Q&A with Heavy Bloom
- Brennan
- Sep 24
- 10 min read
HEAVY BLOOM is a genre-blending band from Seattle, WA, known for a soulful fusion of pop, R&B, and funk with influences ranging from 80s synth-pop to modern electronic sounds. Band leaders Jeanie Marinella and Joji Harada began writing together in 2020. As their creative vision evolved, they decided to form a band to bring their musical concepts to life.
With smooth vocals, creative instrumentation, and a knack for experimental production, HEAVY BLOOM creates a dynamically retro reflection of their diverse musical roots and continual commitment to pushing boundaries. Armed with funky basslines, delicately intricate harmonies, and infectious danceable drum grooves, the group draws direct inspiration from artists like Remi Wolf, Little Dragon, and Lianne La Havas.
For the past two years, HEAVY BLOOM has increasingly built a strong local following performing at legendary venues like Nectar Lounge, The Sunset Tavern, and Central Saloon. Seizing the opportunity to open for international acts like Daste and Brooklyn’s Cool Company, HEAVY BLOOM have recently been featured at regional music festivals Bite of Seattle and Bellingham’s Splish Splash.
How did you all meet?
Our story goes way back. Joji and I first met at Western Washington University in Bellingham, where we were both studying classical music. It honestly feels like a different lifetime now. At the time, Joji and Cory were roommates and playing in another band together. Years later, after stepping away from music for a while, Joji and I decided to take a leap of faith and finally record the songs we’d been holding onto. Starting a band felt like the natural next step, even though it was something I’d always been a little too afraid to dive into before. At that point, it finally felt right and like we had nothing to lose.
We already knew Cory would be our bassist, so we began looking for other members. We first met Demarcus very briefly at a friend’s show (shoutout to Morgan Paris Lanza), and his playing blew us away. On a whim, I messaged him to see if he’d want to jam with us, fully expecting him to say no, but he was down. From the very beginning, he immediately brought some of our songs to life, making them feel ready for the stage rather than just like rough demos. Aman, a friend of a friend, became our first keyboard player and really helped us carve out the initial direction of our debut EP. His parts gave those early recordings a sense of depth and texture that we hadn’t fully tapped into before.
Later on, after Aman left to focus on his own projects, Jacob reached out to see if we wanted to play a show with his band, JAMN. We weren’t available for the date, but I asked if he knew any keyboard players since we were looking, and he offered himself. The timing was perfect, and he added a new layer of creativity, production expertise, and melodic color that pushed our sound forward. Funny enough, I didn’t even realize until then that we’d actually sung in the same children’s choir years earlier. From there, everything just snowballed in the best way. It clicked, and suddenly we had a band.
Outside of musical skills, what does each member bring to the band that you couldn’t do without?
Joji: We simply wouldn’t be a band without him. He’s our engineer, producer, my co-writer, and to answer your question, he is the one who constantly pushes us to dream bigger and actually make it happen. Joji is great at keeping us connected as friends, making sure we hang out and bond outside of rehearsals and shows, too.
Cory: He’s diligent and organized, and he has a way of simplifying tough decisions so we don’t get stuck. He helps us remember the logistics necessary for our big goals and pushes us to write new material regularly.
Demarcus: Truly the most laid-back person I’ve ever met. He’s an amazing listener and just such a good hang.
Jacob: He’s the clown of the band. He keeps things fun and light when I start to get bogged down, always gasses me up when I need it, and makes sure there’s a dad joke in the mix, whether or not anyone asked.
Jeanie (me): I bring a thoughtful, feminine perspective to the group. I’m sensitive to what everyone needs and try to make sure everyone feels supported. I really enjoy getting out there and building connections with other musicians and creatives across Seattle’s art scene.
How do you navigate creative disagreements within the band?
Most of that happened more in our early days, but over time, we’ve really found our flow and have built trust. When disagreements do come up, we’re pretty good at compromising. No one plays the “maestro” role or gets too precious about their ideas, which I love. I think we’ve done well at creating a culture where we actually listen to each other and consider ideas before shutting them down.
What is your creative process like?
Our creative process varies a lot! All of us add our own flair to make each song unique and dynamic. That's what I love about being in a band, the collaborative aspect. Sometimes it starts with me singing a random melody that I like and laying down basic chords on the piano, quite often Joji will write a riff on the guitar, I'll develop a vocal melody that fits over it and we'll record a demo in Ableton to show to the rest of the band. Then we work together to write the lyrics after or during that process. Just as often, Cory will send Joji and me a demo and I'll come up with the vocal part. All in all, we usually develop the song through the recording process. After all of that, we get together as a group and Demarcus, Jacob and Cory spice up the chords, add riffs and essentially make everything way better.
Do you have a favorite song that you've written?
I imagine this varies from bandmate to bandmate, but I think our unreleased tracks are the ones I'm most excited about since they reflect the creative direction we're headed in. The newer songs we've been working on feel a little more like progressive R&B with a touch of indie-pop and alternative. As for our released tracks, I'm probably most proud of "SPACE." Looking back, it feels like this song came out of nowhere and it ended up being so much more emotional than I initially intended on. It was one of the first songs we worked on as a band and it's still really special playing it all together over two years later. I'm also very fond of "CRASH" and feel excited about it again [after the release of the] CRASH remix EP.
You just performed at Capitol Hill Block Party. What was that like?
It was such a fun night. Leading up to it, I was honestly nervous about everything - the turnout, how our set would be received, even little things like what I was wearing or what to say on stage. But, by the week of, that nervousness shifted into excitement. We’d worked so hard to prepare, and I realized a lot of the nerves just came from how much it mattered to me.
The show itself felt amazing. Most importantly, I had a blast performing. As a recovering perfectionist, I’ve often been way too focused on how I sound and have struggled to really perform/express myself the way I’ve wanted. But for the first time, maybe ever, I let go of needing every note to be perfect and just enjoyed being on stage, celebrating what it means to play original music with this band. It felt like a big success, and it was incredible to spend the rest of the night with friends who were also performing. It definitely seemed like a milestone.
How did you prepare for your set?
We did a ton of prep. One big thing was tightening transitions between the first three and last three songs of our set, so the energy never dropped. I can’t take credit for composing the transitions from one song to the next (shoutout to Jacob for doing the bulk of that), but it really helped me stay in the moment since it eliminated any dead space during the set. Personally, I love it when shows flow seamlessly, even when the front person is talking and engaging with the crowd, so we worked hard on that starting in the spring.
We also worked with stylist Melissa De La Rosa to help us look more aligned as a band, which made the performance feel even more cohesive and professional.
For your CHBP performance, you released merch that you screen-printed yourselves. What was that process like?
Yes! My best friend Helen designed the shirts, and we bought all the screen-printing materials online based on different recommendations. It was a brand-new process for us and honestly, a heavy lift at first, but we wanted the flexibility of releasing new merch more regularly without it being prohibitively expensive. Like a lot of DIY projects, it felt overwhelming in the beginning, but now that we know what to do, it’s actually really fun. We’re already planning more merch drops and expanding the sizes for the CHBP design - more shirts will be at our single release show at Hidden Hall on September 24th!!
Is any merch still available?
Yes! We have the design we made DIY for CHBP, another shirt design, and more items! We don’t have an online store yet, but I’m more than happy to meet up with anyone who wants to buy a t-shirt, EP, keychain, etc. And of course you can purchase them at one of our shows!
In March, you released a remix EP for CRASH. How did that project come about?
We always had the idea of doing remixes for CRASH, and a few friends had expressed interest in working on it. Funny enough, when we were filming the music video last Summer, we sped up the track so I could sing along in slo-mo. I remember thinking, “Wait, I actually love how this sounds,” which sealed the deal on getting remixes. After a little research, we realized a full remix EP would be the way to go. It was such a fun chance to collaborate with local artists and explore new sounds.
You’ve been teasing a debut album. What can you tell us?
It’ll be out in spring 2026! We’re planning for a 10 to 12 track album, with at least two more singles after “IN MY HEAD” and music videos leading up to it. We’re honestly so excited for this release. It feels like the culmination of everything we’ve been building toward and we're already thinking ahead to the next steps.
You just released a new single, "IN MY HEAD." What was the process of creating it?
It started with a bass riff. I remember it was a freezing winter night, and Joji had been downstairs in our little home studio for hours. He came up with the riff and a solid instrumental demo. In one sitting, we sat down and wrote the vocal parts and lyrics together. The song itself is short, light, and sweet, and the writing process felt that way, too.
This new single leans more pop/electronic than the R&B sound we’ve come to associate with the band. Was that intentional or more of a natural evolution?
A bit of both. Joji and I were both excited to try something new. Even though we’ve worked hard to find our sound, we’ve realized it’s still evolving, especially after putting out our debut EP. We want to give ourselves permission to write whatever excites us in the moment. Lots of artists are genre-bending right now, and we’re not too worried about fitting neatly into one lane. Plus, we do have other unreleased songs with a similar vibe that will be on the album!
You also filmed a music video for the song. Can you tell us more?
Yes! We worked with Cody Hendricksen and filmed the whole video in one day. We brought in two local creatives, Riana and JJ, as actors, and filmed around different Seattle spots as well as in our house. The video blends dreamlike sequences, memories, and flashbacks - part nostalgic romance, part surrealism. It was a really memorable day, and even though we had just met Riana and JJ that day, the chemistry clicked, and it was incredibly inspiring to have them be part of the project.
There seems to be a light blue color scheme tied to this single. Was that intentional?
I’m glad you noticed! Yes, that was intentional. We think a lot about color and branding with each release. For this one, the song felt dreamy, light, and airy, so we leaned into soft tones. I found the dress I wore in the video first, then asked the rest of the band and actors to choose pieces that felt equally ethereal - lace, linen, soft fabrics and colors. The palette ended up feeling both dreamy and a little nostalgic, with a touch of that ‘90s aesthetic I love.
If you could have any of your songs featured in a piece of media, which song would it be and what would you like it to be featured in?
Oooh. I'd love it if "CRASH" was featured in something given its ethereal, bittersweet sound. Seems like it could go well in the penultimate episode of a limited series.
If you could pick any band or artist, past or present, to tour with, who would it be and why?
I could ponder on this question forever. For me personally, it'd be a dream come true to tour with Fleetwood Mac back in the day. I don't know if it gets much better than Rumors.
Who, or what, has most influenced your music and artistic style?
R&B, soul, indie, electronic and alternative styles are all an inspiration. Bands and artists like Radiohead, Ariana Grande, Little Dragon, Stevie Wonder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyonce and Hiatus Kaiyote have all been huge influences for us. All of us draw inspiration from a wide variety of sounds and genres.
What are you listening to currently?
Joji and I [took a trip to] Japan and have we've both been very inspired by Japanese 80's City Pop and J-Pop. Specifically, we love pretty much anything Vaundy has come out with lately. I'm also currently listening to a lot of Brandy, both old and new, and 90s R&B in general (as always). We've also had Cocteau Twin's album, Heaven or Las Vegas, on repeat for probably the last year and "Alligator Bites Never Heal" by Doechii, of course.
Listen to Heavy Bloom's single "IN MY HEAD" now.
