy feelings accompanied by lush layers and dynamic sounds.

Their debut album, Pretty Dark, was released digitally on December 18th, 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since it’s release, it has been commended for its honest, raw, and vulnerable voice, as well as its versatility in blending multiple genres. Flowerbomb combines elements of shoegaze, punk, alternative, emo, and indie rock to create their signature sound. Their song II, was awarded ‘Best Rock Song of the Year’ and their debut album, Pretty Dark was named ‘Best Rock Album of The Year’ during the 2021 Wammie Awards, a DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) based award show dedicated to recognizing local artists and musicians for their achievements.

If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?

Japanese Breakfast. We have been huge fans of Michelle Zauner (frontwoman of Japanese Breakfast) since she was in her previous band, Little Big League. It would be a dream come true open for Japanese Breakfast or any other project she’s behind.

Are you finding the isolation of the pandemic conducive to your writing or is it hindering the experiences you can write about?

I think it’s a bit of both. On one hand, the additional free time we had during lockdown allowed us the opportunity to write more, which was certainly a silver lining during what was such a difficult time for so many. Dan (our drummer, producer, etc.) and I couldn’t get together during the height of quarantine, however, we wrote more songs over the span of 6 months, sending demos back and forth remotely, than we did in 4 years of being in a band together in person. On the other hand, it was difficult to feel inspired during a time that felt so stagnant. I definitely had to challenge myself to write in different and new ways, which I think ultimately made me a better artist.

If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?

In the music industry today, artists are not only expected to write and release music, but also to be content creators. I wish the industry would stop moving in the direction of artists essentially having to be social media influencers as well.

What can we expect from you within the next 6 months? Any releases planned? Future gigs?

We have 3 singles, and one cover that we are planning on releasing! Additionally, we have a weekend tour planned for the end of April, as well as a number of local shows. Below are all of the shows we have booked in 2022 so far:

3/3 @ Metro Gallery w/ Gully Boys

3/26 @ Capital Turnaround for the Wammies Award Show

4/1 @ The Pie Shop with The Warhawks

4/29 @ The Crown

4/30 @ Union Stage with Allie X

5/19 @ The Pie Shop with Safari Room

What inspires your writing? Do you draw inspiration from poems, music, TV, or other media?

My lyrical content comes from my personal experiences and, often, how those experiences connect to larger things outside myself. I mainly write about gender, sexuality, relationships, trauma, and my mental/physical health. Dan has noticed a change in my writing post-Pretty Dark, in that my newer material tends to invoke feelings of living and thriving, rather than just surviving, even though a lot of the same subject matters remain present.

What is the most useless talent you have?

I am weirdly good at those 15 puzzles – the sliding square puzzle where you try and get numbers 1-15 in order. I can always do it in less than a minute!

You are a new addition to a crayon box. What colour would you be and why?

Hot pink because it’s the most fun color!

What was the last TV series you watched on TV?

Freaks and Geeks

Which fictional character do you wish was real?

Dobby from Harry Potter

If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?

I would tell my younger self to advocate for myself more, because I’m worth it!

On February 14 alt-indie rockers Flowerbomb released their debut music video for the track, “sorry.” One of three singles released in 2020, “sorry” became the second track on prettydark,Flowerbomb’s first full-length album released in 2021