By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“…like passengers aboard a senior cruise – all you can eat.”
Boston’s Miracle Blood formed in 2014 as a two-piece before they expanded to a trio.
Over time, they’ve developed a sound that can be best described as noisy, versatile, dynamic post-punk.
The group’s lineup consists of Andrew Wong (Vocals, guitar), Garrett Young (Bass) and Tomoharu Tamaki (Drums).
So far this year, they’ve released three short EPs, which each focuses on different sounds. “Pushing Roses/Call All The Nurses” showcases melodic punk, “Swollen/Sentinel” contains a heaviness that speaks for itself, while “Bloom/Polite And Calm” reveals some unexpected turns.
The band has yet another EP recorded, which they promise will show off yet another unique style.
Music Bugle – In what ways would you say the dynamics of the band have changed since going from a two-piece to a trio?
Andrew Wong: I think having Garrett in on bass has really added a lot to our songwriting. There’s a whole other person to contribute ideas and opinions. Before when Tomoharu and I would disagree, it was a stalemate. Now, there’s someone who can be the tie-breaker.
Tomoharu Tamaki: We’re also able to do a lot more with bass, musically. It can fill in the space between the guitar and drums and make everything just sound more full. It can also carry a part or be the focus.
Andrew Wong: There’s also more equipment we have to carry to shows…
Music Bugle – How would you describe “the scene” in your hometown of Boston, MA? What type of people come out to your shows?
Garrett Young: It’s a big scene, but can feel pretty scattered. Boston always has a lot of people both coming and going. There’s a lot of bands. We’ve played shows outside of Boston with bands from Boston we never even knew existed.
Tomoharu Tamaki: People who go to local shows usually know the bands in someway. A lot of the people who go to shows also play in bands. Sometimes, you can get people who don’t play, but are genuinely interested in the music and that’s great. Sometimes, you get people who don’t know what they’re walking into and are not interested at all and walk straight out.
Music Bugle – Of the three short EPs released this year, which one do you feel showcases the band the best to someone who is checking you guys out for the first time?
Andrew Wong: I think “Swollen/Sentinel” gives a really good sense of both our general sound and our range. “Swollen” is basically a straight-to-the point punk-rock song and a good representation of our general sound. “Sentinel” shows our dynamic range since it starts really quiet, but gets loud and has some twists.
Garrett Young: I think a lot of our fans also really liked “Roses/Nurses” because both those songs are on the more catchier side.
Music Bugle – What can fans expect from your music yet to be released?
Andrew Wong: What we’re working on now feels a lot more focused than what we’ve done in the past. We’re really leaning harder into what we see as our strengths.
Garrett Young: It’s definitely weirder, more aggressive, more odd and angular. I think our humor and personality also come through a lot more on it. It feels more uniquely us.
Music Bugle – Could you describe some of your musical influences as a group?
Tomoharu Tamaki: We basically draw from most punk-influenced things from any time. Punk and post-hardcore from the 80s like Dead Kennedys, Fugazi, The Misfits. Stuff from the 90’s, grunge. We like Nirvana and that stuff. Stuff from the 2000’s like At the Drive-In.
Garrett Young: We also really like and are influenced by more current bands like Screaming Females, METZ, and Future Of The Left. We all listen to a lot of music and share it with each other, so we’re always hearing different stuff.
Andrew Wong: Garrett also likes Motley Crue.
Music Bugle – What has been your most memorable moment as a band?
Andrew Wong: When we were filming the video for “Swollen,” we were dressed up like cowboys with these stupid little hobby horses, running around, galloping across the crosswalks and stuff. Everytime we galloped across the street, we heard cheering coming from the people waiting in line at a venue about a block down. After a few times, we realized “oh dang, they’re cheering for us,” so we went over and asked if they wanted to be in the video. They were super excited about it. We got an awesome shot of us galloping through, getting high-fives from everyone in line. It was just a really fun and spontaneous thing that we happened to get on camera.
Music Bugle – What can people expect from your live performance compared to a studio recording?
Garrett Young: People usually comment about the energy of our live performances. I think our humor comes through more, too. We play loud, aggressive music, but it’s not like we’re they’re trying to be tough. We make stupid faces and dance while we play.
Andrew Wong: We’re also probably shorter than people expect us to be.
Music Bugle – What’s something people should know about the band?
Tomoharu Tamaki: Everything is pretty much just us. We do more or less everything ourselves. There is no label, no manager, so we really appreciate everyone who supports us. We try to personally reach out to our fans and anyone who supports us to say thank you. If we haven’t gotten to you yet, thank you!
Music Bugle – Besides your new music, what are some of your other future plans?
Andrew Wong: We got some shows coming up that we’re excited about. Our local friends, Rebuilder, have had a New Year’s Eve residency at a local venue for the last few years and this year is going to be the last one. They asked us to play, so we’re excited about that. It should be a fun time.
Garrett Young: Also, getting out of Boston more. Playing new places and to new audiences, meeting people, making connections.
Music Bugle – What emotions would you say are best conveyed through the band’s music?
Garrett Young: There’s definitely that angsty-ness to it, but it’s with humor and self-awareness. It’s like sarcastic and over-dramatic anger, aggression and frustration.
Andrew Wong: Yeah, I definitely don’t think of it all being negative stuff, just kind of intense. In addition to what Garrett said, there’s definitely some mania, elation and sentimentality to it.
Tomoharu Tamaki: A weird mix, for weird people.
